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The leaves of the tree of life
Andy Nagahara
As we return to the Proverbs series, today’s message is also with next week’s huddle meeting in mind. A huddle is a meeting of members who have signed the Your Church Covenant. This is a meeting where we discuss and pray about various things so that Your Church can walk in accordance with God’s will.
Today’s proverb teaches us what it means for us to be a “church” and the values that guide the church as it walks in accordance with God’s will.
Today I will be focusing on some proverbs from chapter 11, so there will be many parts that I will not cover at all. If you have any questions or concerns about anything that haven’t been covered, please feel free to ask us the pastors.
1. The expected rightness and us who cannot meet it
Like the previous chapter, chapter 10, chapter 11 also features a contrast between the “righteous” and the “wicked”, but today I would like to confirm what is right and what is evil in God’s eyes. Do you want to live a life that is pleasing to God? Anyone who believes in God would naturally think so. Strangely enough, even among people who do not believe in the God of the Bible, most people believe that the way of life that pleases God, as I will now talk about, is how people should live. I believe this is evidence that God created all people in his own image. We call this “conscience.” However, at the same time, it is also true that our “conscience” is very fragile. The first thing I want you to pay attention to is verse twenty. This proverb directly describes the way of life that pleases God and the way of life that grieves Him.
The LORD detests men of perverse heart but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.(20)
Here, the righteous are those who are sincere, and the wicked are those who are perverse in heart. We also see that the walk of a righteous person, which pleases God, is one of honesty.
Verse 1 gives us a concrete example of honesty.
The LORD abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight.(1)
When I was still in elementary school, that is, up until the middle of the Showa era, there were of course no digital weighing devices, and balance scales and spring scales were used in various situations to measure weight. The history of spring scales is less than 300 years old, but the balance scales mentioned here have a long history and have been used in Egypt and Western Asia for over 5,000 years. The scales measure weight by placing the product and weights on either end, and it seems that highly accurate scales existed even in ancient Egypt.
However, no matter how precise the scales, people can be deceived if they use dishonest weights, or what is referred to here as “measuring stones,” and such fraud was actually widespread. The scale I have at home now not only measures my weight to the nearest 100g, but also accurately tells me my muscle mass and fat, and even where they are located, but I can’t really trust it because some of the numbers are definitely wrong. I think that this is the only area where accuracy is sacrificed for marketing reasons. By the way, according to that, my physical age is in my 40s.
No matter how much technology advances, there will always be people who try to deceive others by providing false information that is convenient for them. Many people may think that such crimes have nothing to do with them. Certainly, we would not deceive people and swindle them out of their money with false information. However, even if something is right, it may be to our disadvantage, so we may choose to keep quiet.
Also, the scale by which we measure ourselves is different from the scale by which we measure others. We are lenient with ourselves and strict with others. Where does this trend come from? In biblical terms, it is the “sin” that everyone has without exception, and in general terms it is self-centeredness. Even at this very moment, those in power are calling for holy wars based on their own measures of ”justice,” and taking the lives of innocent people.
Last year, rice suddenly disappeared from supermarket shelves. The distribution of rice in Japan is complex and involves numerous stakeholders, compared to other agricultural products. Each party puts its own profits first and neglects to provide a stable supply to consumers at a fair price. What does verse 26 say?
People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.
Such behavior may not violate the law, but it is disliked by God. So, now, what do you think the following proverbs have in common?
9 With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape.
11 Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.
12 A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.
13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
What these passages have in common is that they describe the harm our mouths can cause. Our mouths can be dangerous weapons to defend ourselves, assert our rights, and refute others. Words spoken from the mouth can even drive people to death. It also destroys community, as verse 11 says. The church is no exception.
Chapter 11 also states that humility (2), generosity (24), and kindness (17) are signs of sincerity, while pride (2), ruthlessness (16), and cruelty (17) are the polar opposite of sincerity, and are signs of a crooked heart that God hates and grieves.
2. By connecting with Jesus
Considering God’s standards for “sincerity” that we have looked at so far, it may seem that we have no choice but to give up on living a life that pleases God, but that is not the case. Jesus plainly says this:
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (Matthew 6:24)
To serve wealth is to refuse to serve God and to live as one’s own god, that is, to live selfishly and according to one’s own desires. In that case, we cannot be honest with God or with people. Even though we want to please God and walk honestly, we tend to prioritize material wealth before we know it.
However, by remaining conscious of living close to Jesus, we can grow in our integrity. Let’s read verses 24, 25, and 27.
24 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
27 He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it.
Our continued generosity, our continued blessing of others, and our ongoing pursuit of goodness will help us grow in integrity. What is needed for this is not training or discipline. All we need is a connection to the tree of Jesus. It can also be said to be the tree of the body of Christ, the church. Finally, let me introduce three proverbs.
14 For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure.
This is why we need the church. And being a responsible member of the church means living not on wealth but on Jesus, the Lord of this church.
28 Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.
I hope you pledge to be Your Church Covenant this year and continue to walk faithfully in a way that pleases God. Let us be connected to Jesus and his body, the church, and bear abundant fruit. Jesus said:
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. （John 15:4)
(Prayer) God, thank you for providing us with Your Church, a manifestation of your body, the church.
Thank you for accepting us, even though we are not holy or righteous in your eyes, and making us part of your family.
By being connected to you, we can walk in joy for you and bear abundant fruit.
Please guide our hearts so that we may not be controlled by selfishness but may walk faithfully as Lord.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ.
Summary
Our faithfulness is incomparably weaker than God’s faithfulness, and we cannot reach a level that satisfies God through self-discipline or effort. However, by being connected to Jesus and His body, the church, we can please God and produce good fruit in our lives.
For Discussion
1) What kind of honesty does God require of us?
2) Why should we become members of the church?