“Each tree,” Luke will soon explain, “is known by its own fruit.” (Luke 6:44) When Gabriel speaks the command of God, a prophet is born of Elizabeth to “turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.” (Luke 1:16) Likewise, at Gabriel’s command, the Messiah is conceived in Mary’s womb, to “reign over the house of Jacob forever.” (Luke 1:33) The words of God bear good fruit, ushering in life, hope, liberation from bondage, and the Kingdom of the heavens without end. And then there’s the decree of Caesar Augustus: as the words of a shepherd gather his sheep, the words of Caesar divide them, sending “each to his own city “to be sorted, counted, and prepped to devour one another for the glory of Romulus. “For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.” (Luke 6:44) Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Luke 2:3 Episode 458; Luke 2:3 The following music was used for this media project: Music: Emotional Ballad by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10089-emotional-ballad License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/