The context to this talk is that Jesus has chosen his twelve apostles cf. Luke 6:12-16. Then he stood before his disciples and a great number of people, but he turned his gaze toward his disciples and began to speak cf. Luke 6:20. He begins that discourse in Luke 6:20 then ends it in 6:49. Our lesson is coming from the latter part of the text in, Luke 6:41-45,47,48. 

Hypocrisy is like the manchineel tree fruit whose fruit seems like an apple, but it is really toxic and may cause death. This hypocrisy is a bad tree producing evil fruit. The tree can be masked as sincere interest for others, someone being very concerned for you or someone else. It may have a dash of anger toward the situation, or a pinch anxiety about the circumstance. 

We, the listeners, may be so disturbed and bothered by what is being said that it distracts from the true problem at that time. The problem being the hypocrisy of the accuser. Hypocrisy is not the fruit of a disciple of Jesus that comes from a deep foundation. For the disciple it is only when we have a tree in the deep foundation that the fruit is good, otherwise it is surely evil. 

Jesus put it this way in Luke 6:41-42 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

How does a disciple’s sincere interest for someone else’s situation become evil hypocritical fruit? It becomes evil when they have not taken the necessary preparation to rid themselves of the same problem that they see others possessing. 

Consider the truth of what Jesus is saying here. A we, disciples will have no clarity of sight nor perception to help others, until we have dealt with your own problems first. For when you attempt to help others with taking care of their problems, without tending to yourself first, you develop a problem. 

As a disciples you may believe that others, need to have compassion, be joyful in the Lord, stop complaining, develop more faith, be more spiritual, more giving, united in Jesus, but are you? This involves the relationships you have with your wife, children, girlfriend, boyfriend if they are in the church. You cannot see to help someone else if you are sinning in the same way. If you want to help your brethren be better then you have to help yourself first.

Fruit from the Deep Foundation of Jesus comes from a Good Tree, but if a Tree is not From Jesus it is Certainly Bad and Produces Bad Fruit. 

There are many different trees that are recognized by their fruit. Luke 6:43-44 “For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. ” Now, we have the affirmation that it is unambiguous, when you have bad or good fruit it comes from a bad or good tree.  You know it is a fig tree because it produces figs and you know it is a grape vine because it produces grapes. It is true in nature, and it is also true in the disciple, what is inside of us will be known by the fruit we produce.

What does the disciple do with this understanding? It gives us insight to evaluate our trees that have produced fruit in our lives. Or gives insight to evaluate the fruit which must come from a good or bad tree. Furthermore, to do that we need to understand what the tree is and as a consequence of that we will understand the kind of fruit it produces. 

Jesus tells His disciples, and us, in Luke 6:45 “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

To identify what is a tree and consequently the fruit notice from where the goodness grows, “ …the good treasure of his heart…”.  That good treasure of the heart is your thoughts and ideas that are cherished, protected, believed, guarded, maintained, and growing into a fruit bearing orchard. Moreover, how do you know what is treasured in your heart? It comes out of your mouth. “…for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart” Luke 6:45.

Brethren, let us watch what we say: Eph 4:29, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. ” Do you speak to edify so that it gives grace to the hearer, or is your speech unwholesome, trash, bringing no edification or grace to people who need it?  Eph. 5:4 “…and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.” There should be no silly talk, that is foolish talk.

What is foolish talk, let us examine Prov. 18:2 “A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own mind. ” The fool that delights in revealing his own mind will be consumed with what they know, what they are interested in, and how they feel. The fool is a self-centered person that has a PHD in their opinion.

Also, what is that understanding in which the fool does not delight? Proverbs 2:6 “For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” To tie it together silly talk is when you speak in such a way that there is no hint of an understanding or knowledge of God in what you say. You can know if your fruit or other’s fruit is bad or good by what they say and how they say it.

Fruit from the Deep Foundation

What is the deep foundation from which comes the fruit? The answer is in Luke 6:47 “Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.” 

 Brethren, the fruit that comes from the deep foundation is the fruit that comes from hearing and obeying Jesus’ words. So, let us produce fruit from the foundation that is deep so we can be good men and women of God.