Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Birds of a feather flock together. Creatures that are alike tend to gather together to participate in similar behaviors. For instance, geese fly together when they are migrating or wolves run in packs when hunting. Although the reason for the wolves gathering together is for their survival, not everyone would see their hunting as a good and holy practice.
While wolves and birds do not look at this world with the insight or drive of morality; we were designed by God to be holy people who would bear good fruit. Jesus, in today’s gospel warns his disciples about wolves in sheep’s clothing. This admonition is calling the disciples and us to be aware that not everyone who says they are a disciple is by definition a faithful follower of Jesus.
Jesus draws an analogy where he suggests we can recognize a faithful disciple by the fruits of their labor. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and the converse is also true. So what is meant by bad fruit here? As this is the concluding chapter of the Sermon on the Mount, the context of bad fruit must be understood with all of these verses. Bad fruit is when we judge others and when we see the plank in their eye but fail to recognize the splinter in our own. Bad fruit is when we say we will do something and then don’t do it just to spite the person.
Jesus’ call in the Gospel is to be aware of the wolves that only care about cutting you down and reminds his disciples not to stoop to their level. The readings today challenge all of us to remember that God will be our shield. This demands that we trust the Lord and surrender our whole self into God’s hands. In doing this, we act like Abram, who trusted and entered fully into the covenant with the Lord.
"Lord give us eyes without splinters or judgment so that we can see all of the ways You love us and recognize all the gifts You bestow upon us. Help us to be grateful for the gifts you have given and help us to return those given gifts through the way we glorify You with our lives. Amen!"
-Michael Montgomery