"On Fruit Bearing"

When you do a load of laundry are you cheering for the clothes?
Do you hope a bath will cleanse you from your head down to your toes?
Are you on the side of what comes loose, or with what will remain?
Do you shake the dirt from weeds to leave the garden much the same?

For you get to pick a side in life, and let the rest fall off;
And you get to treasure what you want, and at the other scoff;
When you prune a tree so it bears fruit, you’re cheering for the tree;
When you’ve gotten twigs to light a fire, it’s dead you wish to see.

In this anecdote Christ teaches his last lesson to the troops;
In three hours or so their paths divide, and He will leave the group;
So He says, “You get to choose – with Me, the vine, hang in for life;
Or be good for lighting fires, all shriveled up and set to light.

“Carried off” as one translator says, or “pruned” we’d say today;
“Lifted up” as anchor on a ship which then will sail away;
In this context (that of feeding fires which burn away the trash),
“Lifting up” as dressing vines now drooping, really doesn’t match.

Even in its current context (just before his friends all flee),
Thinking future-life is best if in the fray I tend to “me”,
I think text supports the pruning-hook, not twist-ties on a fence;
Cheering for the dying Jesus, standing up in His defense.

Then there’s Peter, six hours later standing warm, and feeding fire;
Did Christ Jesus’ words come back just then, “Pick side you most desire –
Are you cheering for the vine of life, or cheering for the twigs?
Pick a side tonight when you run off, as tree bereft of figs.

******

Well, old Peter heard it in the fire, the look, and rooster’s crow;
He left at once, for then he had to choose which was to grow;
He wept, remorseful for his choice, just like us all at times;
Then later on to Jesus said, “I love you; I am thine”.

“Bearing fruit” or “Being kindling”, we have choice – for God supplies
Freedom’s way of choosing life or death, when truth’s before our eyes;
Once we’ve chosen to be fuel for fire, God then obliges us –
He lifts us up to fuel the fire, as He cleans up the muss.

So what’s the point of anecdote of Jesus’ pizza meal?
Why, bearing fruit (or not) – just what we think, or say, or feel –
Do we cheer on the Source of Life? Walk with Him into death?
Or do we opt to barren be, reject the Spirit’s breath?

Lord, thanks for this last teaching ’fore You walked into the night;
Not like the walk of Judas whose despair rejected light;
Lord, as we do our lives out here on Kingdom-layer You wrought,
Please help us turn, and choose the best, when by some fire light caught.

Thanks Lord for this.

navigation