Does a fig tree produce grapes?

One thing I love about our Lord Jesus is how he used questions. The author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Richard Bach, is quoted as saying, "The simplest questions are the most profound." Jesus was the master of asking great questions. Profound questions that got to the heart of the matter. Simple questions that cut deep, such as:

"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" ~ Matthew 16:26 NKJV

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?" ~ Luke 6:46 NKJV

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?" ~ Matthew 7:3 NKJV

It's this last question that resonates with me today. In our world of a thousand distractions, it's not easy to walk in the fear of the LORD. Bad news stories abound. The failures of man is broadcast 24/7. And because we take in this steady diet of sin and suffering, if we're not careful, we can become jaded, or even worst, prideful.

Maybe it's human nature to ignore, or at least minimize, our own failures; yet we're quick to point out and amplify the sins of others. So it's important that we slow down and re-center our focus. And nothing helps to focus the mind and spirit like an inspired question from the Master Himself!

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?"

Bam! Let the re-centering begin! Instead of rubbernecking at the failures of others, Jesus is challenging me to focus on my own failures. Instead of investing precious time and energy pondering the sins of my brother and sister, I should use that time and energy to hunt down and crucify my own deeds of the flesh.

In 2 Corinthians 13: 5, we are commanded: "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?"

I am not called to examine my brother or sister. I am called to examine myself. I am to TEST myself. So what's the test? That Jesus Christ is in me. That's the test? Yes! Does Jesus live in me? Or, to put it another way, what is the evidence that the Lord Jesus Christ, via the Holy Spirit, lives within me?

The test is simple: does the Spirit of Jesus live in me? And the answer is surprisingly simple as well. If the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ lives within me, I will manifest the fruit of that same Spirit. In other words, the fruit of the Spirit of Jesus will show up in my life.

In Matthew 7, Jesus warns us about false prophets who come to us in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. But how are we to know the difference? In verse 6, Jesus gives us the key: "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?" Another great question.

Jesus is reminding us that you can tell the difference between plants (and people) by the fruit it produces. Does a fig tree produce grapes? Of course not! But what if our fig tree could speak and claimed loud and proud to be a grape vine? Does that make it a grape vine? Or, what if someone made a big beautiful sign that read "Grape Vine" and hung it on the fig tree? Does that make it a grape vine? I think not. A fig tree will only produce figs, so regardless of what it calls itself or regardless of what others may call it, it's a fig tree! You know it by its fruit. Plain and simple.

I call myself a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. But how can I know if I'm truly a follower of Christ? I test myself. What's the test? Does the Spirit of JAH live in me. Or, where is the evidence that the Spirit of Jesus Christ is in me? Jesus himself said "You will know them by their fruits." Well, if I will know THEM by their fruits, I will also know ME by my fruits! What does my fruit say about me?

I will know me by my fruits. I will test myself based upon my fruits. I will examine myself by examining my fruits. And what does that look like? Wouldn't it be great if I had a "Fruit of the Spirit Checklist"? Well, as a matter of fact, I do! It's found in Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." It's helpful to compare the "Fruit of the Spirit Checklist" in verses 22-23 to the "Works of the Flesh Checklist" in verses 19-21.

So as I examine myself for evidence of being a Christian, I do so by going down my "Fruit of the Spirit Checklist." Do I find these attitudes, behaviors and traits in myself? Love. Joy. Peace. Longsuffering. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-Control. Or, am I manifesting those attitudes, behaviors and traits that show up on the "Works of the Flesh Checklist." For if I'm not manifesting the fruit of the Spirit, if these key indicators are missing from my life, then maybe I'm just a fig tree that's claiming to be a grape vine.

Grace, Peace and Jahspeed!