Before Jesus began His public ministry, John the Baptist announced Jesus’ coming and prepared people for His message. This, of course, generated opposition, and when the Pharisees and Sadducees came out to confront John, he told them to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance…Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”[1]
Since Pharisees and Sadducees were often hypocrites, this is usually interpreted as John telling them to practice good works that flow from an inner righteousness, instead of keeping up a merely external appearance of following God. I agree this is a correct interpretation, but I also think there is more than that to the fruit that John spoke of.
Paul wrote in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Could this also be part of the fruit John wanted his opposition to produce?
Perhaps John was telling the Pharisees and Sadducees that their religion didn’t produce “love, joy, peace”, and the other characteristics listed by Paul. Jesus pointed out the lack of love in the parable of the Good Samaritan, that the religious leaders of His time would rather leave a man dying on the side of the road than break what they saw as legal obligations. But did the Pharisees and others also lack joy and peace? Since they strived to obey God’s law perfectly (but only on the outside) they likely felt constant pressure to live up to God’s perfect standards, instead of peace with their Maker. Their relationships with others, who they saw as inferior to them, were distant and cold at best. “Against these things there is no law,” yet the Pharisees and Sadducees failed to practice them. They not only felt no joy or peace, but they also robbed others of their joy and peace by making them feel unworthy of God’s love. They showed no kindness or patience to others. They were not faithful to God by being gentle with people who were not like them. They did not “bear fruit in keeping with repentance,” as John the Baptist said.
It’s easy to judge the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, since Jesus clearly exposed their inadequacies. However, it’s a difficult challenge to ask ourselves: does our religion bear this fruit for us? Does our practice of Christianity result in not only loving actions toward our neighbors, but also “joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” for ourselves?
Do we experience joy and peace in our relationship with God, or do we feel grief that we can’t live up to His expectations and do we still feel like God is disappointed in us? Do we practice kindness and patience with others? Are we gentle with those enslaved by the brokenness that rules this world? Do we submit ourselves to the control of our God, who tells us to love Him and love our neighbor no matter what?
Fortunately for us, our salvation does not depend on our faithfulness, but on His faithfulness. As 1 John 1:9 says: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We can never come to God too late or too often to ask for forgiveness and restoration. His love for His people is steadfast and His faithfulness is without end or limit. He is always willing to bring us back to the path that yields fruit for the Kingdom. Jesus on the cross purchased for us a way to bear fruit!
Therefore, pray that we can all “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” Fruit that brings us joy and peace, and that brings Him glory.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
[1] Matthew 5:8, 10
