Bearing Fruit

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last" (John 15:16a).

The above Scripture was given to the disciples by Jesus.  Lest we think that this only applies to them consider first the principle:  followers of Jesus will be witnesses (Matthew 28:19-20), ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:17-21), and as James puts it, "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.....As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead" (James 2:18b, 26). 

Recalling my very first employment; I was 8 years old, living on a farm in Central California, 1950 (yes A.D.not B.C.). and wanting to be an adult by having my own job, my parents agreed to let me go and work off the farm. It was cutting apricots, then peaches as the seasons went, for Mr. Folsom. This was a fruit drying business where the fruit is laid out in the sun after cooking in the sulphur house and dried to a chewy consistency.  First job, cut the fruit evenly at the suture and remove the pit, lay the fruit carefully level so the juice of the fruit won't run out making the fruit to dry brittle. Wow! I was paid .10 (ten cents) per tray, I could do about four per hour, a whopping .40 (forty cents) per hour. The fruit we processed are called "culls" the fruit that did not make the grade to be packed and shipped to stores. These were the rejects, overripe, under ripe, "split pits", in other words, objectionable in there present state.  After our processing, the cutting, cooking and drying out in the sun, they became a valuable commodity costing more to purchase at stores than the so-called good fruit.  A great job for a young boy, and great memories.

This story reminds of us, who are often the rejects, the objectionable, under ripe, overripe, who have through the processing power of the Holy Spirit and become valuable.  Jesus spent most of His time with the objectionable, sinners, and tax collectors.  He seemed to avoid the "big city" and concentrated on places like Galilee.  The Galileans were not well accepted by the Judeans, those living in Jerusalem, for they were considered "hicks."  These Galileans even spoke with and accent, sort of like going into the South here in the United States, we heae the words, but don't understand them well.  In fact when Peter was denying His Lord it was his accent that gave him away; "About an hour later another asserted, ' Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean" (Luke 22:59). Galilee was known as "Galilee of the Gentiles" and the people were called, "the people of the land."  Traveling to Galilee one had to either go around by the sea or a shorter trip through Samaria, the most hated people by the Jews. Galilee is located north of Samaria.  All the disciples of Jesus, but one, Judas Iscariot (the betrayer) were Galileans.  Farmers, shepherds, fishermen, not very sophisticated as were the Judeans so they were the rejects of Israel.  These are the chosen ones, who became fruit bearers and changed the world. Jesus did accept the "rich" he did choose a tax collector so all rich or poor can become a disciple of Jesus and be used by Him.

That is Good News for us, we too can be cleaned up, processed, made ready, valuable and used by Him in His work to bring the real Good News of salvation to others.  We may have to go through the cutting process, cooked as in sulphur, and baked in the sun to become valuable and useful but we have the comforter and helper the Holy Spirit with us in the process. While Jesus stands ready to accept us we first must accept Him. He will choose us for His love is greater than anything this world has to offer.  "We know that anyone born of god does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.  We are invited in the gathering, as fruit bearers, not just processed for consumption but process, made ready for useful work, the proclaiming of His Kingdom.

Will you choose to be one who bears good fruit.  Will you take on the responsibility of an ambassador for Christ? Here is the message we proclaim: "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the son of God, God lives in him and he in God.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4: 10, 15).

Daily Prayer:

Thank you Father for choosing my and for Your Son Jesus who is my redeemer and has made atonement for my sins.  You have remade me, a new creation, valuable in Your eyes.  Guide me to become the fruit bearer for others need the fruit of Your Love, salvation.                                   Amen