"Every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes." (Luke 6:43)
That is one of the simplest propositions to be found in the whole Bible; yet there is probably not a text in the Bible that is more misunderstood. Nearly everyone who reads it imagines that it means that he must inspect everybody else and measure every other person's deeds; when it teaches exactly the opposite. Notice: "Every tree is known by his own fruit." (Luke 6:43)
Very well; but who is it that knows the fruit? Is it the tree itself? No; not by any means. Is it another tree that stands in the same row? or any other tree in the garden? Impossible; no tree in the garden is, or can be, the judge of any other tree's fruit. All that any tree can do is to bear fruit; it is not fitted for anything else, and if it should attempt anything else, then it would be of no use at all, except to cut up for firewood. "And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." (Matthew 3:10)
The gardener is the one to judge of the fruit, not only of one tree, but of all.
The trouble with those who read these words of Christ, is that each one thinks of everybody else as a tree, whose fruit is to be proved, and forgets that he himself is also a tree. It is as though each tree in a garden should imagine itself to be the gardener. In that case there would not be much fruit of any kind. The only tree that would be of any value would be the one that was content to be simply a tree, neither trying to bear the fruit of another tree, nor to train another tree to bear its kind of fruit.
Read the connection, and you will see that the whole is a warning against judging another. "Why do you behold the mote that is in your brother's eye, but perceive not the beam that is in your own eye? Either how can you say to your brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in your eye, when you behold not the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of your own eye, and then shall you see clearly to pull out the mote that is in your brother's eye. For a good tree brings not forth corrupt fruit, neither does a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil; for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:41-45)
God is the husbandman. It is He who has planted the trees, that by their fruit He might be glorified: "Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples." (John 15:8)
And it is He who alone can judge of the fruit: "And if you call on the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear." (1 Peter 1:17)
And not in boastfully judging another's work. Let us be content to bear fruit, and leave to God the work of deciding as to its quality. Let not us, who are but plants, imagine that we are the gardener.--Present Truth, July 1, 1897--Original title: Front Page--Timeline: IV-15 (Sermon on the Mount)--Luke 6:43.