Matthew 7:17

French Jerusalem 1998

Ainsi tout arbre bon produit de bons fruits, tandis que l'arbre gâté produit de mauvais fruits.

Que signifie ce verset ?

This verse from Matthew says that good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit, just like how people who are good do good things while those who are evil do bad things. Jesus is speaking here to emphasize the importance of character.

Expliqué aux enfants

Imagine you have two apple trees in your backyard. The first tree gives you yummy apples every year because it's a healthy tree. But if there was another tree that gave you sour or yucky apples, that would mean something isn't right with that tree. Jesus is saying the same thing about people—good people do good things and bad people do bad things.

Contexte historique

This verse comes from the Gospel of Matthew, written by a disciple of Jesus around 80-90 AD. It was intended for Jewish followers and converts to Christianity who needed guidance on distinguishing between true disciples and false teachers based on their actions.

Application pour aujourd'hui

In today’s world, this could apply when choosing friends or leaders in your community. For example, if a leader consistently makes decisions that harm others, it might indicate underlying issues with their character, regardless of how they present themselves publicly.

Thèmes

• character
• fruit of the Spirit
• judgment
• discipleship
• righteousness
• evil

Versets liés

• Matthew 3:10
• Luke 6:43-45
• James 3:12
• John 15:4-5
• Romans 7:4

Questions fréquentes

What does Jesus mean by 'good tree'?

Jesus uses the metaphor of a 'good tree' to describe someone with a righteous character, who consistently produces good actions and outcomes. This emphasizes that true goodness comes from within.

How can I identify a corrupt person?

The verse suggests looking at their fruits or actions. A corrupt person will produce harmful or negative results over time, indicating a lack of genuine righteousness.

Does this mean all my actions must be good?

While the ideal is to strive for goodness in your actions, it's also important to recognize that everyone makes mistakes. The key is to have a consistent pattern of trying to do what’s right based on God's teachings.

How does this relate to making choices about who to follow or trust?

This verse can guide you in choosing leaders and friends by evaluating their actions over time. Consistently good actions suggest a trustworthy character, while negative outcomes indicate caution is needed.