The Fruit of the Spirit's Not a Coconut

 DISCLAIMER: I have no intention of sparking a debate, pounding my stake into the ground, or leveling any kind of disdain on other people. I am under no delusion that my writing will change anyone's mind. I write what is on my heart; I always have. All I ask is that you see my heart. If you need a refresher on some of my terminology, you can go here.

    My son, Mr. M, has gone to Bible camp the last couple of summers. My nostalgic heart beats a new tune when he comes home singing camp classics like, 'Pharaoh, Pharaoh...," "Father Abraham," "King Jesus is All," and "I am a C, I am a C-H-." I am also smiling right now because I know for a fact that anyone who attended Lakeside Camp or Trout Lake Camp with me during childhood now has them running through their head, too. You're welcome. 

    This last year, Mr. M came home singing a song I hadn't heard but maybe a handful of times. It goes, 

                The Fruit of the Spirit's not a coconut,
                The Fruit of the Spirit's not a coconut,
                If you want to be a coconut,
                You might as well hear it:
                You can't be a Fruit of the Spirit

               Cause the fruit is
               Love, joy, peace, patience
               Kindness, goodness, faithfulness
               Gentleness and self-contro-o-o-l
               Love, joy, peace, patience
               Kindness, goodness, faithfulness
               Gentleness and self-contro-o-o-l

Very catchy. If you wish to hear the entire song, you can go here. For many months now, the Fruits of the Spirit have been on my mind and my heart. 

    Here's the thing: the Bible is not a random collection of verses. There is context for what is being said. I admit I have been one of those people who have selected the random verse from the New Testament that I think fits what I want to say and have thrown it in for flavor. That is, until seminary. My first class was Hermeneutics. My professor is a member of the Bible Translation Committee. As in he is one of the people who double-checks the English translation of the Bible to make sure it is in line with the original Greek. I mean...I can't even...yeah. Anyway, this professor, who edited the Bible I quote in his class, really impressed upon us that proof-texting (finding something in the Bible which fits my argument, instead of reading the Bible and understanding its argument) ignores the original context and genre of the text. That verse about where two or three are gathered in my name, there I will be? It isn't about prayer AT. ALL. It's about confronting another Christ-follower with his/her sins in a process known as church discipline. So, in summary, context is key, even when reading the Bible.

    In the gospel of John, chapter 15, Jesus is teaching about himself. Why is he teaching about himself? Well, at this point in the story of Jesus, he has not yet been crucified, died, buried, and risen from the dead. At this point in the story of Jesus, he is a Jewish rabbi (teacher) who teaches about the kingdom of God, has done some pretty cool miracles, healed a bunch of people from lifelong afflictions (including death), and has royally pissed off the religious leaders of the day. Jesus's reality of being fully God and fully human was just as baffling  and confusing then, as it is today. His disciples, people who literally follow him around day after day listening to his teaching and witnessing his ministry, haven't fully landed on who and what they really think Jesus is. Knowing all of this (he is God, after all), Jesus regularly teaches about himself. 

    The passage begins, "'I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful...Remain in my, and I will 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. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing...This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (John 15:1-2, 4-5, 8) 

    In this passage, fruit is both fruit and not fruit. No, I have not gone bananas. Jesus is making a comparison between a grape vine and himself. Grape vines are extensive and intricate, but also really simple. If you want a grape vine to produce grapes, the shoots must remain connected to the main vine. Cut off a cluster of grapes and it will no longer grow. You've removed the grape from its lifeblood. Likewise, for followers of Jesus, Jesus Christ is the main vine. Christ-followers are the shoots off of that vine. In order to become more like Jesus every day, to love as he loved, and live as he lived, it is essential that the Christ-follower remain connected to the main vine. Connected to the main vine includes prayer, study of scripture, community and fellowship with other Christ-followers, and allowing the Holy Spirit to direct their actions and interactions. That was a lot of words, I know. My professors have been telling me I write too much for three years, now. The TLDR of all this: when someone calls themselves a Christ-follower, there should be something different about them. A Christ-follower who is connected to the main vine of Jesus Christ will be different. Different how? Bring on the fruit salad.

    In the book of Acts, approximately ten days after Jesus ascended back up into Heaven there was an event known as Pentecost. Following his resurrection, Jesus hung around for 40 more days, appearing to hundreds of people (the resurrection is, in fact, one of the most historically verified events...ever...). After 40 days, Jesus was taken up into Heaven. I'm not sure exactly what it looked like, but I can imagine that it was just as memorable as a dead guy up walking around eating fish with his friends. Jesus promised that, when he left to return to Heaven, he would be sending someone in his place, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came on Pentecost, and...I'll let Luke tell it: "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest of each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them." (Acts 2:1-4) Say what you will about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, but these guys know how to make an entrance!

    When a follower of Jesus has a living and active relationship with God the Father and Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit is working in their life, they will bear fruit. As entertaining as it would be to watch people walk around with bananas and grapefruits hanging off them, we're talking about the metaphorical fruit. Another interesting guy, the apostle, Paul, wrote 13 letters which are a part of the modern Bible. Imagine getting a letter like that? It would have been written on papyrus that would roll up like a scroll. Paul wrote in Greek, and the Greek of Bible times obviously did not go to Kindergarten. There are zero capital letters and zero punctuation. If they ran out of room, the either smushed in the word or wrote it vertically down the margin. No finger space, nothing. My English teacher readers are probably breaking out into hives right now. Nevertheless, back to Paul. Paul wrote a letter to the church in Galatia, a city in Asia Minor (present day Turkey). In this letter, Paul writes, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want." (Gal. 5:16-17)

    Among his many talents, the Holy Spirit guides and convicts. Look, every human being has an innate sense of right and wrong. In fact, C.S. Lewis, in his fantastic book Mere Christianity, contends that the natural-born, innate sense of right and wrong is actually proof of the divine. If the Holy Spirit is active in your life, your sense of right and wrong becomes much clearer....and louder in your head. When the Holy Spirit is active in the life of a Christ-follower, their lives will show evidence of the Fruits of the Spirit. What are the Fruits of the Spirit? Not a coconut. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, forbearance (putting up with others, especially when you are under great stress and trial), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control...Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." (Gal. 5:22-26)

    In the book of Matthew, Jesus gives a long sermon, called the Sermon on the Mount. He addresses many things in this sermon: behavior, character, murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, justice, love, generosity, prayer, fasting, worry, judging others, seeking God, false prophets, and false disciples. In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus says this:

                "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly
                they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick
                grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears 
                good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and 
                a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is 
                cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."

    For many, many months now, I have witnessed the hatred, bitterness, anger, vitriol, hostility, and downright cruelty that United States-ians (we aren't the only country in America, therefore, we aren't the only Americans) have thrown at one another. My heart has been broken and grieved as I have witnessed people who claim to follow Christ being anything but Christlike. 

    I'm going to be bold and probably ruffle a few feathers. That's cool. "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

    Ergo, let me be crystal clear: if, at any point in the last year, you have suggested that only one political party is God's party and one candidate is God's candidate...that is not Christlike. If you have cheered on the destruction of property or vandalism in the name of politics...that is not Christlike. Righteous indignation and "patriotism" that celebrates the rounding up, convicting, and deportations of scores of individuals, regardless of how they came into this country...that is not Christlike. If your attitude toward the poor, immigrant, refugee, asylum seeker, or foreigner includes phrases such as: "They should have come here the right way..." "They just want our money." "I don't pay taxes so freeloaders can mooch off our system." "[racial or cultural group] are lazy and don't want to work." I beg of you, spend 20 minutes with a family who has come to the USA as refugees. Spend 20 minutes with a family living below the poverty line. Spend 20 minutes with the homeless and disadvantaged. Spend 20 minutes with the working poor, or single parent. If the story behind the status is of less importance than your anger...that is not Christlike. If you have viewed members of a different political party with disgust and hatred...that isn't Christlike. If you have made a determination about a person's character or values based on them being different than your's...that isn't Christlike. If your guns matter more to you than the health and safety of individuals you have never and will never meet...that isn't Christlike. If you are going to come after me with select verses about giving to Caesar what is Caesar's and submitting to the leaders of our country because they are there by God's design, save your fingers the workout. God is sovereign and God is omnipotent. But, God also sometimes gives his people what they are asking for, even if it is completely opposite of what is good for them. Yes, you read that right. Sometimes God allows things to happen in order to show his people exactly what they are asking for, and usually, why it isn't what God's best for them is.

    I do not and will not determine where anyone is spiritually or who may or may not claim Jesus as Lord and their sincerity. Your spiritual life is between you and God. Faith is between you and God. Galatians 5:19-21 says:

            "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
            idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambitions
            factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you as I did before,
            that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

   Look, when a person shows you who and what they are, believe them. 

    You will know them by their fruit.