Treasure of the Heart – Reflection on Luke 6:43-49
Consuming Jesus in various ways, such as praying with the Word, fills our “treasure of the heart“ so that we become activated. Jesus then patiently waits for our “Yes” to surface. It takes effort and attention to recognize Jesus’s invitation. A way to think of this can be done as an experiment. As a personal metaphor, try to override your breathing with your pacing for a full minute. It takes a conscious act to stop the normal breathing process. This is because our bodies automatically, without any thought on our part, inhale and exhale. We can also teach our bodies to become more at ease and natural with practice. For instance, picking up your coffee cup feels different from using a sharp knife. The same applies to working with Jesus. Eventually, the desire to want to do Jesus’s will can become more like our breathing. This applies to faith as with it, you can create an impenetrable wall to evil, yet permeable to all else.
The Vine Dresser and the Fig Tree by James Tissot (full resolution painting)
More details are available on the Brooklyn Museum website.
Additional Ordinary Time Reflections
Luke 6:43-49 – Scripture*
A Tree and Its Fruit
43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.
The Two Foundations
46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you? 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. 48 That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house.”
Additional Thoughts
Thank you for meditating on this Gospel reading and considering this Lectio Divina Luke 6:43-49 Reflection – Treasure of the Heart.
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Prayer for young families:
Lord, let the young families of our communities get to know your joy, peace, comfort, and love despite the world’s distractions.
Attributions
This site has written permission to use the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) Bible Luke 6 passage.
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This Lectio Divina on Luke 6:43-49 Reflection – Treasure of the Heart is in the Lectionary season of Ordinary Time.
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