Defining Good Fruit

Scripture: No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Luke 6:43

Observation: This entire section is about leaders first being accountable for our own actions. It starts with Jesus choosing 12 apostles, then with a large crowd he directly looks at/addresses those leaders. He tells them to love their enemies and treat others as they wish to be treated. Just before the good/bad tree analogy, Jesus uses the analogy about correcting a person with a speck in their eye when you have a plank in your own. Before that, he says that the blind cannot lead the blind.

In other words, a tree is known by its fruit, just as a leader is known by their actions ... a good leader acts goodly.

Application: I have been thinking a lot in the last 24 hours about prooftexting - the act of misinterpreting the bible by looking at a very small phrase or verse without any other context. I feel this is an example: I once had a pastor teach a friend of mine that - based on this verse - my friend was a good man because ... his children were good.

Within the limited context of these 14 words, you can understand that interpretation. However, within the context of all of Luke 6, this is clearly part of a discussion about personal behavior, and therefore in fact would say that the determination of being a 'good man' is tied directly to personal behavior. And within the context of the entire bible - which repeatedly says that children are blessed based on the actions of the parents and not the other way around - the teaching given to my friend is inconsistent at best.

And that is, today, a lesson for me I need to recall and reinforce in my own mind. I have amazing kids! My son is especially an astonishing man of God, full of patience, kindness, mercy, and wisdom. I need to recognize that this is not "credited" to me in the context of my behavior ... my son's goodness does not make me good, or worthy, or respected in the eyes of heaven. Instead, I need to be a man of patience, goodness, gentleness, humility, mercy, and kindness - through my own deeds, and in my own heart.

Prayer: Jesus, my lord, may your will be done on earth today, and to the extent you are willing to use me, may your will be done through me. May I be your love to others today. May I show mercy and kindness. And may I feel love and patience in my heart.