He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. – John 15:2

Today's Scripture Reading (February 13, 2024): John 15

Jesus mentions the concept of bearing fruit, being fruitful, or not bearing fruit eight times in the opening eight verses of John 15. And if you refer to something that many times in that short of a time span, it might be important. Let me put this in perspective. I wrote a thesis to finish my Master's Degree on "Jesus and Pastoral Care to the LGBTQ Community." You might also know that Jesus never directly mentions homosexuality in the gospels. Part of the problem is that the biblical idea of homosexuality in the ancient world is complex and tied up with idol worship, the superiority of men over women, pedophilia, and even hospitality. My thesis attempted to take apart the complex idea of homosexuality in the Bible to see if Jesus might speak to the component parts.

But the problem with our Christian obsession with homosexuality is this: homosexuality is mentioned a total of seven times in the entire Bible. While it is a significant theme for the contemporary church, it seems to be a minor one in the Bible. In contrast, the idea of people bearing fruit is mentioned eight times in eight verses during Jesus's Last Supper discourse, and yet we don't seem to pay much attention to the concept. And when we do, it is often in the wrong direction. We believe that bearing fruit is about evangelism and the Great Commission. I am not saying it is not there, but maybe, more importantly, it is about being a different person. To paraphrase Myles Goodwyn of the Canadian Rock Band "April Wine," "We can be someone, we can be more than we are." Because Christ is in me, I am different. Because Christ is in you, you are different. There has been a change.

I have an apple tree in my backyard that produces great apples that I love to eat. But there is a change in them over time. They start as white flowers. This year, our tree was covered by these white blossoms, but then these flowers faded away, and this little cherry thing emerged on the tree. The cherry then grows until this beautiful Goodland Apple is left for me to eat. There is a change. As long as the branches remain connected to the tree, this process is repeated over and over again.

Once you genuinely connect yourself to God, a change happens, and you produce fruit. And Paul outlines what that means in his letter to the Galatians. Listen to what he says;

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).

This is who you used to be; this is what we could call our natural state. But when you are connected to God, there is a difference.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25).

This is who you are. This is your identity in Christ. There has been a change, and as a result, we bear spiritual fruit. And then Paul makes one more quick statement about who you used to be. "Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other" (Galatians 5:26). I think some of us have become experts at pushing each other's buttons, and it needs to stop because this is not who we are. We produce fruit—love, joy, peace, patience or forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. If we are connected to God, this is our essential character. No excuses, no "I'm only human," Jesus says if you are linked to the Father, you will bear much fruit. The production of the Fruit of the Spirit is how the world will know that we are his disciples.

Do you know how I think the world knows we are his disciples right now? By the things we stand against. And that shouldn't be. They should know we are His disciples by the fruit prominently displayed in our lives.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: John 16