ROOTS OR FRUITS

Jesus said, "By their fruits ye shall know them." (Matthew 7:16)  He was teaching His followers how to recognize good people and good situations amidst the bad.  I have always loved this scripture, but until this morning, I never really thought about the fact that Jesus did not say, "By their roots ye shall know them."

Why is it that human beings find a cloud for every silver lining instead of the other way around? Why is it they dig in a person's life for any dirt (and let's face it, we all have some) to such a degree that they kill the tree instead of looking at the fruits.  A prime example today is the way our President of the United States is treated. To his enemies, the man can say or do nothing right.  Even one of my own grandsons dug up the old story of a locker room conversation 30 years ago (for which Mr. Trump has already apologized) and posted it on social media as a reason to excuse Mr. Biden's touching of other people.  It grieves me that so many people "make a man an offender for a word." (Isaiah 23: 29)

This trait has become epidemic in our world.  It breaks my heart. Why do we think it is in anyway justifiable to take a person - any person - and rub his or her nose in the worst mistake of his or her life? How many people justify this by saying it is "for his/her own good."  Parents, when has shaming someone ever improved them? For many years as a professional educator and counselor, I have seen broken- hearted and truly broken children who were raised on shame and blame. As an adult, I have seen other adults broken in the same manner.

What happened to love unfeigned? (Doctrine and Covenants 121:41-45) Patience? Long suffering? Compassion? Understanding? 

In the April 2012 Conference, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said: This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon.  When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: Stop it!

This current health crisis has brought out the best in some people and the worst in others. It is one more symptom in the social degeneration of civility. There has been fear, denial, panic, and hoarding.  There has also been compassion for others, love, service, and looking out for the other guy.  Let's celebrate that.

As I was watching a commentary on Jacob 5 this morning from Book of Mormon Central, the moderator discussed the issue of roots versus fruits.  When the Master of the Vineyard returned to survey the state of the olive trees He had transplanted, He found one that had been planted in poor ground, but that had good fruit and much of it.  The servant who accompanied the Master asked, How comest thou hither to plant this tree? . . . For behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of they vineyard. (Jacob 5: 21)

The Master replied: Counsel me not; I knew that it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore. . . I have nourished it this long time, and thou beholdest that it hath brought forth much fruit. (Jacob 5: 22)

We shouldn't tell the Gardener how to do His job.  Jesus Christ can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, if the sow will come unto Him in humility and obedience. (Pardon the mixed metaphor!) My heart has been broken more than once by the acid tongues of people who thought they knew more about what was in my heart than God did. Don't judge me by my mistakes; judge me by my fruits.  President Trump has been humbled a lot by his position and has hung tough through more abuse than any one person should have to take. I look at his fruits. Does he still make mistakes? Of course.  Is he now perfect? Of course not.  But then, neither am I: neither are you.

Let's let the Lord of the Vineyard do His work.  He has called for helpers in the gathering of His fruit.  He does not need hinderers.

© March 2020 Dr. Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson