Inspired

 Whenever I see someone doing something that exceeds their natural ability, it’s a wonder to behold. It’s not so much the act itself but the realization that, for a moment, they were more than the sum of their parts, and they did something beyond their ability or understanding. It’s one of the subtler ways God reminds mankind of His presence in the universe, and for those who take the time to see it for what it is, it’s a humbling experience.

As I read through Jude’s comparisons and metaphors, I can’t help but see the same inspired moment, wherein it’s no longer him writing these things; it’s no longer his amalgam of experiences that has given way to such poetry but something other. Something more.

We’ve all had those moments at some point along our journey where after we say something or do something, we sit back and realize we didn’t know we knew it. At that juncture, we either acknowledge God's unction, presence, and inspiration or pat ourselves on the back for being smarter than we thought we were. There is no third option.

Jude must have known he couldn’t come up with such turns of phrase on his own. He seems like the sort of fellow who understands his limitations and leans heavily on the presence of God to carry him through.

Every metaphor Jude uses denotes lifelessness. Whether a cloud without water, an autumn tree without fruit, or something twice dead and pulled up from the root, he highlights the absence of life in such a stark fashion that it is undeniable. Jude understands there’s no such thing as a little dead or a bit alive. Either you’re dead or alive, and there is no in-between. No, zombies aren’t real, so don’t even bother.

Another aspect of Jude’s metaphors that leaped from the page was regarding the late autumn trees without fruit. Not only were these trees mature enough to be fruit-bearing, they were expected to bear fruit. When they failed to do so, it was something that stood out. If you’ve ever encountered a believer that says they’ve been walking with Jesus for decades, yet their lives do not mirror it but rather testify against them, you know what Jude was referring to.

Something just isn’t right. The inconsistency is troublesome, and the fruit that was supposed to adorn this individual's life is nowhere to be found. I guess you can do what the godless have taken to doing and identify as a good fruit-bearing tree when you’re not, but I don’t think God is into playing word games or indulging perverse fantasies.

If you’ve ever walked through a forest, you will have seen that not all trees are the same. Some are green and vibrant, with leafy branches and stout trunks, while others are dried-out husks, rotting unobserved until they return to the soil from which they sprang up originally. Not everyone who sits in a church pew is a fruit-bearing tree, and not every fruit-bearing tree in the church bears good fruit.

That’s the caveat. That’s the often overlooked detail that causes some believers to bring the viper close to their breast before they realize its intent. Not only must a tree bear fruit, but it must also bear good fruit. The standard has been so abused that we’ve come to celebrate any kind of fruit at all. Bad fruit is better than no fruit; I mean, he just left his wife of thirty years for another woman. It could have been worse; it could have been for a man.

If they had to live up to the biblical standard of leadership, a good majority of current pastors would be disqualified outright. Even the most lauded and celebrated evangelists of our day are on their second or fourth wives, with so many skeletons in their closets you’d think it was Halloween all year round.

A tree can’t just bear any old fruit; it must be good fruit, for that is the sign of a good tree. Jesus said as much when He reminded us that every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. It would have been wisdom heaped upon wisdom enough if He’d stopped there, but Jesus continued His oration and pointed out yet another thing the church ignores, overlooks, and disregards. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. It is an impossibility.

Matthew 7:17-19, “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a 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.”

If everyone insists that someone is anointed of heaven but just has some habitual sin they’re dealing with in their life, then by Christ’s warning, they are not anointed of heaven, no matter how many people insist it is so. They may be entertaining, they may be charming, they may have a way with words, and they dress better than a dapper Dan on his best day, but they are not a good tree!

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit. It is against its nature to do so. If a tree is producing bad fruit, then by definition, it is a bad tree. When we stop defending people over defending what the Word of God says is when things will turn around in the church. When we prioritize God’s instruction over a celebrity, the household of faith will have a chance of returning to righteousness and holiness. Until then, we will continue to excuse bad fruit, insist the tree itself is good, and vilify those who would dare to point out the inconsistency in that logic.

Jesus said that eventually, every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire, and no amount of excuses and obfuscations will change that reality.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.