At one of the house gatherings which occur after most services at the communions in Lewis and Harris, there were about thirty present. The discussion developed around the fruit to be found in a Christian’s life. One of the old ministers present, who had served the church as a missionary in South Africa, made a tongue in cheek contribution. “Oh,” he said, “when I look at my fruit, I am quite pleased.” Everyone smiled or chuckled, and waited for his next remark, knowing that he was not a vain nor self-righteous man. He continued, “The trouble is, sometimes I reach out to take an orange, and it turns out to be really a lemon.” That provoked a response of mirth.

But what he was humorously pointing out was, that what we sometimes consider fruit, can be just counterfeit or imitation. That they are not the production of the Spirit, but engendered by the flesh. We may be well pleased with them, but really they are produced by self-righteousness. Finding that out does make you feel like a lemon!