Real Fruit

Read: Matthew 7:15-20

Just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. Matthew 7:20

IN WORD

Orange trees produce oranges, and apple trees produce apples. It’s a simple enough correlation, and we’ve experienced it often. But it isn’t always so easy to discern. Jesus Himself remarked on how the inner condition of the religious leaders didn’t match their outward appearance. They looked righteous but weren’t. And the disciples? They looked inexperienced, unqualified, and incapable—but would bear the fruit of the Kingdom that changed an empire and the course of world history. So how exactly do we identify people by their actions?

Carefully. We have to be able to discern real qualities of the Kingdom rather than judging people outwardly. After all, fruit can be faked. Houses and offices around the world are well stocked with artificial plants. And churches are often stocked with artificial leaders—people who have the outward appearance of spiritual maturity but are only playing a role. Meanwhile, others appear to be fruitless but are really in a season of preparation. No tree bears fruit constantly, does it? Only spiritual discernment can distinguish between real and false fruit, and between latent seasons and dead ones. We have to know the ways of the Kingdom in order to determine its fruit.

IN DEED

Citizens of the Kingdom can’t afford to be people of snap judgments. If we were, we might have marginalized Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Deborah, Gideon, Samson, Ruth, David, most of the prophets, all the disciples, and plenty of other people who didn’t seem to be good trees on the surface. And we would have embraced people like Esau, Saul, and the impressive prophets, kings, and scribes who led Israel astray. We can discern fruit only over time, at deep levels, and by God’s standards. In other words, we can see people’s actions in light of the Spirit working within them. Only He can bring forth the Kingdom in His people. And only He creates real change that lasts.

ADDITIONAL READING: 1 John 4:1-6

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

MOTHER TERESA