Love Revealed By Jesus Christ | Christian Art | Christian Treasure Of Our Hearts
Luke 6: 43-49 – Week 23 Ordinary Time, Saturday (King James Audio Bible KJV, Spoken Word)
43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46 ¶ And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
It is as if to say: nothing that we hold in our heart of hearts is secret; nothing that we think is invisible; all that we are exists and is active in our relationships with others. Just as God sees through to the core of our being, so we inevitably share all we are with all other people in our lives, influencing their lives because they are in communion with us.
This is not something to frighten ourselves with. It is not a cause for fear that God knows every bit of us. Rather, it is a cause for rejoicing. We know that we are exposed utterly to God, and that there is no need for evil. God loves us for who we are. God loves us for who He created us to be.
Of course, this does not mean we are permitted to sin. Far from it. What it means is that we do not need to feel a compulsion to sin, because God loves us just exactly as we are. We can take all our human weaknesses to God and ask for healing and forgiveness, rather that try to hide ourselves from God, as Adam did after the Fall, and so descend into a life of sin upon sin. There is no need further to sin – to hide from God. God loves us just the way we are.
These are our true foundations, and this is truly to discover ourselves in relationship with God. This is digging deep. Insofar as our roots lie in our true knowledge of God, our relationship with God, our absolute honesty with God, then we will be bringing forth good fruit and we live on solid ground.
There is no faking this. It is not about putting on an empty show. This is about prayer in secret, in our heart of hearts, as we orient ourselves to God. This free, honest and prayerful response to God is a treasure bequeathed to us. It is from this treasure that our actions, our Christian lives, flow. From our conversion, our surrender of our lives to Jesus, all the good in our lives proceeds. We may then hope to be shining examples, calling others to God’s Word.
Concluding Prayer | Love Revealed By Jesus Christ
Lord God,
source and origin of our salvation,
make our lives here on earth so proclaim your glory,
that we may praise you without ceasing in heaven.
We make our prayer through our Lord.
King James Audio Bible | Endnotes
Treasure Of Our Hearts
Luke 6:43-49 contains a powerful message about the importance of what we treasure in our hearts. Jesus explains that just as a tree is known by its fruit, a person is known by the treasures they hold in their heart. This passage also emphasizes the need to build our lives on a solid foundation, and not just on the shifting sands of temporal desires.
In verse 45, Jesus says: ‘A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.’ This verse reminds us that what we hold in our hearts will eventually come out in our words and actions. If we have good treasures in our heart, such as love, kindness, and faith, then we will naturally bring forth good things. Conversely, if our hearts are filled with evil treasures, such as envy, greed, and hate, then we will bring forth evil.
The importance of what we treasure in our hearts is also emphasized in Proverbs 4:23, which says: ‘Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.’ This verse reminds us that our heart is the wellspring of our life, and what we hold in it will ultimately shape our thoughts, words, and actions.
Throughout the Bible, we see examples of people who had good treasures in their hearts, such as King David, who was known as a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). David’s heart was filled with a love for God, and this love overflowed into his life and actions. Conversely, we see examples of people who had evil treasures in their hearts, such as King Saul, who was filled with jealousy and hatred towards David (1 Samuel 18:8-9).
In the New Testament, we see how the treasures of the heart are connected to salvation. In Romans 10:9-10, Saint Paul teaches: ‘That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.’ This passage reminds us that true belief in Jesus must come from the heart, and that confession of faith is a natural outpouring of what we hold in our hearts.
The importance of building our lives on a solid foundation is also emphasized in Luke 6:47-49, where Jesus tells the parable of the wise and foolish builders. The wise builder builds his house on a rock, while the foolish builder builds his house on sand. When the storms come, the wise builder’s house stands firm, while the foolish builder’s house falls apart. This parable reminds us that we need to build our lives on a foundation that is strong and solid, which is the truth of God’s word.
Christians through the ages have emphasized the importance of the treasures of the heart. Saint Augustine wrote: ‘For it is not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; and not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity.’
John Calvin, a Protestant theologian and reformer, wrote: ‘The human heart is a factory of idols, and every man is, from his mother’s womb, an expert in inventing them.’
Martin Luther, a Protestant reformer, wrote: ‘Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God.’
- KJV Psalms | Psalm 22/21 | King James Bible | My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me | Crucifixion
Jesus references this psalm when he is on the Cross. ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.’ It is possible to read this utterance of the psalm as an act of despair. Certainly we might know of Jesus’ agony as he was crucified. We can only wonder at Jesus’ agony on the Cross. There are so many possible layers of the meaning here. At once, this utterance might seem to us an action of despair, or perhaps better of nullity, and at the same time an action of triumph, as the psalm moves to reaffirm and reinforces faith in God. The psalmist is abject. In a sense, he complains against God. He speaks of trust, and yet says that God does not answer. The psalmist considers his state – as a worm, scorned by men, mocked by men – the cause of God seems broken and lost. There is a deep and prolonged itemization of the physical poverty of the psalmist. Truly, this is a person at the most abject. Starving, dogs are set to prey on him. This is truth: the affirmation thereby of God-fear and God-love. This is Jesus. Jesus speaks to teach us how to pray through the psalms. This is a most important text – chosen by Jesus upon the Cross. We cannot assume irony. We cannot say that Jesus on the Cross recited this psalm as if having given up on his mission. We can only say that Jesus’s recitation of this psalm was perfect and that it was intended to express perfection. This is Christian prayer at the utmost. So much is fused. Jesus calls upon the Father – on the Cross. SO much of Jewish history is included and resolved. Jesus took so much upon himself. Jesus became the subject of these psalms. That is scary and that is triumph. There is a sense in which this should be Christian prayer.
This is among the most perfect of the parables to listen to during Lent – indeed, it has resonances that must extent to each and every time we receive the Eucharist. We are simply not worthy. And God’s mercy extends to us nonetheless. The prayer of the Pharisee is false. It is not true prayer. We see him, standing there in the presence of God and congratulating himself, as if he does not need God for his redemption, as if he can redeem himself [ … ]
John’s account of the miracle of Jesus walking on the water differs in some significant ways from the accounts given in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. The context is the same, the miracle of the loaves and fishes has taken place, and the disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee, while Jesus has remained on shore, going into the hills to pray alone. We understand, as well, in each of the Gospel accounts, the symbolic meaning of the disciples being alone and troubled on the waters, to which situation the Lord comes to help them [ … ]
