Covenant Faith and Fruit

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us to reflect on the Covenant between humans and God that we experience in the promptings of the Spirit especially in identification of false prophets.

Faith and Fruit

The reading from the Book of Genesis describes the establishment of God’s Covenant with Abram.

* [15:1–21] In the first section (vv. 1–6), Abraham is promised a son and heir, and in the second (vv. 7–21), he is promised a land. The structure is similar in both: each of the two promises is not immediately accepted; the first is met with a complaint (vv. 2–3) and the second with a request for a sign (v. 8). God’s answer differs in each section—a sign in v. 5 and an oath in vv. 9–21. Some scholars believe that the Genesis promises of progeny and land were originally separate and only later combined, but progeny and land are persistent concerns especially of ancient peoples and it is hard to imagine one without the other.

* [15:6] Abraham’s act of faith in God’s promises was regarded as an act of righteousness, i.e., as fully expressive of his relationship with God. St. Paul (Rom 4:1–25; Gal 3:6–9) makes Abraham’s faith a model for Christians. (Genesis, CHAPTER 15, n.d.)

Psalm 105 praises God’s Faithfulness to Israel.

* [Psalm 105] A hymn to God who promised the land of Canaan to the holy people, cf. Ps 78; 106; 136. Israel is invited to praise and seek the presence of God (Ps 105:1–6), who is faithful to the promise of land to the ancestors (Ps 105:7–11). In every phase of the national story—the ancestors in the land of Canaan (Ps 105:12–15), Joseph in Egypt (Ps 105:16–22), Israel in Egypt (Ps 105:23–38), Israel in the desert on the way to Canaan (Ps 105:39–45)—God remained faithful, reiterating the promise of the land to successive servants. (Psalms, PSALM 105, n.d.)

In the Sermon on the Mount, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus uses a tree and its fruit to warn of false prophets.

* [7:15–20] Christian disciples who claimed to speak in the name of God are called prophets (Mt 7:15) in Mt 10:41; Mt 23:34. They were presumably an important group within the church of Matthew. As in the case of the Old Testament prophets, there were both true and false ones, and for Matthew the difference could be recognized by the quality of their deeds, the fruits (Mt 7:16). The mention of fruits leads to the comparison with trees, some producing good fruit, others bad. (Matthew, CHAPTER 7, n.d.)

John Shea, S.J. notes that today we celebrate the feast of St. Irenaeus, a second-century bishop and Father of the Church who may be best known for his frequently cited quote: “The glory of God is the human person fully alive.”

While created things like the night sky can help us encounter God, they can also draw us away from God. When created things become the center of our lives, our focus turns inward. Love for God and for others is replaced by a love for created things. We become like the bad tree, incapable of producing good fruit. We fail to give glory to God because we are no longer fully alive. Instead, our lives become focused on created things, which are temporary, fleeting, and limited.

What created things help us encounter God? What prevents us from being fully alive? (Shea, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “Beware of false prophets,” by John Chrysostom, 547-407 A.D.

"Jesus reminded them of what happened to their ancestors who were attracted to false prophets. The same dangers are now faced as those that occurred in earlier days. He reminded them of the experience of their ancestors so that they would not despair at the multitude of troubles that would mount up on this way that is narrow and constricted. He reminded them that it is necessary to walk in a way that goes contrary to the common opinion. One must guard oneself not only against pigs and dogs but those other, more elusive creatures: the wolves. They were going to face inward anxieties as well as outward difficulties, but they are not to despair. 'Therefore do not be thrown into confusion,' Jesus says in effect, 'for nothing will happen that is new or strange. Remember that the ancient adversary is forever introducing deception as if true.'" (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 23.6) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 7:15-20 comments that Jesus wants us to examine our thoughts. Not because he’s trying to convince us that we’re bad people, but because he wants us to learn to distinguish between these false prophets’ inner voices and the voice of the Holy Spirit. Only by taking our thoughts captive in this way will we be able to hear the Spirit’s words of encouragement, conviction, and direction. Only by silencing the wolves can we hear the Lamb!

So how do you take control of these renegade thoughts? There are many ways, but none is quite as powerful as immersing ourselves in the Scriptures. As we prayerfully ponder the word of God, we’ll come to see more and more clearly the difference between godly and not-so-godly thoughts. Not only that, but we’ll come to love hearing the Spirit’s voice because of the fruit he bears in our lives—love, joy, peace, gentleness, patience, and so much more.

God’s word has the power to silence the false prophets in your heart. So come and listen—and let the Spirit set you free!

“Come, Holy Spirit! Help me hear your voice speaking to me through your word!” (Meditation on Matthew 7:15-20, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler finds in the passage from Genesis a pact between friends as well as a hierarchical relationship of blessings and curses with God. Abram is not subjected to the curses of a Covenant even as God is emptying and accepting the consequences of breaking Covenant. Friar Jude notes the instructions in the Didache for identifying false prophets.

John Moffatt SJ finds, in the writings of Irenaeus, some ideas about what it means to live in right relationship to everything of this world and be in communion with the natural order.

Irenaeus is not offering a programme for living in harmony with creation. After all, he lives at a time when, for all the real environmental degradation and exploitation that went into feeding the Roman Empire, most people are much closer to the land and much more aware of their vulnerability to nature’s whims. The idea of humanity’s being in a position significantly to control or subvert the natural order would be ridiculous.

Nevertheless, he does warn us against damaging narratives of creation and redemption, and offers an alternative that can spur our own reflections on what such a programme for care of creation might look like. And he gives us a vision of Eucharist as a liminal space in which communion (koinonia or ‘sharing in common’) binds us with the whole natural order, with one another and with the incarnate Word, as we are nourished on the journey to redemption. (Moffatt, 2018)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM shares United Church of Christ minister Otis Moss III reflection on joy’s availability even in difficult times. Seeing his daughter dance inspired Moss to share the message with his community.

Sunday, I told the congregation that we must meet the threats in our lives. We must fight for justice, for our safety, and for the right to live in a world where we can thrive. But even in the darkness of midnight we can maintain a connection to the light. When we cannot survive in darkness by using visual tools of sight, we still have internal tools of memory to remind us of our terrain. Until dawn comes, we need more than the determination to fight for justice. We need love to keep us from getting lost in distraction, love to keep us from falling into despair, love to help us restore ourselves, get back into harmony with ourselves, so we can last through that dark night.  

“Dance,” I urged them. “Dance in the dark!” (Rohr, 2023)

Christ’s warning about bad fruit and our attention to the Spirit will help us stay on the narrow path of our journey.

References

Genesis, CHAPTER 15. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/15?1 

Matthew, CHAPTER 7. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/7?15 

Meditation on Matthew 7:15-20. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 28, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/06/28/718163/ 

Moffatt, J. (2018, September 5). The Eucharist and care of creation – an ancient perspective. Thinking Faith. Retrieved June 28, 2023, from https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/eucharist-and-care-creation-%E2%80%93-ancient-perspective 

Psalms, PSALM 105. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 28, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/105?1 

Rohr, R. (2023, June 28). Dancing in the Darkness — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/dancing-in-the-darkness-2023-06-28/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). You Will Know Them by Their Fruits. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 28, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jun28 

Storms and Safety

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our sense of storms of disappointment, distrust, defamation, and disaster as our relationships with others dissolve into conflict.

Storms of Conflict

The reading from the Prophet Amos declares Israel’s guilt and punishment.

* [3:3–8] The metaphors in these sayings illustrate the principle of cause and effect, and lead up to the conclusion in v. 8.* [4:12] Therefore thus I will do to you: this climax of vv. 6–12, announcing the sentence the Lord intends to pass on Israel, is open-ended. (Amos, CHAPTER 4, n.d.)

Psalm 5 urges trust in God for deliverance from enemies.

* [Psalm 5] A lament contrasting the security of the house of God (Ps 5:8–9, 12–13) with the danger of the company of evildoers (Ps 5:5–7, 10–11). The psalmist therefore prays that God will hear (Ps 5:2–4) and grant the protection and joy of the Temple. (Psalms, PSALM 5, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus stills the storm.

* [8:26] You of little faith: see note on Mt 6:30. Great calm: Jesus’ calming the sea may be meant to recall the Old Testament theme of God’s control over the chaotic waters (Ps 65:8; 89:10; 93:3–4; 107:29). (Matthew, CHAPTER 8, n.d.)

Jeanne Schuler comments that facing our defects can be painful. Amos’ warning was too much for the priests to countenance. They drove the shepherd from the temple to secure their façade.

Amos, the shepherd, unleashed fiery oracles tempered by recognition of God’s mercy.  Amos wasn’t a genius.  His prophecy did not arise from superhuman powers.  His questions were simple to answer once you bother to ask them.  Amos stayed close to God and paid attention to what was happening in the world.  He did not close his eyes, plug his ears, and avoid difficult topics.  It was integrity, not brilliance, that marked his words.  He would not accept corruption as “business as usual.”  Amos calls out the con men.  The earth abounds with storms in our time.  Some days the news is daunting.  Will we make it through?  Will creatures be crushed by the waves?  Is God indifferent to our plight?  Jesus says not to be terrified of the storm.  Our God is near. (Creighton U. Daily Reflection, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Training in courage and endurance,” by John Chrysostom, 347-407 A.D.

"He took the disciples with him, not for nothing and not merely to face an absurd hazard but in order to permit them to witness the miracle that was to take place on the sea. For like a superb trainer, he was gradually coaching and fitting them for endurance. He had two objectives in mind. He wanted to teach them to remain undismayed amid dangers and modest in honors. So, to prevent them from thinking too much of themselves, having sent away the multitude, he kept them near him but permitted them to be tossed with a tempest. By doing so he disciplined them to bear trials patiently. His former miracles were indeed great, but this one contained a unique kind of discipline of exceptional importance. For it was a sign akin to that of old [referring to Moses parting the Red Sea]. To do this, he took his disciples with him by himself. He permitted others to see his other miracles, but when trials and terrors were rising, he took with him none but those he was training to be champions of the gospel. (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 28.1.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 8:23-27 comments that Jesus knows that, like the disciples in the storm, we all struggle with fear. He also knows that, like the disciples, we need more faith. That faith comes from a trusting relationship with our Father. The more secure we are in the knowledge that we are the sons and daughters of a loving, all-powerful God, the less we have to fear. We can trust that God is with us and cares for us, even if it sometimes seems like he is “sleeping.”

Today, sit with the image of Jesus sleeping in the back of the boat surrounded by terrifying wind and waves. There is the Son, completely secure in the knowledge that his Father loves him and provides for him. This is the trust that Jesus had in his Father. And this is the trust he wants to give you. “Jesus, I will trust in you, even when it seems you are ‘sleeping.’” (Meditation on Matthew 8:23-27, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the gift of prophecy of Amos that is about being able to see the signs that are obvious all around us. As Spiderman says “with great gifts come great responsibility.” Friar Jude reminds us of the sense of evil and chaos associated with the sea that Jesus overcomes with his rebuke of the storm.

Franciscan Media relates Saint Irenaeus’ story.

A deep and genuine concern for other people will remind us that the discovery of truth is not to be a victory for some and a defeat for others. Unless all can claim a share in that victory, truth itself will continue to be rejected by the losers, because it will be regarded as inseparable from the yoke of defeat. And so, confrontation, controversy and the like might yield to a genuine united search for God’s truth and how it can best be served. (Saint of the Day - Saint Irenaeus, n.d.)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Rabbi Or N. Rose and Rabbi Ebn D. Leader who consider the role of silence in Hasidic prayer. They stress the delicate balance of action and contemplation. For Father Richard, the sacred nature of silence is at the heart of contemplative awakening.

To live in this primordial, foundational being, which I am calling silence, creates a kind of sympathetic resonance with what is right in front of us. Without it, we are just reacting instead of responding. The opposite of contemplation is not action, it is reaction. We must wait for pure action, which always proceeds from a contemplative silence. We have to be awake right now and we can be through silence. It is not a matter of being more moral but of being more conscious—which will eventually make us more moral! [3] (Rohr, 2022)

The Spirit prompts us to be mindful of the gifts of peace, patience, and humility that grow from our experience of trust in God to lead us to reconciliation and restoration of community.

References

Amos, CHAPTER 4. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/amos/4 

Creighton U. Daily Reflection. (n.d.). Online Ministries. Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/062822.html 

Matthew, CHAPTER 8. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/8?23 

Meditation on Matthew 8:23-27. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/06/28/421321/ 

Psalms, PSALM 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/5?4 

Rohr, R. (2022, June 28). Silence Is Preferable — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/silence-is-preferable-2022-06-28/ 

Saint of the Day - Saint Irenaeus. (n.d.). Franciscan Media. Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-irenaeus 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=jun28