Teachings of Christ (Part 9) Good Fruit or Bad
How observant are you? Are you a good judge of character? We’ll see today from our text that Jesus had something to say about this topic, not that we are to judge and condemn, but how to be aware of phonies and hypocrits.
In Luke 6:43-45 Jesus said, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
Seem like Jesus’ teaching here is quite simple, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by it own fruit.” We have all kinds of trees around this area, even around our homes. Just around my house I have oaks, pines trees, spruce trees, Cherry, poplar, birch, rhododendrons , sumac, and a number of other different varieties. I also have three kinds of apple trees in my lawn.
Now I don’t expect a nice eatable fruit of any kind to grow on the sumac trees across the street from my house. But I sure like seeing my apple trees full of apples..
Out in back of my daughter’s house there is a woodlot which is hard to walk thru because it is filled with thick brush. If you work you way thru that area in the winter or early spring before the leaves come and the brush grows up you’ll find some strange looking trees. They are not overly big, maybe 25 feet high, but strange looking just the same. In late spring they flower and it isn’t until midsummer comes along that you realize what kind of trees they are. You can recognize those trees by their fruit. They are old, overgrown apple trees which were long abandoned and were not trimmed.
In the previous context Jesus had instructed His listeners to be careful about judging others. He also went on to tell the parable about taking the speck or sliver out of someone else’s eye if you have a big plank in your own eye. In other words, don’t be criticizing and condemning others. Nor should you try to fix them if you are just as guilty of having problems and sin in your own life. He said that’s like a blind man leading a blind man.
And then here He says you will know a tree by its fruit. A good person will bear good things and an evil man will bear more undesirable traits if not evil.
It all comes down to the condition of the person heart, whether they are good or evil. Just like you can identify the type of tree by its fruit, Jesus is letting us know that if you want to know what kind of person someone is, or even what kind of person you are, all you need to do is set back and observe one’s fruit . What’s being done; what kind of things are coming out of one’s mouth, because Jesus said, ”For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
Just like you can identify a tree by the fruit it produces, you will also know what’s going on in a person’s heart; by listening to what they say, and by watching what they do for a while.
God sent a message to Israel thru Hosea saying, “I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’
1 3 “But you have cultivated wickedness and harvested a thriving crop of sins. You have eaten the fruit of lies—trusting in your military might, believing that great armies could make your nation safe. 14 Now the terrors of war will rise among your people. All your fortifications will fall.” Hosea 10:12-14
Jesus was also dealing with people who at first glance and from their outward appearance looked good and religious. Many of the teachers and Pharisees of his time, looked good and studied scripture a lot, but He let everyone know that they were rotten on the inside. In Matthew 23 we see where Jesus gave a whole discourse on how phony they were. Read Matthew 23:1-36 (click on verse to read)
Tough words to those phony hypocrites and blind guides of His time. He probably spent years observing their fruit, or how they spoke and treated others.
In contrast, when a person turns to Christ and becomes a GENUINE disciple the Apostle Paul said that something amazing happens… In Eph 5:8-20 Paul writes, “
In Gal 5:22-23 he writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit (that is fruit of the Spirit led life) is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Another way to put it is… True disciples have the Character of Jesus and live totally Committed to Him. Their character will be evident because it will produce good fruit – good actions and characteristics. Why? Because their heart has been transformed by Christ.
Matthew 7:15-23 Jesus warns “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
So He warns the people – beware of false prophets or false teachers (vs 15). How do we know if someone is a false teacher or a false prophet or teachers? By looking at their fruit. Some people do good things but for the wrong reason and by listening to what they say. True disciples have the Character of Jesus and live totally Committed to Him – Not seeking to gain glory for themselves.
I wonder how Jesus would describe you and me if He were here today? What will He say after looking at our character what we say? Would He see good fruit in your life? What would the words coming out of your mouth reveal about your heart? Would He see a good character overflowing with – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? Would he see Good actions?
Beware, God will not tolerate bad fruit forever. On the appointed day of judgment, Jesus will judge us all. He will be looking to separate his true disciples from impostors. How will He know??? By the fruit we bear.
True disciples have the Character of Jesus and live totally Committed to Him.
On that day of judgment, He warned that there will be many people who say the right things. They’ll look the part and have the religious lingo down pat. They’ll know all the answers to Bible Trivia. But Jesus’ answer to them will be ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’. Because like the Pharisees He’ll know who the hypocrites are. Jesus is looking for true disciples. People who display good fruit and live lives committed to him. Remember …True disciples have the Character of Jesus and live totally committed to Him and will show mercy, forgiveness, and love even to their enemies. They are good on the inside. It is important to note that a person is not saved or made right with God by having good character. We are made right with God only by His grace and mercy as we turn from a life of sin and trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior and allow Him to remove them in the waters of baptism. Salvation is 100 percent a free gift of forgiveness from God. Godly character is not a means of salvation rather it is only an indicator of true discipleship.
Like the instruments on an airplane do not make the plane fly but only indicate that is going in the right direction – Godly character does not make us right with God but it does indicate that are hearts have been changed, and that we are going in the right direction. Whose character is your fruit reflecting? If Christ is in control of your life then you will be reflecting his character because good trees produce good fruit. But if your fruit does not reflect the character of Jesus. If you hate your enemies, if you cause fights wherever you go, if you are selfish instead of kind, if you have a bad temper, if you are prone to judging and condemning, if you refuse to forgive, or are impatient, harsh and mean then you are reflecting someone else other than Jesus.
Your fruit reflects your heart, and so I urge you to examine whether Christ has full control of your life. Do you still have some of those negative traits? Maybe its time to surrender those things over to Jesus. I say surrender because God wants you to. Do it because you love Jesus.
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