Are you a fruit inspector?
Jesus said, “You will know
them by their fruits. Grapes are not
gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from
thistles, are they?” (Matt. 7:16.) At
first look, it may seem that Jesus is saying in this verse, “You can tell if
someone’s ‘for real’ by the fruit they bear.
So go ahead! Inspect away!”
Have you ever heard someone say, “I know we’re not supposed
to judge, but we ARE called to be fruit inspectors.”
Are we?
First, let’s go back to that judging thing, which just
happens to be in the same teaching, right before Jesus begins talking about
fruit. Matt. 7:1 - “Do not judge so that
you will not be judged.” The word judge
comes from the Greek KRINO, which is the same word used in Jn. 3:17, “For
God did not send the Son into the world to judge
(condemn) the world, but that the world might be saved through
Him.” Jesus Himself didn’t come to
judge; He warned against judging; so why should we think we’re called to do
this very thing?
So was Jesus contradicting His own teaching, when He said,
“Don’t judge. But know them by their fruits?”
No. Jesus was not
contradictory, nor schizophrenic.
Let’s look a little deeper, which brings us to my second point.
If we read Verse 15 of that same chapter, we find that Jesus
wasn’t talking about everyone, but prophets, specifically false prophets. He warned, “Beware of the false prophets, who
come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” So what is a prophet? And what is a false prophet?
·
A prophet
is not just one who speaks of future events, but one who speaks “as an interpreter or spokesman for God,”
a PROPHETES (Thayer's
Greek Lexicon - Strong's G4396).
·
The words “false prophet” are actually a
combination of two Greek words, PSEUDO + PROPHETES, meaning “one who, acting the part of a
divinely inspired prophet, utters falsehoods under the name of divine
prophecies” (Strong's G5578).
Jesus compared the false prophet to a wolf in sheep’s
clothing. The false prophet, disguising
himself as a sheep, goes into the flock for the sole purpose of leading them
away from the Shepherd. The sheep follow
the “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” because of their instinctive tendency to stay
together for protection (Cobb, 1999).
Jesus’ warning, then, is that we should not take prophets, or teachers, at face value, but to consider
their fruit, or their words. Are they
speaking truth? Does it line up with the
written Word of God? If not, it’s false. It’s fake fruit. Don’t follow them.
Thirdly, the only Inspector General that I find in the Bible
is God Himself.
“And He began telling this parable: ‘A
MAN had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and HE came looking
for fruit on it and did not find any’” (Luke 13:6). A basic understanding of Jesus’ parables lets
us know that when He says, “A MAN,” or “A CERTAIN MAN,” this MAN is God. God looks for, and at, the fruit we bear.
Just one more point, and in my opinion, the most important.
We ARE called to be inspectors of our own fruit (1 Cor. 11:28). I don’t know about you, but for me, this is a
full-time job! Just guarding my own
heart, watching my own tongue, staying positive, resisting the temptations that
are a result of my own lust, forgiving others when they’ve wronged me, asking
forgiveness when I’m the offender - without trying to keep everyone else
straight – is challenge enough.
Are you a fruit inspector?
Peace,
Davina
Peace,
Davina
