Dear Friends,
As we continue our Lenten journey, the vestiges of winter remain. The closer we get to the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus the more the evidence of spring is all around us. Flowers are beginning to bloom, the air is warming, and trees are starting to bud. It is amazing to see how God brings the earth back to life. What is extremely fascinating to me is how fruit grows on trees, especially citrus trees. As a college student at Concordia New York I had the opportunity to come to Florida with the tour choir. We would stay in host homes, and I will never forget the gracious host that allowed us to pick grapefruits from her backyard. When we moved to Florida I imagined that we would have a grove of citrus trees. In fact, I thought all Floridians had citrus trees. I learned very quickly how unrealistic that was! It takes work to grow a citrus tree.
Several years ago we bought a small lime tree. What really attracted us to make this purchase was the tree had several small limes on it. The limes grew nicely, and we felt like farmers. The next year, about this time, the tree had little buds that eventually became pretty little flowers. As those flowers faded small pea-sized fruit began to grow, and over the next weeks and months they continued to grow larger until, once again, we harvested our limes. Having grown up in the North, citrus trees always seemed like something very special. The ability to pick fresh fruit from the tree was hard to imagine. Watching fruit grow brings great joy, especially at harvest time.
In
John 15
we have this beautiful picture of the Vine and its branches. Jesus Himself is the Vine, and His followers are the branches. If a branch is separated from the Vine it is no longer useful. Likewise, a fruitless branch indicates that something has gone wrong. Jesus says,
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”
(Jn 15:5–6) Jesus says that the only way we can bear fruit is by abiding in Him. He is the caregiver who tends the plant through His Holy Spirit, nourishing us on Word and Sacrament. When we avoid using these nutrients of our faith, we begin to produce less and less fruit, until one day, we wake up, and find that our faith is fruitless. Jesus says the fruitless branch is thrown into the fire and burned. Yikes!
It doesn’t have to be that way, does it! In John 15 Jesus says some very interesting things. In fact, He actually repeats Himself several times. Certainly He repeats the theme of abiding in Him several times. However, in verse 7 Jesus says,
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
That sounds like an open invitation. Then in verse 16 Jesus says again,
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”
As you are abiding in Jesus, what is it you would ask the Father to do for you? Don’t miss the first part of this verse—one of my personal favorites. What a powerful reminder for each one of us that we have been chosen by Jesus, in His grace, but with purpose. That purpose is to bear fruit—fruit that will last!
When I was raising the little lime tree I didn’t have to tell it to bear fruit. It was designed for that very purpose. In the same way, you and I were designed to bear fruit. In the waters of Holy Baptism, your ability to bear fruit was renewed as God cleansed you of sin, and placed His own indelible mark on you to make you His own, designed to bear fruit. Paul reminds us,
“We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus to for good works (to bear fruit), which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
This is our purpose, and if Spring can remind us of anything, especially as we approach Easter, it should remind us that we are reborn to bear fruit for Jesus!
Every day we each encounter many people who have no faith life, who have not the hope of salvation and eternal life. We have neighbors, we have friends, we have relatives, who aren’t connected to Jesus. It’s easy to feel that someone else should take care of them, or even that these individuals have personal choice or responsibility. The truth is, God is calling each of us, especially those who perhaps are noticing the decline in worship services; who understand there are fewer pastors available; that many who are serving in ministry are barely surviving; who are beginning to recognize that we are living in a post-Christendom society where unchurched or de-churched people fail to recognize any authority of the church, nor do they give it credence; God is calling us to make a difference and connect people to Jesus. We have become the church of Eleanor Rigby that the Beatles sang about. It is more than simply gathering for worship on Sundays—it’s a lifestyle of discipleship. Look at all the lonely people—they’re all around us, and we have something, or rather Someone, to offer them! His name is Jesus! He is the true Vine!
I heard one of our pastors preach recently and he challenged his congregation saying something like, “What would happen if 100% of God’s people used their gifts to reach people for the Gospel?” Each of us have been gifted to bear fruit. Certainly we all bear different fruit according to our gifts, but what if we discovered and used those gifts for the glory of Jesus? What if we saw Jesus blessing His church through people like you and me? I can only imagine what that kind of Easter celebration would be like. How easy it is for us to get caught up with the affairs of the world around us which distract us from living out our faith. How easily we fall prey to the temptations of this world, thrust before us by the evil one. Peter reminds us,
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
In the power of God’s Spirit we can resist, and that same Spirit enables us to bear fruit for Jesus in the world as a result of abiding in Jesus!
Imagine the impact we could have if each of our five regions of the district committed to raising up two new ministry starts each year for the next five years. It may be an early learning center, or it may be an ice-cream shop! What are ways that you can reach into your community to connect people to Jesus? Spring is a great time to talk about bearing fruit for Jesus!
Twice in this chapter Jesus gives a command. In fact, along with the command in John 13 I believe this is the only time Jesus actually says “This is my commandment…” Only three times. He never commands us not to sin; He never commands us to worship; He never commands us to give. His only command is to love—one of the fruits of the Spirit that Paul shares in Galatians 5. Do you think Jesus knew that if we operated in love we would bear fruit that would keep us from so readily sinning; that love would cause us to worship Him; that love would enable us to give freely? Of course He knew this—it’s why He commanded it THREE times! Love is the root of the fruit, and it lasts!
In just a few short weeks, on April Fools Day, we will celebrate God’s greatest joke on the devil—the Resurrection of Jesus. What a great reminder of the length our God would go to redeem us, and nourish us so that we might bear fruit for Him. Spring time is a great time to remember to bear fruit for Jesus! He has chosen you! Now how will you bear the fruit He desires to display in your life so that many are connected to Jesus?
Your partner in fruit-bearing for Jesus,
