Out of the Treasure of the Heart, Fruit

Luke 6:37-49 Good fruit from the heart treasure!

“Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:” (Luke 6:37).

• Plant for the harvest you want.
• We offer to others from the treasure of our hearts.

“And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?” (Luke 6:39).

• As a blind person cannot safely lead another blind person, so those with evil treasure in their hearts cannot seek out the best for others (forgiving and giving).
• Is that a true statement? What about the noble unbeliever?

“The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.” (Luke 6:40).

• This is the key to having good treasure in our hearts.

“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” (Luke 6:41).

• Can your eyesight really be that good? And poor? At the same time?!
• What you think you see in your brother’s eye may actually be a faint reflection of that thing in your own eye.

“Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.” (Luke 6:42).

• Where’s the hypocrisy in that?
  • Apparently the Lord had mind this fellow had a judgmental spirit toward the brother with the bit of chaff in his eye.
  • Or maybe the issue that the critic was ignoring his own issues to draw attention to another’s.
• This verse and previous connect to the judging in verse 37 and the blind in verse 39.
• When I see a weakness or shortcoming in another, should I take that as a clue that I should go to him and ask, “What weakness or shortcoming do you see in me that you think I’m overlooking?”
• Notice this isn’t saying I shouldn’t pull the mote out of my brother’s eye.

“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.” (Luke 6:44).

• If you’re picking good fruit from someone’s life, you know you aren’t picking from a bad tree.
  • Is this always true, though?

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” (Luke 6:45).

• We say that God looks on the heart and that we can’t. And that’s true. And yet, we can tell what’s in the heart by what the mouth says.
• Verses 43-45 connect well with Galatians 5:19-23 and James 3:12-18.

“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

• It makes no sense to do that. It’s a mockery.
• See also Matthew 7:21 and John 13:15.

“Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:” (Luke 6:47).

• Live by His Word! (Psalm 119 has lots of verses that connect to this thought.)

“He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.” (Luke 6:48).

• Hearing and doing what Jesus says is the key to stability and strength.
• See also John 13:17. (The Greek word translated happy there is often translated blessed elsewhere.)
  • Knowing the Master’s will and doing it brings supreme blessing to the faithful disciple.
  • Knowing the truth is a privilege; living it brings blessing.
• Does this also connect to good treasure and good fruit?

“But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6:49).

• Hearing God is extremely vital for without it, we can never come to faith (Romans 10:17).
• Faith alone cannot survive (James 2:17-26).

Fix the heart, fix the tongue!