A Tree and Its Fruit

Downloadable Reflection Guide

15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

 

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

When you plant a fruit tree, you do not expect to be surprised by what it produces. An apple tree is not going to produce oranges. A fig tree is not going to produce pears. Likewise, a diseased tree is not going to produce healthy fruit, nor a healthy tree diseased fruit.

We have an orange tree in our backyard that did not have a good water source nearby. Until we were able to fix the irrigation properly to better bring water to the tree, it was not flourishing. Since, getting water to the tree, it has perked up and is not producing the first fruits that we have seen come from it.

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns His disciples how to watch for false prophets. He tells us to examine their fruit. A false prophet is identifiable by the way in which their words fail to match the Word of God. If someone claims to be speaking on behalf of God and yet, you find his/her words contradicted by Scripture, we should know that something is not right. In John 15:4, Jesus notes tell us that we are to “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”  Abiding in Christ, our faith is fueled and through our connection to Christ, we are able to bear fruit. Bearing good fruit becomes the most natural thing we can do. We no longer have to worry about trying hard. In Christ, we do good as guided by the Holy Spirit.

This is not to say that we will always do as we are called by God to do. Paul notes this in Romans 7. “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15) Yet, even as we struggle, we know that God promises that He will be with us. Thus, when we examine the fruit of those who would presume to teach us in God’s name, we are to compare their words with the Word of God and follow only those who follow Christ in both Word and deed.

Thoughts for Reflection

Why do you think we are often enticed to follow false prophets rather than Christ?