We continue with the paragraph topic: (Obstacles to virtue) Part 3.
Christ continues his sermon by talking about fruit. He tells us that by their fruit we will know them. He does not tell us what fruit we are looking for, pair, apple, fig, banana, orange, whatever. He simple tells us that we will know them by their fruit. He asks us: "Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?" He is telling us that we should not expect to find fruit that nourishes our bodies from thorns or thistles. They do not grow on that type of plant. He is telling us that we should not expect to gather the good fruit of life from thorns for we cannot eat them. Thorns are not good for our spiritual or physical bodies. We should not expect to find figs on the brier patch bush because they do not grow from the thistles plant. What we should expect to find on thorny and thistle plants are things that are bad for us, things that can harm us, things that will cause us pain.
We will know them by their fruit. Christ tells us that every good tree bears good fruit and every bad tree bears bad fruit. We will know them by their fruit. He says that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. We will know them by their fruit. He is telling us this because he is talking about obstacles to virtue. He has just told us about ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing. We will know them by their fruit. He is telling us this to warns of what our expectations should be when we know them for their fruit. The devil cannot produce good fruit. He can only produce bad fruit. The Holy Spirit cannot produce bad fruit, but only good fruit. So if we are aware of the fruit that is being produced, we can determine if we have a good tree or a bad tree. We can determine whether we should eat, absorb, digest, consume what is being produced.
Christ tells us that every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. What good is it? They are obstacles to virtue. We will find them on the road to life. We will need fruit to nourish ourselves, to strengthen ourselves, to provide for our physical and spiritual needs. We will find bad fruit popping up all over the road to life. They are like weeds, constantly needing to be trimmed, cut back. Look around you in this world. Do you see the good trees? Do you see the bad trees? Do you see the good fruit? Do you see the bad fruit? Which do you gather? Which do you seek to nourish yourself upon? A tree is a tree, is a tree. An apple tree cannot be a fig tree. A pair tree cannot be a banana tree. A pineapple cannot be a mango tree. They are what they are. And a thorn cannot nourish the soul with life, for a thorn meant to cause pain, to destroy, to take life. Obstacles to virtue.
We will know them by their fruit. It is not necessary to put neon lights on it so that all will see. It is only necessary that we know it for what it is, bad fruit from a bad tree. Look not to thorns and thistles for nourishment, but look to the good fruit that sustains us and provides life. Look to the word and the tree that it grows upon. Look to the word. Understand the word. Know the word for yourself, that you may know the good fruit that provides life everlasting. For only through the word will you find the nourishment to sustain life within you. Only through the word will the fruit of life flourish within you that others may eat from the good tree of life.
