Again This Fruit Thing

Mark 4:1-8 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.And he taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil; and when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 


I want to yield a hundredfold. I don't know about you, but I want to be a fruitful Christian. It is so easy to get excited in the moment and then not to bear fruit. A heart hardened by sin (on the path) just sits on the surface never even sprouting. Rocky soil is a shallow faith which is easily evaporated by the situations of life and can't develop good roots to bear fruit. For me the thorns represent a person who avoids a faith relationship with other Christians. They live in the world without the support or contact with other believers. I want to be the seed that fell on good soil. Good soil is cultivated by the love of God, nourished by good fertilizer like the bread of life, and quenched with adequate water like the river of life. Staying in relationship with Jesus and his church provides all we need to bear good fruit, even a hundredfold.  I want to yield a hundredfold.

It is not for myself that I have this desire. When we bear good fruit and a hundredfold fruit, we become attractive to help others become seeds in good soil. We show others the benefits of that deep relationship with Christ. It was certainly the fruit I saw in others that tilled my soil to receive the seed, and how grateful I am. May others receive the same gift through you and me.