A Tree and Its Fruit

The story from the Hebrew Testament in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today is of the discovery of the Book or scroll of the Law during the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem by Josiah. He immediately gathered the people together, and engaged them in a renewal of their ancient national covenant with God. The fruit of his effort was a renewed reliance on the direction of faith in the God of the Covenant of the life of Israel. Matthew relates Jesus advice to “Thus you will know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:20)”. The words and promises we hear are not as good a judge of people’s hearts as the evidence we see in their actions.