The Giving Tree

John 15:12-17

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is one of my favorite children’s books. It is the story of a tree who constantly gives and the boy who always takes. The boy always wants more and the tree gives of herself until all that is left is a stump. But even as a stump, the Giving Tree continues to give because by then the boy is a tired old man so that all he needs is something to sit on.

 You could say that the Giving Tree bears fruit by giving of herself whether it is leaves, apples, branches or even her stump. As Jesus said in today’s passage, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus was the ultimate Giving Tree.

 Isaiah prophesied about Jesus when he wrote, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” Like the stump of the Giving Tree, this is a great visual. A nation will grow out of the stump of Jesse. Even though it is a stump, fruit will be produced.

 From today’s passage, Eugene Peterson wrote in The Message, “You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, He gives you.”

As a believer in and follower of Christ, we are called to bear fruit. We are called to be a

Giving Tree. In doing so, you may find that you give and give and give while others take and take and take, until you feel like a stump. Either way, whether you are a full grown tree or a stump, you are called to bear fruit.

 We don’t retire from being called to bear fruit. We don’t wait until we have perfected our lives to bear fruit. We don’t hold back from bearing fruit because others are just using us, or because we aren’t appreciated.

Like the Giving Tree, we keep giving and giving, even to the point of becoming a stump. And throughout it all, we give God the glory.

How Do You Measure a Year?

John 15:1-17

 “How do you measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.

In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?

How about love?”

These are the opening lyrics from the song, “Season of Love” from the play Rent. Ultimately, this song is asking how we use our time; our talents; our treasure. How do we find purpose and meaning in our life?

In some ways, these lyrics parallel Jesus’ words in today’s passage. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.”  Jesus is calling us to bear fruit. He is calling us to invest our lives in those around us. And he is asking us how we will measure our fruit.

But life can be long and difficult at times. It is hard to invest in others all the time. People are so frustrating. Jesus gives us a hint of how to be consistent in bearing fruit. “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

To use another metaphor, bearing fruit is not an individual sport. It’s a team sport. A player on a team needs to listen to the coach, do what they say; not just to get playing time, but to be a better player, to help the team win. To produce fruit we must remain in the vine.

To bear fruit doesn’t require you to be a pastor or a missionary. As my pastor says each week, “We are all ministers”. We are ministers not just when we do church activities, but at work, at home, driving in the car, talking to the neighbor or even going through the drive through at McDonalds.

“525,600 minutes!

525,000 journeys to plan.

525,600 minutes.

How can you measure the life of a woman or man?”

That’s a lot of minutes to do something with. What will you do with your minutes this year, or today for that matter? How do you measure a year in your life?

 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2015%3A1-17&version=NIV;TLB

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/John.15.1-John.15.17