Lesson 329: The Fruit of the Vine
Chaplain David Chaltas -- The Old General
I don’t recall when I heard the story or who told it to me. I have taken the liberty of coloring the concept with my own interpretation. The story goes something like this.
Once there lived a farmer who had a beautiful daughter. All the boys in the area wanted to court her. The father was very strict and believed in truth. The boys came around but were discouraged by the father.
After a long talk with his beloved daughter, the old farmer sent word to the five boys in the area who wanted to ‘court’ his daughter to come to the farm on Sunday for dinner. His wife fixed a wonderful meal and afterwards the ‘men folk’ went outside to sit on the porch. The old man eased into his rocking chair, staring out into his newly plowed field.
He talked of how important crops were and that he loved the idea of planting a tiny seed in the ground and watch the wonders of God, as the seed grew into something to nourish the body. He bent over and picked up an old blue tinted jar that was sitting beside his rocker. He opened the lid pulled out a handful of seeds.
“Boys, I understand you want to court my daughter. She can’t make up her mind on who she likes the best so we have agreed to a plan. I am going to give each of you a seed and I want you to plant it during this growing season. The one who brings me back the fruit of the seed will have my permission to come a’courtin’. Boys are we in one accord?” stated the old farmer. All the boys eagerly agreed and were excited because they all were farm boys. They took the seeds home and planted them.
Harvest season came and the old farmer invited the boys back for Sunday dinner. They were told to bring the fruit of the seed back. The first boy brought a monster squash that weighed fifteen pounds. The second boy brought a thirty pound water melon ripened by the sun. The third boy brought in the biggest pumpkin seen in those parts in years. The fourth boy brought in a bushel of tomatoes taken off the vine. The fifth boy, head hanging low on his chest, brought a bucket with nothing growing from it. He was so ashamed, as he tended to it daily but it did not bear fruit.
After dinner, the old man had each of the boys bring the prize and put them on the porch. One by one the boys came and told of how the seed had produced such a marvelous product. Finally the last boy came forward and with tears of shame in his eyes offered up his barren seed. The four boys laughed and made fun of him because he had failed to bring a prize product to the old farmer.
Slowly the old sage rose from his chair, thanked all of the boys for planting the seeds and bringing the fruit of their labor for him to enjoy. He then said he had made a decision. His daughter looked anxiously in his direction.
“Boys, I have chosen the empty pot to be the young man worthy of my daughter,” he stated simply.
The four boys were aghast as to why he was selected and not them. They had brought in wondrous gifts. The old man looked towards his daughter and then the boys.
With a twinkle in his eye, the old farmer said, “You brought me beautiful harvest for sure. Their seeds were sound and put in good soil. But the seeds I gave you were boiled and could not produce anything. The young man with the empty pot is the only one who was honest and brought back the fruit of the vine that I expected to see.”
“You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32. In Matthew 4: 1-20 we find Jesus teaching us about sowing. We know that an honest man will plant his feet on solid ground. We know that we reap what we have sown. We know that honesty is the best policy and the reward might just be the farmer’s daughter. The old general