Written ~ 03-08-2024
Read Luke Chapter Six
Luke 6
This chapter begins with more challenges by the Pharisees and religious leaders. They tried everything to corner Jesus into saying something that could prompt His arrest. But every time they closely watched Jesus and questioned what He was doing, Jesus always has the perfect response, they didn’t like what He said or did, but His responses could never give them reason to arrest Him. In verse 6:11b it says, “…the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage and began to discuss what to do with Him…” that seems to be the common theme when it came to the Pharisees and the other religious leaders, they absolutely hated Him. They were lost in their own selfishness.
With that thought in mind it brings us to our passage for today…
Verses 6:43-45,
43 “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.
44 A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes.
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.”
These few verses should be self-explanatory, right? If we truly listen to the words coming out of our mouths, we can quickly condemn ourselves. When we look at the example the Pharisees and religious leaders gave us, on the outside they looked godly, devout in their worship of the Lord. But their actions, the words that came out of their mouths told a completely different story.
“A good tree cannot produce bad fruit…”
If you are in constant awareness of the condition of your heart, mind and soul, if you are meditating on the Word of God day and night and obeying the Scriptures as the Lord commands, you will be a “good tree” and as a “good tree” your “fruit will be quickly identified.” Your attitude and outward actions will be full of the Holy Spirit.
“A bad tree cannot produce good fruit…”
If your heart, mind and soul do not line up with the Word of God, if you have not accepted who Jesus Christ is and you have not received Salvation, you will be considered a “bad tree.” Or maybe you did accept Jesus as your Savior at one time in your life, but have not continued following in His footsteps, your “fruit will be quickly identified.” Your attitude and outward actions are selfish in nature, the more profanity that comes out of your mouth will show how far you have fallen away from walking with Jesus. And guess what? You’re not fooling anyone, the attitude of your heart shows exactly where the Lord Jesus Christ resides.
Verse 6:45a,
45a “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart…”
When you devote yourself to the Lord, your heart and mind becomes transformed, what once was old and decrepit, is now brand-new and fresh! Your desire to grow in faith and trust in the Lord becomes the desire of your heart! You concentrate on the good you learn from the Bible, when you study the Scriptures it becomes alive within you and those are the things that are stored as a “treasury in a good heart.”
Verse 6:45b,
45b “…An evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart…”
If our hearts have not yet been given over to the Lord, completely, the treasury in that heart is full of anger, despair, that heart is emotionally unstable, and always looking for ways to judge others. You may not think of yourself as “evil,” but if there is only anger or even hatred brewing deep inside, that is an evil that will make its way out in one form or another. The “treasury of an evil heart,” doesn’t have room for the things of the Lord, it doesn’t have time to learn from Scripture, its desires are sought out from the pleasures found only in the world.
Verse 6:45c,
45c “What you say flows from what is in your heart.”
Our words, our actions will show the truth of our hearts very quickly. You may try to hide what’s going on inside like the Pharisees did with a beautiful façade, but the condition of their hearts was found out very quickly by the judgement and hatred they had for the Messiah. Our words and actions will either show Jesus Christ shining through us or our words and actions will not.
Turn to James chapter 3 for a moment… let’s see what he had to say about our words…
James 3:5b-6,
5b “…the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.”
Strong visual wouldn’t you agree? From an evil heart comes evil things. Cutting, lashing, hurtful words.
James 3:9-10,
9 “Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!”
Consider your heart and mind? Are blessings and curses coming out of your mouth?
James 3:13,
13 “If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.”
Living by the Word of God produces good fruit from a “good tree.”
Each and every day we have a choice to follow our evil hearts and minds or we can gain control of our hearts and minds by pursuing an honorable life by following the leadership of our Lord and Savior!
“What you say flows from what is in your heart.”
~AMEN~