The Multi-Fruit Tree

UV 2167/10000 The Multi-fruit Tree
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15 v 5

As long as a person confines himself to “ I”, he can do little or nothing for whatever he does, thinks or says is in vain and will end in naught. He will be like grass that flourished today and is gone in a short while. Everything he does is in vain. He is a barren tree that cannot produce any good fruit. But, when a person re-defines himself as “ I-in-Him”, there is nothing that he cannot do for the very substance of God- Jesus dwells in and with him. Everything he does and experiences, both the good and the bad, the pleasant and the unpleasant, the easy and the difficult, is meaningful, effective and is gain. He becomes a part or branch of an oxygenal banyan tree who can set down roots, develop branches and bear much spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and humility. The sap of God's love rises from Christ-in-us to become the sap ( spiritual attitudes/ attribute of power) that turns into these fruit.

Every tree is not a fruit bearing tree. Every fruit tree does not bear fruit. Every fruit tree does not bear good fruit. Every fruit tree does not bear much good fruit. Every branch of a good fruit tree does not bear fruit equally. When a tree bears fruit and much good fruit, it fulfills the purpose for which it was planted. It satisfies the planter, the gardener, the owner. Fulfilling our individual and collective purpose makes our lives meaningful and fruitful. Jesus is a plan and a plant of the Lord to unite all believers as part of one body or tree. Without Jesus, the manger leader or manager recognizes that he can do nothing that is lasting. The happiness we seek in this world is a perishable process. We can do nothing with true love without Jesus residing in our hearts and we residing in His love. We can do nothing with true joy unless we know that He owns us, cares for us and upholds us. We cannot enjoy holistic peace or shalom. We cannot control our own impatience and will seek instant gratification of our desires and passions. Jesus counsels us through the Holy Spirit and gives us patience. He teaches us kindness and goodness. He models faithfulness to the point of death. He imparts to us the spirit of a servant or the attitude of humility. In the eternal, imperishable process of following Jesus we put to death our own ego, our own flesh and its lusts. We learn and practice self control. The essence or common thread running through all these godly character traits is wisdom- the balance of truth and reality, the balance of virtue and practicality, the balance of the requirements of spirituality with the mundane requirements of continuing to exist on earth.

The paradigm of thought of the manger leader shifts from “ I can do nothing without Christ in me” to the other side of the coin, “ I can do all things, even the difficult and impossible with Jesus in me.” A vine or a branch of tree does not connect off and on with the parent tree but continually. Likewise, we need to remain connected with Jesus all the time, night and day, through the fellowship of the Spirit, prayer, reading, studying and meditating on the Word, fellowship with other believers, worship, witnessing, working as for Christ, doing all things for the glory of God and by His grace. Life according to this uni-verse is a multi-fruit tree to produce different fruit in different months and seasons. We are both co-producers with Christ of these fruit as well as consumers.

Prateep V Philip