9.18.23 - Matthew 7: 15-17
How are you known by the fruit of your faith? How does your life express the pleasure and sweetness of God's creative activity?
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.”
How does your perspective on this passage change when you consider theologies, beliefs, and life patterns instead of just people?
I like to think that Jesus used fruit here on purpose. Fruit is sweet and delicious. Fruit is pleasurable.
My body knows a lot about what I need and what nourishes me, but the theologies and beliefs I grew up in taught me to fight pleasure - in my sexuality, my body, relationships. God was not a god of pleasure and good things; I needed to be disciplined, controlled, suppressed. I was taught that if I follow my pleasure, I would end up “going too far,” the worst possible outcome.
Many of these theologies and beliefs are actually pretty hurtful and harmful to us. They are ravenous wolves to our sweet created selves. Instead of bringing kindness, and healing, they bring us burnout, shame, and broken relationships.
There are obvious applications to this, for example learning to accept and affirm my queerness, but there are also constant more subtle opportunities to notice when I can slow down and notice does this value bring good fruit.
How might you slow down today and notice, with pleasure, the ways God is moving around you?
--Theo Isoz