Gospel: Matthews 7:16-23         

 

Verse for meditation:

“… Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness” (Rom. 6:19).

  The church is a called out community. The root word kalew is used in the Greek language which means to call. From this root the word ecclecia also has formed. This verbal form is used to invite, collect (Gen. 3:9, Lam. 1:15), address (Is. 43:1) etc. Israel is the called out community in the Old Testament. It starts from the call received by Abraham (Is. 51:2). God has called Israel as his on people (Is. 43:1) from their slavery in Egypt (Hos. 11:1). God calls people through Jesus Christ in the New Testament (Phil. 3:14). “For those God foreknew he also predestined…” (Rom. 8:29, 30) and collected to himself. The call of God is to the fellowship in Jesus Christ from darkness to the glorious light (1 Cor. 1:9). God expects a life which is worthy of our calling. Christian Spirituality is action oriented. The main message of the Bible for any person is that he should be aware of the spiritual values. ‘The will of God concerning you is your sanctification’ (1 Thess. 4:3, Heb. 12:14). These are the strong words of Saint Paul. ‘No one can see God without holiness’ (Heb. 12:14, Matt. 5:8). God’s will of everyone is that they should imbibe the divine qualities and walk in the righteousness of God.

1. The call to do good (Pro. 20:1-11, Ps. 14)

The Bible calls for a community which is doing good through the lament of David in the Psalm that there is no one doing good (Ps. 14:3, 4). The Proverbs teaches us, “The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them (Prov. 20:7,11).The wisdom literature repeatedly speaks of “living a blameless life” (Pro. 20:7). When Psalms 14:1 says,“There is no one who does good” as David says that God looks down upon men to find out any man with understanding. God demands man to walk before Him with humbleness showing merry and doing justice and honest and blameless before God (Mic. 6:6-8).

2. The call to bear good fruit (Matt. 7:16-23)

The New Testament gives much importance to a spiritual life which bears fruit .Bearing good fruit indicates doing good deeds. John the Baptist says of bearing fruit worthy of repentance (Lk. 3:8, Matt. 3:7,9). Jesus has repeatedly given these thoughts (Jn. 15:16, 15:5, Lk. 13:6-9; Mk. 11:12-14). A good tree bears good fruit and a bad tree bears bad fruit (Matt. 7:16-18). We are challenged to bear good fruit, calling Jesus Lord, Lord or performing miracles in the name of Jesus or prophesying and casting out demons may not be the canon of spirituality rather bearing good fruit is.

3. The call for sanctification (Rom. 6:12-21)

What is meant by “I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness?” (Rom. 6:19). It is same as saying glorify God with the members of your body (1 Cor. 6:19,20) that is, do deeds that will please God. This is called ‘a living sacrifice.’ The Old Testament practice of scarifying animals like ox, goat and pigeon has been done away with. Now we should become the sacrifice for God. Not by killing but alive. That is to say through our deeds. Paul calls it a ‘wise worship.’ Collect: Holy God, Creator of our being, enable us to live a life worthy of your calling. Help us to follow your righteous paths and avoid all evil in our day to day life. Strengthen us to be firm to evade the rule of sin and submit ourselves to the reign of your grace in our lives. Challenge us to be a good tree that bears good fruit so that we may find favour in your eyes; through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever.

Amen