How Fruity Are You?

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

Genesis 1:28

Bear Fruit, Subdue, Have Dominion

In Genesis 1:28, God’s very first command is “Be fruitful.” The Hebrew verb parah means just that, “bear fruit.” In the act of Creation, God brought chaos (Genesis 1:2) into cosmos (from the Greek meaning to arrange in an orderly fashion), then instructed us to pro-create, that is, to move forward in creation. One of the ways we bear fruit is through scientific inquiry, and the subsequent naming of those discoveries (See Genesis 2:19-20). Hence we are to subdue the earth, from the Hebrew kavash meaning “use as a footstool” with the subtext “to bring under control.” The ensuing verb “have dominion” is radah. Its meaning is deeper (or better said, higher) than simply to rule over. Its usage elsewhere in the Old Testament (like Ezekiel 34:4) implies descending to the level of creation, walking among it, and lovingly caring for it for its own sake. Thus our dominion is to be like that of the Good Shepherd, who came down in love to subdue His wayward sheep.

Fruit That Will Remain

I am the vine. You are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.

Jesus, John 15:5

In John chapter 15, Jesus uses the fruit metaphor to describe the joyful Christian life. To be fruitful, we must be solidly rooted in good soil, and well-watered. God the Father is the Vinegrower who may need to prune his children from time to time. Jesus is the Vine to whom we must stay connected. The prophet Jeremiah says much the same thing: “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord…. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit” (17:7-8).

Psalm 1 preaches a similar theme: “Happy are those  who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.”

Jesus goes on to proclaim, “It was not you who chose me but I who chose you and appointed you to go bear fruit that will remain.”

A Tree is Known by its Fruit

Every tree is known by its fruit.

Jesus, Luke 6:44

My son and I took a “Tree Identification for Birders” nature walk sponsored by the Audubon Naturalist Society. The guide pointed out different trees, telling us its shape, size, bark, and leaves can help us determine what species we are observing. Any fruit on the tree or the ground below is a key determinate. An apple tree bears apples, an oak bears acorns, a maple bears seeds that flutter to the ground like helicopters. It is important to note that the fruit of a tree is meant to fall to the ground, as it contains seed for future generations.

How Fruity are You?

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.

Galatians 5:24

If we see apples we know it is an apple tree, if acorns, an oak. What kind of fruit should a Christian be bearing? An age-old challenge asks, “If you were arrested for the crime of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” What would that evidence look like?

The Apostle Paul gives a list that compares the works of the flesh (worldly fruit) with the Fruit of the Spirit:

“I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want. … Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” -Galatians 5:16-23

These nine virtues and more should be apparent in every professing Christian. Are you loving? Joyful? Generous? How fruity are you? How fruity am I?

Four Truths of Sowing and Reaping

Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

2 Corinthians 9:6

To extend the metaphor, our fruitfulness should also be planting its seeds for future generations. All the more reason to bear Spiritual fruit, not fleshly fruit. A sermon I once heard pointed out four truths of sowing and reaping:

You reap only if you sow. Jesus references this truth in regard to His coming Passion: “Amen, amen I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies it produces much fruit” (John 12:24). A successful spiritual harvest requires us to die to self.

You reap what you sow. Don’t expect corn if you plant tomatoes. “Make no mistake: God is not mocked, for a person will reap only what he sows” (Galatians 6:7).

You reap well after you sow. This is a lesson in delaying gratification. In fact, you may not even participate in the harvest. “Paul plants, Apollos waters, but God causes the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6)

You reap much more than you sow. Whatever we plant, be it wheat or corn or fruit trees, we reap exponentially more than we sow. Every apple contains four or more seeds, each seed containing the possibility of another tree, each tree representing tens to hundreds of apples a year. Such is God’s miraculous providence!

That Your Joy Might Be Complete

A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.

Luke 6:43-45

In what are you rooted? With what are you being fed? Are you planted near the Living waters? Prune unhealthy and sinful habits from your life. Pray at specific times each day. Read scripture. Go to Mass. Frequently receive the Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Generosity. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control. This is tantalizing fruit indeed. Be rooted. Be fed. Bear fruit that will remain.

“Remain in my love…. I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete” -John 15:9, 11.

May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves. -Psalm 126:5-6