The treasury of the heart

“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. 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." (Luke 6:43-45)

In case you were wondering, figs are not grown on bramble bushes. The fruit we produce is equal to the 'tree' that produces it. Character is a result of what we 'connect' our lives to on an ongoing basis. The fig cannot connect with the bramble bush any more than the thorns of the bramble bush can be produced from the fig tree. The connection wouldn't be consistent with what is being produced. The fruit born actually is a direct reflection of the tree - the nature of the tree produces the fruit. When our 'fruit' is a little bitter, kind of 'pricking' in nature, and lacking in nourishment, we should evaluate where we have made 'connection' in our spirit.

The treasure of a good heart cannot be undervalued. Whatever it is we hide away in our heart, 'bramble bush' or 'luscious fruit', is going to be evident in the 'fruit' of our actions. Our hearts can either connect to the goodness and grace of Jesus, allowing good to flow forth, or they can connect with the values and attitudes of this world, allowing brambles and thorns to be produced. Brambles and thorns hurt others, keeping them away, and discouraging real connection. In other words, they act as a barrier to us having and maintaining close interpersonal relationships with others.

A good tree cannot produce bad fruit. The evidence of 'fruit' doesn't always indicate a 'good connection', does it? I live in an area where citrus is grown pretty easily, but we have these trees that look exactly like an orange tree, even producing large, round orange citrus. The only thing about those trees is that the fruit produced is bitter and isn't good for much. The tree 'looks' good, but the fruit betrays its true nature. In much the same way, we might 'look' like we are connected to Jesus, but the 'fruit' of our lives betrays the true nature of our heart's connection. Not everyone who calls themselves a Christian is connected to Jesus. Just sayin!