I wrote a little about Christian maturity in yesterday’s post. Jesus gave us a peek at what constitutes Christian maturity in the Parable of the Seed and Sower. After telling the parable to the crowd, His disciples gathered around privately with Him and asked Him to explain it. You can read the parable in Luke 8:4-15.
Jesus described the seed that fell among the thorns, “Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.” Then He went on, “But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.” [v14-15 NKJV]
In those two sentences Jesus described what we see in the lives of the immature and the mature. The immature are those who are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures. They are those who bear no fruit “to maturity.”
Years ago, a neighbor planted fruit trees next to his house. When I walk by in the spring, I see the buds. Now they are rich with peaches, pears, and apples. After a few initial dormant years, they have born rich fruit every year since.
Jesus told the disciples that when seed falls on good ground it is received, kept, and fruit is brought to maturity. When the spiritual seed of God’s Word falls and takes root in our hearts, we should begin to bear fruit—Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. [Gal 5:22-23]
It’s simple. No fruit = No maturity. Fruit = Maturity.