"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 7:21.
I've always had a hard time with this verse. I've read it a lot. I've memorized it. I've meditated on it. In some ways it seems so restrictive, so unloving. It seems to contradict scriptures that talk about being saved by our faith in Christ. It seems so unloving to hear Christ turning away those who call upon the Lord.
I met a gentleman and his wife recently at a restaurant in Washington, DC. He was wearing a NSO jacket (National Symphony Orchestra) and I asked if either of them played in the NSO. During our conversation, it came out that I was a music lover, and played some. I had mentioned that I had been to the Kennedy Center a couple of weeks before to hear the Russian National Symphony play, and we talked a little trash about their performance. (The Celeste player missed two notes, and the trumpet section was not together on one entrance - a travesty of a performance). We talked about some of my past experiences, and out of that conversation I was asked if I had heard the National Symphony yet? More precisely, I was asked how the NSO compared to the Russian National Symphony. I indicated that I had only heard the NSO on TV usually for one of their outdoor holiday celebrations like a Capitol Fourth. He indicated that that had to be remedied, and offered me complimentary tickets for the next concert. He would leave them at the East Stage door of the Kennedy Center the night of the performance. Here's my point. I went to stage door and told the guard that I was an acquaintance of Lewis Lipnick, the contrabassoonist, and that I was there to pick up tickets for that evening's performance. You know, he wouldn't take my word for it? I had to show ID, he checked a list to see if my name was on it (which it wasn't), and then had to find the envelope with the tickets in it and my name on the outside of it before he would let me in.
That's what we are dealing with here in this passage. Anyone could have walked in and said they knew Lewis Lipnick and tried to claim the tickets. But is was validation of that relationship that allowed me access to the concert hall. Anyone can claim to know Jesus. Christ said that even the demons know who Christ is. When the demons were cast out of the demoniac in Gaddarea, they addressed him as "Lord". Just acknowledging that I know Christ isn't enough.
So how do I prove that I know Christ? According to this verse I have to put actions behind my words. I have to do the will of the Father. James put it this way, "...Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James gets pretty practical in this passage, he goes so far as saying if I see a brother or sister who is cold, hungry or without clothing, that if I don't do something to help, then I'm not living my faith. I've read ahead, Christ has more to say about this tomorrow.
Father, it's easy to say that I love you. And I mean it when I say it. But it's also easy to get caught up in everyday life and just drift without doing what I can to show you and those around me that I love you. I know that if I didn't show my wife I love her by doing things around the house, showing her affection, buying her small gifts, telling her I love her and spending time with her, it wouldn't be long before she might begin to doubt whether I really do love her. Do you ever feel the same about me? I ask your Spirit to open my eyes to opportunities to show my love for you. Now, give me the courage to do what my love for you requires.
"Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." Matthew 7:17-20.
Farmer's Market, Bangkok
Florida's citrus production produces about 8.5 billion dollars a year; a pretty substantial business for the state. On three occasions Florida's Citrus Farmers have had their livelihoods threatened by a pesky little bacterium that causes a small spot to form on the leaves and fruit of citrus trees. The disease, Citrus Canker, is one of the most dangerous threats to the citrus industry there is in the world. The disease causes the fruit to be blighted and eventually destroys the tree itself. When the disease was found in 1980, the cost was 70 million dollars to eradicate it. A new outbreak was discovered in 1995, and it is not projected to be eradicated until 2006. The disease is so dangerous, the current guidelines when a tree is found infected, all trees within 1900 feet of the diseased tree have to be destroyed. http://www.biotech.ufl.edu/PlantContainment/canker.htm
The trees didn't start out bad. They became diseased. And the trees around it didn't start out bad... They became infected by the tree in their midst that developed the disease. In light of the words of Christ in Matthew, there are some lessons here for me. First, I have to remain "disease free" in my spiritual life. What does that mean? That I have to be Holy. That I have to keep myself free from sin. In the battle against citrus canker, it only takes one lesion to cause the tree to be destroyed. One sin in my life is enough to condemn me. Fortunately Christ has covered the sin in my life with His blood so that I remain spotless before God... But I have a responsibility not to sin as well.
Secondly, not all the fruit on the infected trees was bad. But because it was from an infected tree, it still has to be destroyed. The lesson here is that you have to look at the whole source of the fruit, not just the fruit itself. There are a lot of people (myself included) that do good things, but the acts of goodness are not necessarily Godly. I have to be more willing to look at the whole plant rather than individual pieces of fruit.
Finally, the result of contamination is destruction. I need to get this into my head. There are serious consequences for sin! I tend to get lax at times and count on my relationship with Christ to get me through those "less than perfect choices". But I have to start being proactive in my vigilance regarding sin. I sure don't want to reap the consequences!
Father, you have sent fair warning. Convict me of the sin in my life so that I can eradicate it. Vaccinate me from the influences of the Evil One in this world. Protect me from the destruction around me. But most of all Father, help me go into the groves and help protect as many other "plants" as I can. Thank you for loving me... But thank you even more for saving me from certain destruction.
"By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? " Matthew 7:16.
While in Singapore we went to see the Singapore National Orchid Gardens. The one thing I realized while there is that I am so glad that I'm not a horticulturalist. While the orchids were beautiful, I couldn't tell you the difference between a Dendrobium and a Vandachostylis.
Orchid from the Mist House in the Singapore Orchid Gardens
I can sure tell the difference between an orchid and an apple, however. I saw all sorts of exotic plants while we were there: plants like the beautiful and sweet Dragon Fruit or the Durian, the Asian delicacy that smells so badly it is banned from all hotels and cabs. But here's the thing... I wouldn't expect to find a Granny Smith apple growing on a Dragon Fruit vine or a Calamanci (tastes like a cross between a tangerine or nectorine) from a Bartlett Pear tree.
Another thing I noticed about this verse, Christ here is saying that I won't expect to find sweet, tasty fruit from plants that will put a hurt on me. I hate getting stuck by thistles and thorns. Yet, Christ is saying to me that many times I'm trying to find nourishment from the very sources that will hurt me. I seem to do that a lot. Look for virtue in all the wrong places. I need to become a spiritual horticulturalist. It is critical for me to discern the Fruits of the Spirit as exhibited in the lives of those around me.
Father, you would think it's easy to avoid looking for good fruit from bad sources... but it trips me up a lot. Today let me focus on the good fruit... not the wax fruit that looks good, but comes from a different source than the real thing. Allow me to listen to your Spirit as He guides me through the bogs of life. Let me defer to the Master Horticulturalist as He shows me the difference between a Blackberry and Poison Ivy. Most of all, Father, pollinate me that I will bear good fruit today.
I'm back.
Marcia and I returned from Singapore at 2:30 AM on Monday. At 11:00 AM I received a call that I had to be in Albequerque, New Mexico that evening.
Other than a terminal case of jet lag, we had a great trip. I may post some pictures on a web site... but I have to find some extra hours in a day, first.
Starting on the 4th I'll be starting back where I left off.
Until the morning....
Steve
