Stopping the Spread of Sin

“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. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also 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.” - John 15: 1-4 ESV

I first noticed a few of my tomato leaves in my garden were turning yellow, then slowly more and more of them began to turn shades of yellow and eventually brown. 

Research revealed that this was due to blight, which, if left untreated, can spread and ruin all of the leaves, prevent photosynthesis and eventually damage the tomatoes and ultimately kill the plant. I was able to prune out the infected leaves and use organic methods to help keep the blight from taking over, however, now that the fungus is present, it requires frequent attention to ensure that the plant remains healthy. 

Part of why I enjoy gardening so much is because I’m regularly reminded of Jesus’ teachings while I’m working the soil, since many of his sermons had agrarian themes. 

In John 15, Jesus says that every branch that doesn’t bear fruit will be cut off. In Matthew 7, he even says that every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. My tomatoes demonstrated just how quickly a little disease can take root, choke out all that is good and overtake an entire plant. In what ways does a little bit of sin (jealousy, pride, gossip, hatred, fear, etc.) take over our lives? If it begins to settle in and become a habit, we must be more proactive in rooting out. The best way to do this is by staying attached to the True Vine to ensure we produce good fruit.