Jesus and Farming Analogies

Jesus and Farming Analogies

Matthew 7:15-20. Amplified Bible
15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves.
16 You will fully recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?
17 Even so, every healthy (sound) tree bears good fruit worthy of admiration], but the sickly (decaying, worthless) tree bears bad (worthless) fruit.
18 A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration].
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.
20 Therefore, you will fully know them by their fruits.

When farmers (and gardeners) gather today, they talk about what their crops are doing. Did you get the onions in yet? Are your peas up? Is your corn filling out well? How’s the hay coming on?

I am sure that in Jesus’s time, this kind of sharing information and cross-checking went on all the time also. Did you lose any lambs? How are grapes setting? Have you gotten your olives pruned yet?

They watched the flowers on the trees of their fruit crops. They knew whether they had set a lot of fruit or little. They knew that some of the crop would “drop” or have to be pruned off for the health of the crop. Small farmers would know their individual trees, as if they knew a person. What kind of fertilizer and how much worked best. Whether this tree liked hot or cool weather better. They probably knew which tree grew the sweeter apple, which vine was the heavier bearer. They knew which field were most productive for barley, for wheat, for flax or whatever.

Oddly, the very simplicity of the metaphor probably grabbed His listeners. If they finely knew the differences in productivity between different fields, the challenge to know people, teachers, prophets and false prophets would be easier. Look at their fruit! Turn all of that finely honed skill of knowing your crops onto men. Look at their fruit! What kind of disciple are they turning out? Do they love the Lord your God? Do they love their neighbor as themselves?

Look at their fruit! I am sure that Jesus saw the fruit clearly enough.

Update; at the suggestion of my first commentor, I have edited this passage to delete the ungracious use of the word "judge" and its variations.