Sunday, March 12
Make the tree good
Scripture: Numbers 23-24, Proverbs 6, Matthew 12
Matthew 12:33–37 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say anything good, since you are evil? For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart. 35 The good person brings good things out of his good treasury, and the evil person brings evil things out of his evil treasury. 36 I tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Observation
The mouth speaks from what fills the heart. If the heart, your “treasury” is filled with good, then good comes out. If it is filled with evil, then evil comes out. This is why Jesus said we will be justified or condemned by our words, because our words (and actions) are the expressions of what’s in our heart—good or bad.
This is why it is so important to “make the tree good”—that is, to make sure the treasury of our hearts is filled with good.
Application
How do we do that? By filling up with Jesus! Being filled with the Spirit. And monitoring our intake.
I am reading Becoming Jesus People, by my friend Riley Taylor. It is stories of people from Liberation House in Eugene in the 1970’s, most of whom I know. They were filled with Jesus! One common occurrence: when these people met Jesus, they got rid of polluting influences. For example, many of them took their albums and gave or threw them away. They didn’t want that soundtrack, those lyrics, playing in their heads. They replaced it with Jesus music and lots of Scripture. These people went on to remarkable lives of spiritual impact.
Today, I will fill my treasury with good things so that good comes out.
Prayer: Jesus, I love you and I love the life you’ve given me—I’m so grateful! Help me today and every day to be filled with Jesus and feast on your goodness—and skip the crap!