Splinter to Fruit

Why is a pony so quiet? He is a little hoarse. This pun is based on homophones – words that sound alike – horse and hoarse. This recipe is a family secret. I can share it only on a knead-to-know basis. Knead versus need. Where do polar bears vote? The North Poll (instead of Pole!)

Such homophonic puns cannot be translated easily into another language. Such is the case with the Greek New Testament and the English translations.

So far, the Lord Jesus has been talking about splinters (karfos) and load-bearing logs (Luke 6:41–42). Then he talked about a homophone, fruit (karpos). The difference is f versus p.

“A good tree is unable to produce a rotten fruit (karpos), neither can a rotten tree produce a good fruit (karpos). Each tree is known by its fruit. From a thornbush, they can’t pick figs. Neither can they gather a bunch of grapes from a thornbush.” (Luke 6:43–44)

This was common sense theology. If a tree had withered, one would not find a tasty fruit in it. Neither would a person find delicious figs or grapes in a thornbush. Similarly,

“A good person – from the goodness of the treasure of one’s heart – brings good things. The bad person, from evilness, brings evil. That person’s mouth speaks what’s overflowing in his/her heart.” (Luke 6:45)

Jesus taught that one could tell a person’s heart – truthfulness about that person – by his or her speech. If one’s heart were full of goodness, that person’s speech would also be good, such as edifying, upbuilding, quenching dissension, extinguishing gossip, and healing. But if that person’s heart were full of evil, that person’s speech would also be malicious, harming, evil, hurting, painful, full of curses and cusses, and downright ugly. Just as one could tell if a tree was good or bad by tasting its fruit, one could tell if a person was good or bad – or even in a good mood or bad mood – by his or her speech.

I rarely cuss or swear (i.e., say words like hell, damn, etc.). When I swear, Lori asks, “Is everything okay?” She knows that I am upset about something. Our speeches tell people what our hearts are like.

Jesus taught this lesson not to say that they weren’t to speak. Instead, his disciples were to self-examine. If their words were harsh, what was causing them to be harsh? What was bothering them? What was making their fruit sour – to use the analogy?

Similarly, when someone we love says something harsh, let’s give them time and grace and be patient. Something was hurting them. We can ask, “What’s hurting you?” Or be silent and let them vent. God will heal them to bring sweet words again in his time!