Contemplative Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 20:19 (New International Version)

When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees of the field people, that you should besiege them?

This verse contains simple, practical instructions for the army of God’s people. Fruit trees provide food for the army. When laying siege to a city, don’t destroy the fruit trees. Rather, eat the fruit.

And in addition to the practical matter of food, there is the question:

Are the fruit trees the enemy?

This question is pretty silly. Of course the fruit trees aren’t the enemy. The enemy is the enemy. Who could possibly be confused about this?

The sad part is, we all find ourselves confused about our enemy. We “fight” with fellow Christians. In our history, sometimes the fighting is actual military combat with millions of people dying. More often, the fighting comprises the hurling of crippling accusations. We wound one another; we drive one another away, often to the real enemy’s camp.

The real enemy is Satan. I believe he sits on the side and giggles while we chop down our fellow followers of Christ like innocent fruit trees.

I see that you are trying to follow Christ, but you aren’t doing it the way I think you should! You are sinning, and I will hate you until you stop sinning!

That looks pretty stupid once we put it on the screen. It is similar to cutting down fruit trees instead of eating the fruit. I hear giggles coming from the sidelines.