Wednesday, June 27, 2018

“When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” (John 15: 8) 

                Don’t you just love strawberry season this time of year?

                There is just something extra good about local, home-grown strawberries. They have more taste and are sweeter and yummier than the imported strawberries we get the rest of the year. Strawberry shortcake. Strawberries and ice cream.  Strawberries and whip cream. Fresh strawberry jam. Strawberries on my cereal.  Church strawberry socials. The season is all too short.

                My dad loved strawberries. As soon as they hit he market he would start buying quarts of them no matter the price. He would have them three times a day. I am not much different.

                Often, those strawberries which we buy at the grocery store look absolutely fantastic. They are usually very big, plump and luscious looking.  But take one bite and they can be almost tasteless and disappointing.  If you closed your eyes you might not know that it was a strawberry. Whereas, the local berries, maybe smaller, are packed with flavour and taste and a delight to eat.

                Fruitfulness is a big theme in scripture.  Jesus said, “You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act.” (Matthew 7:16 NLT)

                To carry the analogy forward, there are those who say they follow Jesus and act very piously and devoutly, but their inactions speak louder than all their fine sounding words. Better are those who follow Jesus and translate his principles into actions of love, mercy, compassion, hope, justice and helping others. “Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!” (James 1:22, The Message Bible)

                It can be challenging to be fruitful, especially when so much of the culture these days is full of the pesticides of selfish individualism, fear of others, social media criticism, the pressure to conform, spiteful political leadership and so many poor, role models.  

                The one very remarkable thing about Jesus, perhaps above all else, was his refusal to give in to his culture and simply go back to Nazareth and re-open his father’s carpenter’s shop. In light of the criticism and rebuke he received that would have been the easiest thing to do. But Jesus wouldn’t stop caring or helping or speaking up for those who had lost their voices or had no power or who were vindictively ignored or abused by powers both political and religious.

                Jesus’ Vision was to plant the Good News of God’s Love and produce a kingdom people who would abound in an abundance of fruitful lives, actions and deeds. Fruit withers and rots when left on the vine or tree. It needs to be picked (chosen) and to be used for nourishment, to feed others, to benefit ourselves and others.

                 “May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ —for this will bring much glory and praise to God.” (Philippians 1:11, NLT) 

Dale