Fruit Bearers

Prodigal: Look at that young buck!

Me: Yes, he is keeping up with us out here.

Prodigal: Tell us a story as we continue.

This is from the book Voices of the Faithful by Beth Moore

As a missionary, the phrase “harvest” in this verse intrigued me. I began to examine some cross-references of what the Bible calls “harvest” or “season of fruit.” I came to Mark 11:13-14, which tells the story about Jesus cursing a fig tree. The fig tree had a lot of “showy leaves” from a distance, but when Jesus began to look for real fruit, there was none.

In Eastern Europe, there is an abundance of Orthodox churches with gold cupolas and ornate crosses atop. In fact, the casual visitor might think, Why do we need missionaries here? There are plenty of churches with crosses. These are the “showy leaves from a distance”; in reality, there is great spiritual hypocrisy and fruitlessness.

But cursing the tree? Isn’t that a little harsh? Isaiah 5:2,4 says that God expects fruitfulness. Judgement is always the case for worthless fruit. The Lord’s way is personal relationship-building, not personal kingdom-building. It’s a good reminder to examine our own lives and ministry. Are we abiding in Christ to produce real fruit, or are we producing showy leaves?

As a believer, I try to balance what I do for God and my relationship with God. In societies where 1 percent of the population know Christ, it’s easy to get drawn away from a deep walk with God.

In her book Empowered! Claiming the Power of the Holy Spirit, Esther Burroughs writes, “We are humbled when we recognize the working of the Holy Spirit in and through us. When the Spirit chooses us as a vessel to point to Jesus, we become the fruit bearers, no the fruit producers.”

B.B.H, Central and Eastern Europe

When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. Matthew 21:34

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

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