Fruit Stand
Does an engineer who builds a drone know how it works?
Does Jesus, who created the human mind and soul know how we think?
He knows.
He knows the sinful human heart can be false. We are near the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. What does Jesus tell us?
“Watch out for false prophets.”
What does a prophet do? Answer: “A prophet is one gifted with more than ordinary spiritual and moral insight.”
A True Prophet receives God’s messages and speaks them to us. Elijah was a Bible Prophet. Isaiah was another. They spoke what God directed them to say. What they prophesied happened because the prophesies were from God.
What about a false prophet? Bluntly stated-the false prophet lies. Jesus compares them to ferocious wolves. False prophets are dangerous to our souls. The devil uses them to destroy our souls.
Jesus warns us: “Watch out for false prophets.” “Beware,” He says.
Matthew 7:15-20
A Tree and Its Fruit
[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.”
We’ve come to the “fruit stand.”
Jesus compares our human words and actions to fruit. Our lives are like a “fruit stand.” And Jesus gives us insight into false prophets. He tells us to look at the “fruit” in their life. Look at the fruit “displayed” in their stand. Every human life is a fruit stand.
What we say, the actions we take, the decisions we make, how we treat our family and neighbors are our life “fruit.” The fruit of a false prophet may look good on the surface but false prophet fruit is “thorns and thistles.” What a false prophet predicts doesn’t happen. “Beware of false prophets,” we are told.
What fruit should we find in a person we seek to trust? How can we recognize a false prophet? The best answers are always found in the Bible. Did you know God’s Holy Spirit is the warehouse for all GOOD fruit? The fruit we should look for in a true prophet comes from God’s Spirit:
Galatians 5:22-23
[22] “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
God’s Fruit is not found in false prophets.
How might we have God’s good fruit in our “fruit stand?”
For our answer we go back a few verses in the Sermon on the Mount.
These instructions come from Jesus:
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and It Will Be Given
[7] “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
How can we know if the one speaking words and claiming they are truth actually speaks the truth? How can we recognize false prophets? Jesus gives us the answer: Look at the fruit of the person’s life.
And for you and I?