“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good.” ~Jesus

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Fruit, Heal, Heart, Jesus, Jesus Sayings, Love, Luke, Luke 6, Luke 6:43-45, Miracle, Sick, Summary

I do not like wormy apples. No one does. It is just not right. The ultimate gross out for sure. I love fresh, juicy apples. So, I must begin with my heart. I want healthy fruit.

• So what is in my heart?
• Do I long for what counts?
• Am I starting with what matters and working from there?

May I have healthy fruit that comes from a pure heart. May my true being spill forth from my heart.

For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, ⁴⁴ for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. ⁴⁵ The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.^[1]

Luke 6:43-45

Our heart is like a treasure chest that stores up either good or evil things. And whatever we store up in our heart will eventually come out of our mouth and show in our behavior.

But how do we store up good things in our heart? And how do we avoid storing up evil things? The answer is simple: by following Jesus and obeying His commands. Jesus said that “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) And His commandments are not burdensome, but they are life-giving and joy-producing. They are summarized in two great commandments: to love God with all our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-40)

When we love God and love others, we are filling our heart with good treasure. We are storing up faith, hope, love, peace, joy, kindness, goodness, gentleness, patience, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) These are the fruits of the Spirit that reflect the character of God and His grace in our lives. And when we have these fruits in our heart, they will naturally flow out of our mouth and show in our actions. We will speak words of truth, encouragement, wisdom, and blessing. We will do deeds of justice, mercy, generosity, and service.

On the other hand, when we do not love God and love others, we are filling our heart with evil treasure. We are storing up unbelief, despair, hatred, strife, sorrow, cruelty, wickedness, harshness, impatience, and self-indulgence. These are the works of the flesh that reflect the corruption of sin and its power over us. And when we have these works in our heart, they will also flow out of our mouth and show in our actions. We will speak words of lies, discouragement, foolishness, and cursing. We will do deeds of injustice, oppression, greed, and selfishness.

Therefore, let us examine our hearts and see what kind of treasure we have stored up. Let us ask God to search us, know us, and reveal any evil thing in us. And let us repent of any sin that has polluted our heart and ask God to forgive us and cleanse us. And let us also ask God to fill us with His Holy Spirit and enable us to love Him and love others as He has loved us. And let us remember that “out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 6:43–45.