3 We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. 4 We’ve done this since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all God’s people. 5 You have this faith and love because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You previously heard about this hope through the true message, the good news, 6 which has come to you. This message has been bearing fruit and growing among you since the day you heard and truly understood God’s grace, in the same way that it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world.
Reflection
When I was a kid, my father and I planted two apple trees. It was hard work digging in the very rocky soil of west-central PA. But I was so excited about the prospect of enjoying fresh Golden Delicious apples from our very own trees. My neighbors down the street had an apple tree that produced tons of fruit, so I felt certain our trees would do great too.
Except they didn’t. I don’t know how many times I watered these trees, trying my best to care for them. Years and years went by and I didn’t see a single apple. (Of course, just now I googled it and learned it takes some varieties up to 8 years to produce fruit. So maybe I was just being impatient!)
Nonetheless, the point remains….when we plant something like blueberries, raspberries, or apple trees, we expect them to produce fruit. And likewise, the notion of “bearing fruit” appears over and over throughout scripture – over 40 times in the New Testament alone. Clearly Jesus believed that faith ought to produce something of value in our lives and in the world.
The Christian faith is meant to shape us into people who love more like Jesus. The Church’s entire reason for existing is to sow seeds of love, hope, kindness, and forgiveness in the world. It’s important for us, as individuals and the Church, to check in and see how those seeds are growing. Are we producing fruit consistent with what Jesus teaches? As today’s Bible passage makes clear, it’s the fruit – the transformation and change the gospel produces in the world – that really matters. God’s work IN US is never just FOR US – it’s meant to change the world!
by Joe Monahan
For Pondering and Prayer
You may be familiar with the “fruits of the Spirit” passage from Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (CEB) Which of these “fruits” is the biggest struggle for you? Pray today that God will allow you to bear more fruit in this area of your life.
Prayer: Lord, we ask that our faith might bear fruit in the world today. We pray that our lives may reflect the goodness, kindness, joy, and love that the world so desperately needs. We pray this in the name of Jesus, amen.
