Matthew 7:15-20 | Galatians 5:22-26
Jesus measures qualitatively, not quantitatively.
You could eat 100 rotten strawberries and it wouldn’t equal the deliciousness of one good one, right?
His warning here to look out for the wrong people by assessing the product of their output is simple. It might not be as easy to determine what is good and bad fruit (the Galatians passage helps a bit).
Matthew 7:15-20
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you dressed like sheep, but inside they are vicious wolves. You will know them by their fruit. Do people get bunches of grapes from thorny weeds, or do they get figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, and every rotten tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit. And a rotten tree can’t produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, you will know them by their fruit.”
Galatians 5:22-26
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against things like this. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the self with its passions and its desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit. Let’s not become arrogant, make each other angry, or be jealous of each other.
Prayer
Do Lord, as you have said. Dig about me and pour upon me all the sweet influences of your Holy Spirit, which, like the rain, and the sun, and the dew of heaven, may cause me to bring forth fruit unto God. Amen.1
This is a great Followup to the one about casting pearls among swine!! Practical advice mixed with theology, the best!