Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
– Matthew 7:15-23
If I could get past the stage of being alarmed by this passage, the next emotion I would experience would be confusion. There seems to be something counterintuitive about what Jesus is saying. Of course, we could find other examples of the same thing being true, but none strike me being as curious as this one. It seems that Jesus is dismissing things that I understand to be the goal of Kingdom work, things like getting people to acknowledge the lordship of Jesus and participating in works of the Spirit such as prophesying and performing mighty works. In my understanding, a person who demonstrates such things would be a shoe-in for the Kingdom. Jesus appears to say otherwise.
Before going further, I am compelled to say that I don’t think Jesus wants the distressing element of his words removed. Jesus offers a solemn challenge to all who have failed to examine their true relationship with him. Most people who believe in a divine being, and certainly all Christians, hope one day at the end of their life to hear words like, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master” (see Matthew 25:21). While this greeting is one possibility, Jesus reminds us that there is another: “I never knew you; depart from me.” Hearing the first greeting would bring incredible joy to my heart. Hearing the second would bring overwhelming despair. How is it possible that a person could be confident of the first greeting awaiting him, when in reality it is the second?
There are multiple contributing factors, the exploration of which would require much more room than I will take here. For now I will offer two thoughts. The first has to do with the church culture of our modern, particularly western, society. Stated simply, we have handed down through generations an idea that being a Christian means believing that there is a God, perhaps having spent some time in a church, and possibly letting a pastor dunk you in a tank or river. Add to that the reality that certain Christian elements have bled into our overall worldview so pervasively that we embrace them as a given for all people. Take for instance the idea of heaven. Let’s say our old buddy Hank has died. At the funeral visitation friends can be heard saying things like, “Old Hank is up there singing with the angels now.” It may be that in life old Hank never darkened the door of a church, read a Bible, or ever spoke a word about embracing Christian faith. In our culture, none of those things seem to matter. The default settings in our worldview are far too firmly established.
The second factor has to do with leaving ourselves unexamined. In a way similar to what was previously mentioned, we have reduced Christianity to little more than showing up at the right place once a week (or a couple of times a month), saying the right things (at least among certain crowds), and perhaps giving some money to the local church. To be sure, none of these things are bad. We might even consider such habits as the “starter kit” for a Christian life. The mistake I would make is to think that these things make me a Christian. They do not. They may make me look like a Christian, but this isn’t about how I appear to others. It is about how Jesus sees my heart.
Is there anything to help us know where we stand? Indeed there is. We can find it in the analogy Jesus uses to caution people against false prophets. Jesus simply says to look at their fruit. How do I know if a tree is bad? Check to see if the fruit is bad. If I see good, healthy, luscious fruit coming from a tree, I can safely conclude that the tree is healthy. Indeed, sometimes we can be fooled by others. The fruit of one’s life and ministry may look impressive, but there may be a darkened heart hidden behind it. I think Jesus would even concede these instances. But that doesn’t change the principle. The fruit produced in a person’s life is a great indicator of that person’s relationship with God. And when it comes right down to it, we are not as blind to the condition of our heart as we often pretend to be.
An honest assessment of our lives is a great thing. Taking inventory of our life’s fruit may not feel like a natural thing to do. Getting some very honest feedback from a trusted friend may help. The key is honesty, with self and with the Lord. Is there evidence of where we have brought light into a world of darkness? Hope to desperate people? Love to the outcast and scorned? Is fruit like this being produced in increasing measure due to our vibrant relationship with Jesus? Fruit doesn’t have to be impressive by the world’s standards in order to be beautiful in the Lord’s eyes. Christ is looking for genuineness. We might fool the world, but we won’t fool him.
Which leads me to wonder, will anyone be truly surprised when we receive our greeting from Jesus? Maybe so, but probably to a lesser degree than first thought. If we are honest with ourselves, we have a good idea which way we are headed. And if it’s not the direction we want, thankfully we can change course. Jesus waits for you to humble yourself before him, to call him Lord and set your heart to pursue him daily. It is your first step toward good fruit—and toward the best greeting you will ever hear.
See you along the Winding Path.
The Winding Path 