Again with the fruit . . .

Jesus does it again. The gospel this Sunday hits us with a story that says we were created to increase the Glory of God. (The fig tree that has failed to bring forth figs in season). The owner gives it one more season to prove itself in the garden . . . or else!

That’s right, our lives are designed to do good things. And in so doing we reflect the goodness of God. It’s as if God were saying to us, “You are my sons and daughters. You’ve got my stuff in you. Go show the world how beautiful I am.”

That’s all very lovely . . “to be pretty for God” we might say. But if we just like the idea and do nothing more, we’ll fail in our life’s mission. Or as Jesus says else- where, we’ll be like the grain of wheat that refuses to die to itself; it remains “just a grain of wheat.” John 12: 24.

Bearing fruit. It’s not an option. It’s a command. It comes with the package called human life. There are a couple rules that are writ into us from the beginning:

• We are “creatures”. Like the billions of other creatures, the cause of our existence is outside us. We didn’t make ourselves.
• We’re different from every other creature on earth in that we can act with reason and freedom.
• These two qualities (r & f), are to be used to bring forth love, goodness, and truth. (These are the qualities the bible calls “The Glory of God”.)
• If we don’t bring goodness forth, we’ll be like a bird that won’t fly or a kangaroo that won’t hop. We miss our purpose. Oh dear.
• God asks of us what he asks of no other creature… to be his sons and daughters.

But what does this fruit look like? Do we have to do great things? Is there something we must do that wins an award or makes us famous?

No. Jesus comments on this in Luke 19: 15-17. To the servant who has tried in small ways to advance God’s kingdom, the master says “Well done! Since you were faithful in small matters, I will put you in charge of even more.”

“Little” is one of the Lord’s favorite words . . . “unless you become as a little child”, “If you have faith as little as a mustard seed . . .”. He even calls us his “little children” John 13: 33.

So what is our “little part” to play? It’s really right there in front of us. Be a good and faithful: husband/father, wife/mother, friend, team mate, priest, nun, teacher, car- penter, plumber, doctor, artist, musician, etc.

“Do this and you are not far from the Kingdom,” Jesus says. (Mark 12: 34)

Simple eh? Yes, simple but not easy. So many things get in the way. I could give you a long list of the things that keep us from bearing the fruit God calls forth from us, but I think they all line up under the blanket of Pride and Selfishness.

This Lent is a time to take a good look at ourselves. To see ourselves as Christ sees us. Little, needful, trying, failing. Remember that fig tree story . . . there’s a fellow who intercedes for that barren tree saying, “leave it for now. I will cultivate it and fertilize it. Maybe it will bear fruit in the future.” Luke 13: 9.

That fellow is Jesus. He wants to be the fruit your life will bear. “Christ as it were appealing through you.”

One little step at a time . . .

Fr. Tim