"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them."-Lk 6:46
Pope Francis asserted in one of his morning reflections that "when we have a heart of stone, we pick up stones and stone Jesus Christ in the persons of our brothers and sisters." I guess each person can think about these words and examine his or her heart to see what it is like. For if this profound observation is not enough to transform us, then let’s add to it what Jesus says in the gospel today, "A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thorn bushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil, for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks' (Luke 6:43-45).
If there is an ultimate end of our being Christian disciples here on earth, it is to become trees of life whose fruits are desirable because they give life to all who eat them. We do this considering what Jesus did for us, coming to give his life for the life of the world. You see, as we learn from Jesus and Paul today, if we are to attain such a desirable end, we must be willing to go beyond our confession as Christians to become real disciples of his. Jesus tells us in the gospel that it is not enough to make lip confessions of him without following in his path, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I command?" (Lk 6:46). A disciple follows and learns to become exactly as the master. And does not the apostle Paul say to us that it is improper to “partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons” at the same time? (Cf. 1 Cor 10:21).
The Lord knows the ease with which his followers can go astray or fall away in the world. Too often does the world try to confuse us and take our attention and loyalty from him. And when that happens, our confession becomes empty like "thorn bushes" that serves no useful purpose. Instead our confession takes on full life like figs that can be eaten. The Lord seeks this kind of followers to call him the Lord.
Following the Lord is about giving our heart to him so that he can turn them into hearts of flesh, one like his own heart. And there is no fear in giving our heart to the Lord. We become more purposeful, approachable, admirable, happy, and full of life instead of being resentful, anxious, depressed, and hating everything around us. We bring to others hope and joy, meaning and future. Ironically, the world dies when there are no Christian disciples, and it lives with eager expectation when Christian disciples multiply. For it is the Lord of the Christians who came to save the world. And when we follow Christ as disciples and not simply confess him with our lips, he promises to protect us against the storms and tsunamis of life to keep us safe. Nothing shall disturb true Christian disciples because as David says in Psalm 23, he will follow them with his goodness and mercy all the days of their lives.
Prayer blessings: My soul, give thinks; I will praise him still. Amen.