Trees In God's Orchard of Life (Luke 3:7-20)
Have you ever been to an apple orchard in the Fall to pick your own fruit? It is something my family and I enjoy doing. The orchard has several trees available to us to pick from and enjoy. We pick what we can carry and bring our bounty home where we delight and share it.
When I read Luke 3:7-20 I picture an orchard of people. The prophet John is speaking to a crowd, an orchard, of people who have been living life rooted in beliefs that are wicked, are not in keeping with the truth of God. He calls them out according to what he sees below the surface: a brood of vipers, offspring of evil, they are trees of wickedness producing bad fruit. He puts into a harsh visual context what lies hidden in their hearts and deceives even them. Their lives are rooted in: who they see themselves to be (chosen children of Abraham, elite), in their own works (living for the law), and in pride (seeking self first and foremost). John calls them out and tells them, "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." (vs 8). He is calling out their way of living, letting them know they are rooted in what does not produce good fruit and warns them against the eternal dangers of it. They immediately ask John what they should do, how do they produce this fruit (vs. 10)? John's reply is based on who these people are and the roots (the things, ideas, and longings) that they are attached to. He challenges them to give from what they have been given, don't seek more than what they need, don't take wrongly and accuse unjustly, and to be content with what they have.
Repentance means to change your mind, purpose and actions. John was calling them to change from the inside out, to re-root their hearts. They needed to re-root themselves in the mercy and grace of Christ that is found in repentance. When rooted in Christ we receive an abundant blessing we can share with others, we experience grace which can be poured out into the lives of others, and we are saturated in mercy which allows us to shower it upon others.
Question: When a tree produces fruit who is the fruit for? Does the tree produce it for itself or for others to partake? The answer is simple, a tree produces fruit for the benefit of others. It's main purpose is take from the roots all that it needs to live and thrive and in doing so produce a bounty of fruit for the benefit of others so that they may taste of it and desire it for themselves. As trees of Christ living in the orchard of life, we are to be rooted in Christ and to gather from him all that we need - nothing more and nothing less. We find out contentment and satisfaction in all that we receive from Him. Being rooted in Christ holds us firmly in place, gives us strength, provides for our needs and allows us to grow and produce fruit which we can share with others. We don't do anything to produce the grace and mercy found through repentance, but by rooting ourselves in the purpose of Christ we can lavish in it and thrive. Likewise, others do nothing to produce the fruit in keeping with repentance but they should have the opportunity to benefit from and experience it. We shower grace and mercy (the fruit of repentance) because it has been showered upon us. The fruit is to reflect what is happening unseen in the roots of our lives, the experience of grace and mercy from Christ Jesus in us.
When we, like the crowd of brooding vipers in Luke 3:7, produce fruit that is not of Christ it is bitter and leaves a bad taste in the mouths of those who encounter us. It can cause others to want nothing to do with the faith that we profess. We are trees in God's orchard and we need to be certain that our fruit is a right reflection of Him, allowing others to experience a small taste of what they can have for themselves if they so choose to change their purpose, to re-root their hearts and live in the mercy and grace of Christ Jesus.
As you go through each and every day be sure to take the time to make sure your roots are firmly planted in the truths of God's word. Prune any parts of your life that are producing bad fruit. Ask the Lord to help you to experience daily the mercy and grace found in Christ so that you can be a tree of good fruit that will bless all who come to partake (all who come and encounter you each day).
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