Matthew 7:15-20
Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. – Matthew 7:20
Click to read passage
For durian lovers, nothing gives more peace of mind when buying than having that promise: “Bao Jiak! Guaranteed good!” Without that assurance, buying durian is like opening a blind box. You might get home and find it’s unripe or spoiled. We’re wary of buying “fake” durian, and our spiritual lives face the same danger. Jesus said, “Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
Jesus also used a strikingly vivid picture of wolves in sheep’s clothing. What makes false prophets so dangerous is that they are packaged so “spiritually” on the outside, even fluent in religious language, like a durian that looks good on the outside, while rotten inside.
In this social media age where only the outward packaging is seen, it’s far too easy to pose as a “spiritual elite.” We can share beautiful verses online, sing moving songs in church, even discuss deep doctrine in fellowship. Yet Jesus reminds us that the truth of a life cannot be judged by appearance alone. It must be judged by what’s real underneath. Grapes are never picked from thornbushes, nor figs from thistles. Pretence may fool people for a while, but it cannot change the nature of a person’s life.
What is the “good fruit” that Jesus spoke of? It is certainly not the two hours of “pious performance” at Sunday worship, but the quality of life that naturally shows up in the challenges of daily living:
Such as in a high-pressure workplace, when faced with KPIs and self-interest, do we drift along and compromise our principles, or hold on to honesty and fairness?
At home and among neighbours, once the outer packaging we wear at church is gone, are we patient and gracious with our family, or do we save our worst temper for the people closest to us?
Fruit is never a decoration hung on afterwards, it is the natural result of a life that has truly grown. If the heart has not been renewed by Christ, no matter how well the “sheep’s clothing” is worn, it cannot hide the emptiness within.
Jesus said, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
We’re often on guard against “false prophets” out there, but what this passage really calls us to face is whether we are deceiving ourselves.
We’re often quite comfortable playing “fruit inspector,” pointing out flaws in other people’s lives, while forgetting to examine our own tree. Imagine this, once all the masks we wear at church comes off, back home, back at work, back in our private, unseen corners, can the people around us actually taste real nourishment in us?
Reflection:
Taking off all spiritual packaging, facing our true selves at home and at work: do others sense in us the sweetness of Christ, or the bitterness of pretense?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, examine my heart and remove the hidden hypocrisy in my life. I don’t want to be a disciple who looks polished on the outside but is withered and fruitless within. May Your love and truth water my heart daily, so that in the most ordinary, honest moments of life I may live out honesty, love, and humility, bearing good fruit that nourishes others and brings glory to Your name. In the name of the Lord Jesus I pray, Amen.
Click to read passage
For durian lovers, nothing gives more peace of mind when buying than having that promise: “Bao Jiak! Guaranteed good!” Without that assurance, buying durian is like opening a blind box. You might get home and find it’s unripe or spoiled. We’re wary of buying “fake” durian, and our spiritual lives face the same danger. Jesus said, “Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
Jesus also used a strikingly vivid picture of wolves in sheep’s clothing. What makes false prophets so dangerous is that they are packaged so “spiritually” on the outside, even fluent in religious language, like a durian that looks good on the outside, while rotten inside.
In this social media age where only the outward packaging is seen, it’s far too easy to pose as a “spiritual elite.” We can share beautiful verses online, sing moving songs in church, even discuss deep doctrine in fellowship. Yet Jesus reminds us that the truth of a life cannot be judged by appearance alone. It must be judged by what’s real underneath. Grapes are never picked from thornbushes, nor figs from thistles. Pretence may fool people for a while, but it cannot change the nature of a person’s life.
What is the “good fruit” that Jesus spoke of? It is certainly not the two hours of “pious performance” at Sunday worship, but the quality of life that naturally shows up in the challenges of daily living:
Such as in a high-pressure workplace, when faced with KPIs and self-interest, do we drift along and compromise our principles, or hold on to honesty and fairness?
At home and among neighbours, once the outer packaging we wear at church is gone, are we patient and gracious with our family, or do we save our worst temper for the people closest to us?
Fruit is never a decoration hung on afterwards, it is the natural result of a life that has truly grown. If the heart has not been renewed by Christ, no matter how well the “sheep’s clothing” is worn, it cannot hide the emptiness within.
Jesus said, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
We’re often on guard against “false prophets” out there, but what this passage really calls us to face is whether we are deceiving ourselves.
We’re often quite comfortable playing “fruit inspector,” pointing out flaws in other people’s lives, while forgetting to examine our own tree. Imagine this, once all the masks we wear at church comes off, back home, back at work, back in our private, unseen corners, can the people around us actually taste real nourishment in us?
Reflection:
Taking off all spiritual packaging, facing our true selves at home and at work: do others sense in us the sweetness of Christ, or the bitterness of pretense?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, examine my heart and remove the hidden hypocrisy in my life. I don’t want to be a disciple who looks polished on the outside but is withered and fruitless within. May Your love and truth water my heart daily, so that in the most ordinary, honest moments of life I may live out honesty, love, and humility, bearing good fruit that nourishes others and brings glory to Your name. In the name of the Lord Jesus I pray, Amen.