Fruitful Growth

We arrived back from holiday last Friday, and the grass in the garden looked more like a meadow. And all the fruit bushes have been hard at work producing fruit of various sorts. Some has now been harvested and enjoyed. 

But the growth happened without us watching what was going on. A natural process, that had been managed earlier in the year by the gardeners, has been effective. 

It sounds surprisingly like what Jesus described.'“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.' (John 15.1-2)

But I am also aware that this process of becoming more fruitful as followers of Jesus is one which continues relentlessly throughout our lives,as we cooperate with Him. 

St. Paul describes that process of transformation in a wonderful passage, when writing to his difficult friends in Corinth. Having been describing how we can read the Scriptures without seeing what is there, as though our minds are covered with a veil, Paul then says that when we turn in faith and trust to the Lord, that veil is taken away. ' So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.' (2 Corinthians 3.18)

Just as we can all tell if someone has spent some time soaking up the sun - they have either gone pink or look weather-beaten - so when we take time to focus on Jesus, He changes us, and makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

And that means fruitful growth in us and through us.

How astonishing!
Best wishes,

Richard