“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.”
~ Luke 6:43
Hi James and Ellen,
Did you know that when you become as old as your dad and ma that you will be like a tree? Jesus said that you will be like a tree. Luke – who was a trained physician, sent a letter to Theophilus – a Roman friend, detailing to his friend the life of Jesus. Theophilus is who possibly published and distributed the letter that Luke sent to him about the life of Jesus. The letter that Luke sent to Theophilus would become a book in the Bible that is called Luke. Your grandpaa thinks that Luke simply wanted to pass on as much information as possible to his friend Theophilus about Jesus – not thinking what Theophilus would do with his letter. Because Luke was an educated doctor, Luke probably could write very well. Your grandpaa thinks that Luke read letters that had been written about Jesus and talked with guys and gals who had seen Jesus and who had heard Jesus speak. Luke – in his Luke Book, recounts some of the miracles that Jesus did as well as what Jesus said. A lot of Luke 6 is a summary of what Jesus said during a time when He interacted with a large group of guys, gals and kids. Matthew elaborated a lot more in his Matthew Book on this particular time when Jesus answered questions from a large group of guys, gals and kids. This particular occasion when Jesus taught a large group of guys, gals and kids is referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew used three chapters in his book to cover this memorable event – which happened when Jesus decided to sit down on a mountain side to teach the the guys, gals and kids who were following him. Only one Luke Book chapter talks about what took place at that time. Both Matthew and Luke recorded the tree illustration. As Jesus was concluding an answer to the guys, gals and kids who were listening to Him, verse 43 says that Jesus said “‘No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.” Jesus then called thornbushes and briers bad trees because they do not produce good fruit and fig trees and grapevines good trees because they produce good fruit. Jesus saw as a good tree or as a bad tree each guy, gal and kid who was listening to Him. A good tree or a good guy, gal or kid will produce good fruit. Good fruit per Paul in his letter to the Galatia Christ-follower communities is the fruit of God the Spirit living inside a guy, gal or kid that produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Paul in this same letter and in the same chapter to the Christ-follower communities in Galatia says that bad fruit is hating others, fighting, being jealous, always getting mad, having selfish ambitions, constantly disagreeing with others, envying, getting drunk and anything else which does not please God. When you become as old as your dad and ma, would you like to be a good tree or would you like to be a bad tree?
Alabo and Elizabet Bastos live with their family in the Sandoval region in eastern Bolivia. The only way into the area of Sandoval during the rainy season is by small plane. The first time that your grandmaa and grandpaa met Alabo and Elizabet was when they got off a SAM/Air 206 Cessna at the Concepción, Ñuflo de Chávez airport. The plane’s pilot – Jon Kemp, knew many of the guys and gals who lived in the Sandoval region as he regularly flew into the area. Your grandmaa and grandpaa were at the resident training center in Concepción when Joe arrived with Alabo and Elizabet and two of their kids. Your grandmaa and grandpaa were expecting Jon to arrive in Concepción with a single guy. The single guy at the last moment decided to stay home. Alabo and Elizabet told Jon that they would go if . . . so Jon loaded Alabo, Elizabet and two of their kids into the SAM/Air’s 206 Cessna and flew them to Concepción. Your grandmaa quickly prepared a room for Alabo and Elizabet to stay in with their kids. The Bible training program in Concepción was beginning its third year of existence. The third year began with eight new guys including Alabo. Alabo was a very new believer. Alabo had been like a bad tree. Alabo would get drunk. As Alabo was drinking one night, Alabo got into a fight with another guy. The other guy took out the gun that he had with him to shoot Alabo. Alabo’s dad was drinking with Alabo. Alabo’s dad also had a gun. Alabo’s dad shot the guy who was trying to shoot Alabo at the same time that that the guy shot Alabo’s dad. The two guys killed each other. Alabo got a real wakeup call. Elizabet had made a decision of faith to believe in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior when she lived in Santa Cruz – employed as a maid. Alabo decided that he wanted to make a decision of faith to believe in God the Son – Jesus Christ, after what happened to his dad. Shortly after Alabo and Elizabet arrived in Concepción, your grandmaa and grandpaa were told that Alabo was hitting Elizabet. Your grandpaa had made up a list of rules that your grandpaa wanted all the guys, gals and kids at the resident training center to obey. Your grandpaa added to this list a rule which said that no guy was to ever hit his wife because . . . Alabo stopped hitting Elizabet.
Every guy, gal and kid who is born on planet Earth is born as a bad tree. The only way that a guy, gal or kid can stop being a bad tree to become a good tree is to make a decision of faith to believe in Jesus Christ as his or her Lord and Savior. A good tree is a guy, gal or kid who will know what is right to do. A bad tree is a guy, gal or kid who will invariably do what is not right to do. There is a tree in Bolivia that is called a tobarocha. The trunk of a tobarocha bulges out like a fat stomach. A tobarocha has all up and down its trunk and limbs very sharp, arrow like points. Thornbushes, briers, tobarochas all scratch, cut and hurt people. Fig trees and grapevines grow tasty fruit that guys, gals and kids enjoy eating. Do you want your lives to scratch, cut and hurt other kids or do you want your lives to be accepting, approving and affirming of other kids? If you believe in Jesus, your lives will be good trees.
Luke 6 (226)