Fruit, Part 1

The two plum trees in our front yard were only saplings when we planted them but now they're nearly ten feet tall, and have blossomed, so we may have some fruit this summer. There's a deep satisfaction in seeing fruit on a tree I've watched over. But how much deeper is
the satisfaction our Father feels? Since he invented the whole universe, including fruit, I have a feeling he likes watching his creation produce fruit as he designed it to. Oh, and wouldn't that include the kind of spiritual fruit he wants to grow in us, too? Well, then: how do we go about it? What's our part, and which is his part?


If I wanted to have fruit in my kitchen instead of outside, I might cut one of the branches off the tree and take it into my kitchen. But that branch would die from lack of nourishment, and never bear any fruit. If I wanted to have the fruit come a month early, I could go out and yell at the tree and tell it to hurry -- but it would go right on growing fruit slowly, just in the natural way. The best I can do to encourage the tree to bear lots of fruit is make sure the tree has water and fertilizer, and protect it from damage. The branches have to stay on the tree, and the process can't be rushed.

The same is true spiritually. Jesus tells us in John 15 that "Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing."  He also says "When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father." Jesus doesn't yell at us and tell us to hurry up. He knows that fruit takes time. And the spiritual fruit that we see in our lives is not ours, it's from the life of Jesus flowing in us, nourishing us like the sap of the tree in its branches. It is his joy, his love, his peace, his patience, his wisdom, his insight, his words of comfort and help for the afflicted; and it is visible on the twigs of our lives, as we live in a way that is "attached to the vine" to use Jesus' analogy. So he tells us, "remain in me." The Greek word is also used to describe the Holy Spirit "remaining" on Jesus at his baptism. We "remain" in Jesus just as Jesus faithfully "remains" in us.

There are many ways to stay attached to Jesus. We've looked at some of those, and will again a different day. The Holy Spirit, of course, is the agent for our relationship with him. We'll look at that aspect another time. But for today, let me suggest we both put our efforts into "remaining" intimately with the Vine, so he can produce some fruit worthy of the Father's delight!