The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.                                                                                Luke 6:45

These words are part of Jesus’ wonderful “Sermon on the Mount”, which is my favorite part of the Bible.  Luke’s version of “The Sermon on the Mount” is a bit more condensed than the three full chapters in Matthew (5, 6 & 7), but it contains the core message and teachings of Christ: the Beatitudes; loving your enemies; avoiding judging others; forgiveness; bearing good fruit; and it culminates with Jesus analogy that putting His words into practice is the equivalent of a person building their house on a rock foundation. The Sermon on the Mount, and particularly the above verse, speaks to me as the “key” to a strong faith and eternal life. By forgiving, loving, and not judging, we are storing up good things within our hearts. Once we have transformed our hearts, it becomes evident in our thoughts, words and deeds.

While my four brothers and I were growing up, my mother probably told us a thousand times “If you have nothing good to say (about someone or something), then don’t say anything at all.” Whenever I have failed to follow that advice, I have deeply regretted it.  Similarly, she implored us to be kind and love others and avoid judging others or  engaging in negative thoughts or actions.  Jesus (and my mom) reminded us that our speech and actions reveal our true underlying beliefs, attitudes and motivations. The good impressions we try to make cannot last if our hearts are deceptive. What is in your heart will come out in your speech and behavior. A bad tree cannot bear good fruit and vice-versa. Putting Christ’s words and   teachings into practice in our daily lives allows us to build our spiritual house on a solid foundation.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Help us to hear your words and put them into action. Please  transform our hearts to be more Christ-like. Help us love our enemies, forgive and serve others, and avoid judging. Thank you for providing the example for us to bear good fruit and build a strong foundation.  Amen.