Luke 6: 43-49
Readings for this week July 1 - 5
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Day 1 – What We Can Learn From Fruit Trees
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Luke 6:43-44
In these verses Jesus is using a very easily understood concept – one his audience would be very familiar with, so much so that they might even not really think about it too much. It seems such a simple well-known idea that many might pass over it without letting it sink in.
It’s a fairly straightforward idea, but it bears repeating: a bad tree does not produce good fruit, and a good tree does not produce bad fruit. The nature of the tree determines the nature of the fruit. Each tree is recognised by its own fruit. And our relationship with God should produce good fruit.
And the fruit, whether good or bad, is always revealed, it is always visible. Maybe not straight away and maybe not all at once. It may take time for the harvest to come, but eventually the fruit becomes plain to see, revealing what sort of tree (or person) we really are.
The fruit evident in our lives is the inevitable result of who we actually are and what we are really like – not who we think we are, or who we pretend to be; nor is the fruit the result of who we are on the outside, the surface that we show to the world. We cannot fake the fruit in our lives, however much we might try to. The type of person we are will be shown through the products of our life.
Questions to Consider
What fruit do you see visible in your life? Would other people see the same as you? Why or why not?
Prayer
Father God, help me be a strong healthy tree that bears good fruit, and not just for my own benefit, but for the benefit of others and the furthering of your kingdom. Grow me for your pleasure and for your work. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 2 – The Overflow of the Heart
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Luke 6:45
The fruit we see hanging on the tree, the product visible in our lives, is largely there as a product of the roots of the tree. If the roots have tapped into a good, steady, clean source of water and are nurtured in good, nutrient-rich soil, then the corresponding fruit will be good and healthy. Conversely, if the tree is planted in bad soil, or the roots are unable to find sustenance, then the fruit on the tree will be scarce, poor in quality and not very nourishing to others.
Judging whether the tree is a good, healthy tree isn’t something we do based on one single fruit. To judge a tree’s fruit we don’t just pick one fruit from the tree, check that it is okay, and then make a judgement about the whole based on that. We need a broad picture of the tree as a whole, we examine as much of the fruit as we can to determine the overall health of the tree.
Similarly, we don’t make this judgement about our lives by just plucking one single solitary moment and offering it for inspection, and hoping it passes muster. We need to look at the entire product of our heart and being in order to see the state of our life. Our words and actions are the fruit that reveals our character and shows whether we are nourishing ourselves with good food – whether, in fact, we are planted deeply in Christ and his word.
Questions to Consider
How would you characterise the words that flow from your mouth? What is the nature of the overflow of your heart? How do we make sure we ‘store up good’ in our hearts?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, purge me of all that is evil, unclean, unkind, ungracious and unloving. Clear out the dross so that there is more room in me for you. Grow your Father heart in me Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 3 – The Importance of Faithfulness
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Luke 6:46
In between his words about the good and bad fruit as a sign of the health or otherwise of the tree, and his parable about the two houses and builders, Jesus utters this brief saying. The comment in verse 46 is directed as a challenge to the faithfulness of those whose words and actions don’t match up.
Some people may say the right thing (“Lord, Lord”) and sound like they are faithfully following Jesus, but much like the previous example of the fruit on the tree showed, they are not. They talk the talk, but do not walk the walk. They call Jesus Lord, but only as people passing by, not as someone committed to walking with him wherever he leads.
Having a relationship with Jesus is the platform for faithfulness to him. Knowing Jesus is the most important thing, and, beyond this, knowing and obeying his teaching is the key to deepening the relationship and making it strong and long lasting. Wisdom comes in listening to what Jesus says, loving others the way he loved us, and walking where he leads with love and faithfulness.
In the readings over the next two days we will see the consequences of listening carefully to the words of Jesus and putting them into practice, but also the consequences that not heeding his words can have in our lives.
Questions to Consider
Have there been times in your life when you have said “Lord, Lord” at the same time as knowing there was something God was asking you to do but that you were ignoring? What were the consequences?
Prayer
Almighty God, thank you for your faithfulness to me. Help me stay true to you; help me walk the walk along the road that you have trodden ahead of me, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 4 – Digging a Deep Foundation
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Luke 6:47-48
Jesus ends his sermon with the well-known parable of the two houses. What does Jesus say about the builder who built on the rock? He says that he “dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.” Notice the detailed description. The builder didn’t just find some land and put his house up on it, or even find some rock and build on that. He “dug down deep” – he put a lot of time and effort into surveying and preparing the ground in order to build.
A sturdy, secure foundation takes work. It doesn’t happen automatically, as of right for every follower of Jesus. Hearing his word isn’t enough; we have to listen carefully and obey faithfully. The path of discipleship is an ongoing journey of meditating of God’s word, and faithfully living it out. It will require hard, disciplined work, and will no doubt take a long time. Good worthwhile work often does. But doing so is what helps build a solid foundation in our life. It will be hard work, but digging deep to lay the foundation is worth it: in the storm, the house will remain strong and secure.
Obeying Jesus allows us to follow where he leads us and means that whatever he calls us to, wherever we are required to go, we will be able to stand up to the trials that are bound to come our way.
Question to Consider
What practices and disciplines do you have in place in order to ensure a strong foundation in your life?
Prayer
Lord God, help me to be faithful to your word, even when it is difficult. Strengthen me as I follow you so that I may continue to build a strong solid foundation in my life, based on your word, empowered by your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 5 – Only a Surface Structure
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Luke 6:49
We live in a city that knows all about house foundations – not that we wanted to know, more that we had to, whether we liked it or not! We know how important they are when constructing a building, we know how crucial they are to the survival, safety and integrity of whatever structure is being built on top. So it naturally seems completely ridiculous to us to contemplate the idea of not building a foundation at all. Why would anybody do that?
There are many reasons why someone wouldn’t go to the trouble to build a solid foundation. Perhaps the extra effort required is simply too much to bother with. Maybe they just want to get things done quickly and cheaply. But without the solid foundation of the words of Jesus, destruction is almost guaranteed.
Hearing the words of Jesus and not putting them into practice puts us in the position of the person who builds without a foundation: yes, something can still be built, but it will not last. When trouble comes along, it will quickly prove to be unstable and collapse. We can fool ourselves into thinking we don’t need a foundation, or that a life based around some other seemingly secure object or teaching will be fine, but it won’t. Only the God who made us and knows us can provide a stable base on which to build a life.
Questions to Consider
What are the things that can stop you putting in the hard work of building a solid foundation? How can you avoid these distractions?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, give me the strength to stay focused on you and the wisdom to cling to you and to find ways to put your word into practice in my life. Grow in me the discipline to stay close to you in all I do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)