Written by Paulina C. Lux, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in New York
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, 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. (Matt 7:16-20 NIV)
My father was a farmer and fruit grower in my native country, Guatemala, known as the eternal spring. As a child, I enjoyed a special fruit he harvested. It was called Anna, a crisp, juicy apple. According to him, this fruit was produced in Israel by agronomist Abba Stein in 1950; the apple was named Anna in honor of his daughter. Since I was little, I saw how Dad took care of fruit trees, growing them in good soil so they would have deep roots hydrated by rain and could produce good fruit. He had many fruit trees, and each tree produced fruit according to its species.
A tree is known by its fruit. Jesus spoke to His general audience, and more specifically the religious scribes who knew the Mosaic law to the letter and were strict in their observance, but whose words were not consistent with their actions.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. (Matt 23:23)
They made themselves known by their fruits.
The questions I ask myself now are: What kind of tree am I? How do I know I'm a good tree?
Thales of Miletus is credited with this phrase: "The most difficult task is to know oneself." It's difficult because it takes humility and wisdom to accept my shortcomings. It's easier to hide my true self so as not to be criticized or corrected, and I pretend to be a good Christian. But I can't maintain appearances for long; my actions give me away. Because the fruit Jesus speaks of is our actions, words, or children, I have three princesses. They look like me, only in mini versions; they have my character, and they expose me to my spiritual sisters. That's right: they are my fruits. The written word exhorts us to introspect, self-evaluate, and see what kind of fruit we are producing.
How can I produce good fruit? First, we look for fertile soil to sow the seed. The soil is my heart, which is willing to receive a good seed, which is the Word of God, and be watered by the Holy Spirit, which is the fountain of living water. A seed sown without being watered by the rain dies. When Jesus was coming from Judea to Galilee, He passed through Samaria, met the Samaritan woman, and asked her for water.
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:10-14)
A good tree bears good fruit, and a bad tree bears bad fruit. You know, my beloved reader, each tree bears fruit according to its kind. The thorn in the desert also produces thorns. When our heart is dry, it is like a desert that produces only thorns and hurts our loved ones: family, husband, children, spiritual family, friends, etc.
It is important to prepare the earth first, healing our emotional wounds (inner child), so the soil is fertile, and the seed of the gospel can germinate in our hearts and be watered by the Holy Spirit so that it produces good fruit in worship to God and for the the edification of my neighbor.
For the bad tree bears bad fruit, but the good tree produces good fruit. Like the apple tree, Anna, its fruit is juicy.
What kind of tree would you like to be?
