God is the Great Farmer. Jesus called Him a "Gardener", and said that He Himself was the "true vine" and that His followers were the "branches" (John 15:1).
In order to produce good fruit, all trees must be pruned. If they are not pruned, needless branches grow taking the strength from the tree so that it does not bear much fruit, and any fruit that does grow is of poor quality.
When we belong to Jesus, we must allow ourselves to be fed, watered and pruned by Him. If we fail in this, we will find ourselves busy with good deeds only, neglecting our source of life, the true Vine. Or we may find our time is being consumed with such 'busy-work' as trying to decide whether God is male or female! If such branches, that is, such activities, are quickly removed, then God can produce within us His fruit of the Spirit, His own good fruit, to bring hope and comfort to those in darkness who have not seen the Light.
God is the Farmer in the parable Jesus told of the sower who went out to sow His seed (Matt.13:1-43). His Holy Spirit sows seeds of conversion within hearts. Hearts are the soil; the seed is the Word of God. The growth of the seed depends on the quality of the soil in which it is planted - the condition of the heart. Jesus said sometimes the heart is hard like a stony path and as soon as the seed is sown, Satan comes and snatches it away like a bird eating it. Some soil is rocky; the seed grows quickly but as soon as troubles come the person allows the seed to die since the root system was in shallow ground. Some seed falls among thistles; it grows for awhile but is "choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures and NEVER MATURES" (Luke 8:14 NIV). Seed planted in the good soil of a ready, willing and obedient heart produces a bountiful crop, and such a person will bring many others into the Kingdom.
The Apostle Paul likened our bodies to "earthen vessels" which hold the life of Jesus within them (2 Cor.4:7-10). Our bodies are weak and mortal, easily crushed, but also easily molded into vessels useful to Him. If we allow good seed to grow in our hearts, we discover it is Jesus Himself who has come to live within us (John 14:23). In the Old Testament, true believers were circumcised; Jesus now circumcises the heart, cutting away anything which ought not to be there.
Paul also compared our bodies to a "temple of the living God" (2 Cor.6:16). As the Israelites moved their tabernacle from place to place in the desert, we too move through society as little temples showing forth His love and power to those around us.
Before leaving the world, Jesus prayed for all those believers who would come after Him. He prayed that "the love you have for Me may be in them and that I myself may be in them" (John 17:26). If Jesus Himself dwells within us when we are born again, we have an awesome responsibility to take Him only to places of which He would approve, and to always speak words pleasing to His ears. As the seeds planted take root and are fed and watered by the Holy Spirit, the tree of life begins to grow - the resurrection life and power of Jesus Himself!
Jesus' prayer "may they be brought to complete unity" is being answered today. As denominational walls crumble throughout the world and believers are doing what Jesus predicted - "worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:23) - the church is becoming as "one flock with one shepherd" (John 10:16). The Holy Spirit is molding the jars of clay into vessels of honour for His Kingdom.
The Jews wait for a Messiah to come as their King, but Jesus came as a King of love to reign in people's hearts. Today He rules only in hearts, but eventually He will rule in a physical sense when "at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow...and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Phil.2:10). This will be the time when the crop which was planted by God Himself will have grown to maturity.
© 1999, Doreen Palmer