“Root Down Fruit Up”

“The surviving remnant of Judah will again take root downward and fruit upward.” Isaiah 37:31

It was one of the most beautiful pine trees I ever saw—thirty feet tall, perfect pyramidal shape, gorgeous dark green—the envy of any yard. And it didn’t stand a chance! A foot of heavy spring snow, thick and dripping with moisture, saturated the loamy soil. The ground devoured the water like cake at a kid’s birthday party. The following two days the wind gusted to fifty miles per hour, ferocious, intense, and unrelenting. The formidable duo of saturated ground and strong westerly winds were too much for the pine tree and sent it toppling to the ground. You see, pine tree roots are known for their breadth more than their depth. And while a deposed pine will leave a signature crater in its wake, it’s still not representative of its height. It is evident at once that the now-exposed roots were shallow.

Shallow roots were a part of a parable that Jesus told in Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23 (found also in Mark 4:1-12 and Luke 8:4-10)—Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. The only seeds that grew and bore fruit were the ones that landed on fertile soil; the other three never produced a single piece of fruit. Jesus then explained the parable (most could not understand what he was talking about). We pick up Jesus’ words in verse 20—The one on whom see was sown on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet that person has no firm root, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.

The point Jesus makes: shallow roots never produce fruit. You may even have beautiful plants (like the pine tree that I was impressed with). But it will never produce fruit! What is true in the agricultural realm is true in the spiritual realm: if you do not have roots, you will never bear spiritual fruit. And the point of your spiritual life, your life with Christ and because of Christ, is to go and bear fruit (a must-read is John 15:1-11). A fruitless Christian life is an oxymoron! The word is literally translated from two Greek words “oxys” meaning sharp or keen, and “moron” which is just like our English—stupid or foolish. Yep, a fruitless Christian is moronic, contrary to a keen sense of what Christ’s design is for His followers.

Life topples over a shallow, fruitless Christian life. It simply cannot withstand anything that pushes against it. In a similar parable in Matthew 7 Jesus said that a foolish person builds their life without a foundation, and when a tiny puff of wind comes up, the whole structure crashes to the ground and “great it its fall!” And the effects are staggering: weak marriages, strained family structures, children without a compass, scrawny church communities, and impotent witnesses to God’s great Kingdom, just to name a few.

No wonder that God, through the OT prophet Isaiah, declares His purposes (37:31)—The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. The root comes before the fruit. It is critical that whole-hearted Christ followers push their roots ever deeper (the kind of roots that most of those obnoxious weeds in my yard seem to grow). Deep roots tap into rich spiritual nourishment. Deep roots find unrestrained supplies of moisture that satisfy even when times feel hot and dry (see Jeremiah 17:7-8). Deep roots provide stability and strength, even in the fiercest of storms.

Once the roots go downward, then we get to see the fruit go upward. Fruit like that found in John 15 (joy, powerful prayer, intimate connection with Christ) and Galatians 5 (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control). We get to experience the fruit of wisdom, godliness, perseverance, maturity, and holy delight. None of this is possible outside of roots that go deep.

I encourage you today to put down roots, deep roots. Seek Jesus with a whole heart. Be deliberate to deny ungodliness and worldly passions that take you away from your connections with Christ. Take charge of your calendar so that life in the spiritual community is a top priority. Don’t allow the worries and cares of life detract from your vitality in Jesus. Remember shallow roots never produce fruit!!

 Blessings on the Journey,

Dewayne