First Discourse in Matthew: A Tree & its Fruit

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits. ~ Matthew 7:15-20
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. ~ The Apostle Paul, Galatians


 Management is doing the right thing. Leadership is doing the right things. ~ Peter Drucker
Servant leadership is more than a concept, it is a fact. Any great leader, by which I also mean an ethical leader of any group, will see him or herself as a servant of that group and will act accordingly. ~ M. Scott Peck


Are we called to bear good fruit? Certainly.

 But Jesus is being very particular here.

 False prophets - bad leaders - abounded in Jesus' day. Between the Roman occupiers who pillaged and led with violence; the Temple leaders who focused so much on the law and their own power, that they forgot God's call of love; and the false "messiahs" who presented cheap and easy ways to get rid of the Romans. there was a lot of be wary of in first century leadership.

 Later on, the Apostle Paul will be specific in what good fruits were.

 Jesus himself was a leader who bore these qualities and who demonstrated constantly what true servant leadership was.

 Yet over and over as we read the news today, our leaders seem more like those Romans or Temple priests. Or they offer easy answers like the false messiahs.

 It might seem hopeless at times that we find the leader that Jesus presents.

 But that doesn't mean we can't hold our leaders accountable for this kind of leadership. To expect it and ask for it over and over again.

 And then also ask ourselves, where and who do we lead?

 And how shall we lead them?
Meditation: What kind of leader are you looking for?

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