Growth rate, visibility, green leaves, and height are not the metrics by which to measure a healthy ministry according to Jesus. The only metric which matters in the end is this: Is it bearing healthy fruit?
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Scripture
Matthew 7:15-16
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.”
Observation
Jesus indicates here that false prophets are not a surprising and unexpected anomaly, but rather a common and routine issue which followers of Christ must address. Though they seem to display all of the right signs of health, they are missing one critical component: Healthy fruit.
A ministry or teacher which is not rooted in God’s word may look just the same as a healthy and Godly ministry. They may be growing and thriving in number, and they may be generating a lot of excitement. They may be teaching a message which attracts and motivates many people, and they may be using all of the right verbiage and phrases to sound Biblical and spiritually mature. They may even be operating in signs and wonders, astonishing people with the spiritual power that they display…but what kind of fruit are they producing? Do they have a track record of forgiveness, of kindness, of speaking the truth, of reconciliation, of integrity, of submission to the Word of God, and of personal accountability?
Growth rate, visibility, green leaves, and height are not the metrics by which to measure a healthy tree according to Jesus. The only metric which matters in the end is this: Is it bearing healthy fruit?
Application
The old saying says: “You can teach what you know, but you will reproduce what you are.” A tree does not produce fruit merely for the enjoyment of others–rather, it produces fruit in order to reproduce itself and to make more trees with the same genetic fingerprint.
This passage of scripture challenges me to value fruit in a new way–both in my life, and in the lives of others. When I am observing a teacher or influencer in my life, what kind of fruit are they producing? Does their fruit validate their ministry and bear witness to the Holy Spirit at work through them, or does their fruit reveal the empty promises of a false gospel, built on self-empowerment and humanistic ideas?
In my own life, what does my fruit say about the condition of my heart? As I reproduce what I am, what does my fruit demonstrate? Do I see the Spirit at work in the lives of those I influence, or do I see lives still ruled by the flesh? Do I see people developing a love for God’s word, or too busy to be inconvenienced by time spent with the Master? Do I see people boldly sharing the testimony of God’s radical transformation in their life, or merely content to slip by under the radar–unchanged, unchallenged, un-transformed?
This week, I choose to evaluate the world like Christ does: by the fruit shown.
Prayer
God, thank you for the wisdom that I find in your word. Help me to see the world as you do–and thank you for this reminder of the importance of fruit. Help me to clearly discern the fruit growing in the lives of those who would influence my life as teachers and mentors. Give me wisdom to understand the fruit being produced, which reveals the condition of their heart.
In my life, help me to cultivate the right kind of fruit–and not merely settle for green leaves and strong branches. I want to reproduce the transformation that you’ve accomplished in my heart, so that others could experience the same life-changing power!
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