Harvesting the Fruit of the Spirit
“ By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23a)
Driving through the countryside, we see the bounty that is Iowa in August. The fields are crowded with huge cornstalks and full rows of fat, rich-looking soybean plants. Community and family gardens are hitting their stride in producing the flavorful vegetables we’ve been waiting for since finishing up last year’s produce.
Throughout the Middle East 2,000 years ago, farming, sheepherding, and fishing were small scale operations, driven by human labor. Grapevines, fruit trees and other food-producing plants were tended by hand, as people were able to feed their families and generate some income by selling the excess.
It’s no wonder that in many of Jesus’ parables and other teachings, he used everyday activities as an illustration, such as how an open heart ready to receive God’s Word is like good soil ready for planting. By speaking in terms people could understand, Jesus was much more effective in sharing his message than the scholarly language used by the temple priests.
As the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the church at Galatia, reiterating the foundational teaching of justification by faith, the free gift of God, he provided reminders and descriptions of the values by which believers should live. The verses that precede the quote above list what he calls “works of the flesh” and include strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, envy, and other bad behaviors. But then we read on, and the contrast makes it obvious how good life is when we exhibit patience, kindness, generosity, and self-control in our dealings with one another.
It doesn’t seem coincidental that Paul uses an expression like “fruit of the Spirit,” as his listeners could easily relate harvesting fruit from the orchard or vineyard to the Spirit producing beneficial qualities among them. After all, the color and lavishness of a good crop is a thing of beauty — and it often smells good, too! To include these spiritual qualities in one’s life would both enrich and beautify it.
This is not to say that it’s easy to consistently make these “fruits” part of our everyday lives. Patience, kindness, and gentleness often seem in short supply as we deal with the harsh realities of life. But it wasn’t any easier for the early Christians, either. As a small minority, they were persecuted, discriminated against and often excluded from their communities. Other congregations weren’t nearby to provide support, and they frequently doubted themselves as newcomers to this radically different faith.
However, from the time of the early Christians, throughout the centuries, the message is the same: we are not alone. Christ is with us, giving us confidence and strength to live according to his teachings, and to witness to the joy of life in him. So as we allow the Spirit to bear fruit in our lives, there will be a richness and abundance in all that we experience.
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers