Wartburg Theological Seminary Chapel
December 8, 2010
Norma Cook Everist
Genesis 15:1-18
Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
The righteous shall flourish
Matthew 12:33-37
A good tree bears good fruit.
“By your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned.”
I suppose you expect me to do some rhetorical gymnastics to justify the text and yet have it fit with the Reformation core, “You are not justified by works but by grace through faith.”
And yet I cannot and do not have to justify this text. Strong words, in the midst of strong action. Jesus has healed a man who was said to be filled with demons. Now the man can speak and see. And although the crowd, though merely amazed, could begin to see it must be a good tree that bears such good fruit, Jesus receives accusations that having healed a demoniac he must be the ruler of demons.
And then strong words from Jesus: “Whoever is not with me is against me,” (I know he said elsewhere, “Whoever is not against me, is for me.” Both are true in different contexts.)
Here he says, “Whoever does not gather with me, scatters.”
“You will be forgiven every sin, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” (Those words set off centuries of worry of, “Have I committed a sin against the Holy Ghost?”)
And now.” 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.”
Name calling: 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.”
I know, I know: criticize the work, but not the person.
However, these words sound very clear, very strong. It’s not just a problem with the work, or the words, but the heart, the very essence of your and my being.
At the day of judgment you will have to give account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified or condemned.
But, but, what about Jesus? What about Jesus? It’s Jesus saying these things!
And it goes on and on and on. Refusing to be condemned, religious leaders resist, “Give us a sign. Ok, the Sign of Jonah. “But the people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation and look, see, something greater than Jonah is here.”
And the unclean spirit cast out returns to a well-swept house and finds seven other spirits more evil than itself living there inside.
I’m worn out Jesus!
And while he’s speaking to the crowds, his own mother and brothers were standing right there outside, wanting to speak to him. Can you imagine the rebuke? “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”
It gets pretty rough in the midst of things. Are you with us, here in the midst of things? Feeling the cut, the rebuke, the criticism, that condemnation to the core? The truth? If truth be told by this Jesus whom we wait for once again?
The Psalm theme: the Righteous shall flourish…I hear it.
And I still hear John the Baptizer from Sunday, “Bear fruit worthy of repentance.”
And, yes I see it even here in Matthew 12: Many crowds followed him, and he cured all of them.
And at the end. Whoever does the will of God in Heaven, is my brother and sister and mother.
Cling to this, Cling to the Christ. Bear good fruit.
HYMN ELW 580 “How Clear Is Our Vocation, Lord”