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Meditation 12: Luke 6:43-45

8/25/2009 8:02:49 PM

MEDITATION ON LUKE 6:43-45

[Jesus said] “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.”

It’s easy to read these words of Jesus but not so easy to apply them to my own life. Sometimes I know absolutely that what I do creates good, but sometimes I can’t tell if it has any meaning at all. And then there are those times when I want to do something of value but am unaware that my motives are mixed and so the result is a mixture, too.

I don’t think we can use Jesus’ words to label ourselves or anyone else. No one produces totally good fruit and no one totally bad. Life doesn’t seem to be put together that way. It’s true; we have ready examples of people whose lives seemed to be only evil. Still, I can’t say with certainty that anyone lived from birth to death without ever producing one good moment in their lives.

When Jesus spoke the above words, he was instructing people on how they were supposed to live, not giving them ammunition to judge others. Basically, I believe Jesus is saying that living this life consciously, aware of our souls and our purpose in this life, is critical if we don’t want to add to the negativity and darkness of this world.

Far too many destructive tendencies come from the hearts of people who say they are well-intentioned but who are basically unaware of their emotional, spiritual and psychological processes. The more unconsciously people live the greater likelihood they will lack compassion, both for themselves and others. Instead, they will tend to be fearful, anxious or cynical. To the extent they live out of these negative qualities, to that extent they will have difficulty making the love and compassion of God a reality in this world.

I know whenever I’m anxious and unaware of it, I tend to be controlling of those around me, wanting them to change so I can be less anxious. There’s little love or compassion in the interactions I have during those times. When I become aware of how I’m relating, reflect on what’s troubling me and seek to change my thinking, then I can return to the energy of love and compassion that’s so much more fulfilling and good.

It’s my intention to live as consciously as possible, aware not only of my thought processes but also the presence of God deeply within me. When God’s presence shapes my thoughts, then I become the light, love and compassion of God. When my thinking tries to shape God, then I become fearful, anxious and confused. And I limit the astounding transformational power of God’s Spirit in my life.

God of grace, enter more deeply into my life, flood my being with light. Let nothing in me remained untouched by you. Shape my life so that I can better serve as a channel for grace and healing in this world.