Jesus said, “Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth. The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here! The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here!” Matthew 12:33-42
I love all sorts of vegetable stands and markets. The Italian Market in Philadelphia, the Lexington Market in Baltimore, Carrado's in Clifton, NJ and the Allentown Farmer's Market are just a few of my favorites. There are people from all over speaking in many languages buying and selling their wares. People become animated and joyous in these places, calling friends over to look at something, haggling over prices with a merchant. It is alive, exhilarating and exhausting too.
Jesus is challenging the religious leaders to get out among the people. The leaders think they know what is right, and Jesus knows how wrong they are due to their isolation. The are so comfortable and aloof, they have no idea about real life. Their needs were met by taxing people, abusing power and looking the other way. We are invited to be trees of a different kind. We are invited by God to be people who get in the middle of the people, bringing joy and living in the midst of real human chaos and delight.
Today I ask God to help me see the Creator in the midst of the chaotic and sometimes frenetic creations. May we all bring good fruit to the hungry, loving arms to the lonely and a listening ear to all those crying out for justice in our time.
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