Know Them by Their Fruit

Matthew 7:15-20 (NIV) True and False Prophets

    “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

The Scripture above discusses knowing a true prophet from a pretender claiming to be, and judging them by their fruit. The reference to ‘picking grapes from a thorn bush and figs from thistles’ puts the photo in context. What the picture actually shows is a cucumber plant with a bunch of plastic grapes tied to it. My delightful friend, Cindy, ‘created’ the cucumber/grape plant to play a joke on her neighbors. She dallied with nature by tying an apple on a tomato plant, too.

It was timely in a God way that she sent this last night because the subject for today’s devotional is ‘knowing them by their fruit’. It is not limited to prophets, Friends. At first glance, especially for the unsuspecting eye of a person not familiar with gardening, it looks like a juicy bunch of sweet grapes are almost ready for the picking. Cindy, not a gardener, thought it was a squash plant. I had to blow the picture up to view it closely to see just what it really was. I knew it wasn’t like the squash plants I grow. I was surprised to see someone put a cage around a reported ‘squash’ plant and the blossoms were far smaller than any squash I’ve ever seen. My eyes saw one thing and my brain was trying to reconcile what it was being told with the fruit I saw. It didn’t add up.  

So I inspected what I expected the plant to be based on how it was being represented. It was only then I could see the tiny cucumbers under the blossoms. Friends, there is wisdom in close inspection. 

People and situations are not always as them seem. Sadly, in our fallen world there are those who will take advantage of the unsuspecting and innocent, even in the Church. People will represent themselves to be what they want you to see rather than what they truly are. That old adage, “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is” applies to people and situations, opportunities and ‘good deals’. We must stay alert, Friends, and watch closely. Use wisdom and sound spiritual doctrine as the base line for comparison. It the ‘fruit’ you are seeing doesn’t match up with the tree from which it hangs, walk on by!