Luke 6
Scripture
Luke: 6:45
“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”
Observation-What does it say?
In this passage, Jesus is not speaking to a general audience, He was speaking to His disciples and anyone else who chose to align themselves with Him. Jesus spoke on the Beatitudes, the importance of loving your enemies, He spoke on not judging others, and in this particular verse, He spoke on knowing if a person was a true disciple by their actions-(knowing a tree by the fruit it produces). How a person talks and acts will show the true colors of their heart.
Understanding-What does it mean?
You’re just like your dad.
Have you ever received that comment in your life? Depending on what the person is referring to, it can be a good or a bad thing. For me, I get my stubbornness from my dad. But I also have his hard work ethic. I also get my rugged good looks from him. And from that last statement, you also know now that I get my silly sense of humor from him as well. 🤣 The point is we all obtain characteristics from our parents whether they are good ones or bad ones. It’s in our DNA. It’s also from being around them constantly and how they raised us to be.
So if you consider yourself to be a Christ Follower, you should have some of your Heavenly Father’s traits. Or should I say your actions should be producing some of the fruits of the spirit.
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
-Galatians 5:22-23a
You see, once you accept Jesus into your heart, you are now adopted into the family of God. He is now your Heavenly Father, who leaves you His Holy Spirit to help strengthen and guide you in your daily life. Our relationship with Jesus is one of a Father and child. So, it’s only natural if we spend our time with Him and follow His instructions, that we too will begin to look and act like Him. At the end of the day, the fruit of a person’s life-their words and actions, reveals who is and is not a true follower of Jesus. A believer’s actions must match his or her professions-(Romans 8:5-8).
Life Application
Do my words and actions reflect that I am a follower of Christ Jesus?
Father God, forgive me for the times my actions and words fall short of Your calling. I pray that You continue to fill me with your Holy Spirit, help me to be obedient to Your will, and guide me to fulfill Your ways. Help steer me away from being a tree that produces bitter fruits, that withers away and is thrown into the fire. Instead help me to be a tree that produces fruit, that helps nurture and feed others in need. In your Holy name I pray, Amen.
-Moses Gaddi