Comparing Apples And Oranges

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
(Matthew 7:20)

Have you ever wondered about this teaching of Jesus? Doesn’t it seem impossible to apply, in that no person has had all good fruit? We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Where do we draw the line? Can Christians claim that they never yield bad fruit?

By the same token, even those with bad fruit might have done some good things, as far as civil good. Jesus said that even while being evil, we could give good things to our children (Luke 11:13). Did you ever think about the fact that Judas very likely healed, raised the dead, and all the things the other disciples did? So even though we know that a bad tree cannot produce good fruit, and vice versa, we seem to see it happen, so what gives? How do we answer this?

The truth is, of course, that Jesus is right. What we must realize, however, is that some people can place fruit in your hands that looks good, but it didn’t actually come from their tree. There are many ways to muster up false fruit. Satan is the master counterfeiter, and it takes wisdom to identify the true from the false. 1 John 4:1 tells us to try the spirits, Hebrews 5:14 says we learn to discern between good and evil by practice, and 1 Thessalonians 5:21 exhorts us to test all things, and then to hold on to what is good.

Going further, Jesus said by their fruits, it is plural; ye shall know them means when they are planted in the same soil. Two trees could have different soil, different climate, rain, care given, sunlight or other factors, and so you might actually be trying to compare apples and oranges. If they are planted together, however, then you will see what happens for real.

Put two people in the same situation and you will see this in action. It has been said that you can tell what a man is like if you give him power; what does he do with it? Does he cling to it and use it in an overbearing way, or is he more like Jesus, who was equal with God, but didn’t grasp on to that too tightly (Philippians 2:6). In the same situation under the same circumstances, two men might have two very different results; by their fruits you will know which is the right one. Not a singular instance, perhaps, but over the course of time.

Is everyone a singular tree? Every tree bears its own fruit. Sometimes we do wrong things but what is the normal course of our lives? What does it bring forth consistently? Some trees aren’t meant for some climates. Repentance from dead works means that you cut down the trees in your garden that are being rotten fruit, and water those that are bringing forth the fruit of faith.