Fruit = Maturity

by TerryLema

Christian maturity. I wrote a little about that in yesterday’s post.  Jesus gave us a peak 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.” [v14 NKJV]

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.” [v15 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.”

One of our neighbors planted four fruit trees next to his house, an apple, pear, peach and cherry. I’ve walked by those trees for a few years during my morning worship walk. Every summer they sprouted nice green leaves and a few buds. They looked like fruit trees, but they bore no fruit. This year is different. There are beautiful red apples, green pears, deep red cherries and plump peaches mixed in with the green leaves. They are bearing fruit.

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.

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