Most fruit does not like to be harvested early. Once picked, many like to be used immediately, although there are a few we can put in cold storage for short periods of time.
Take the raspberry. It is ready to harvest when it separates easily from the plant, and not a day before. Once we pick it, even under ideal conditions, it will only keep for a day or two.
A grape will not continue to mature if picked early. We must let it come to full ripeness before cutting it from the vine. In a cool location, it will keep for several weeks.
Pears give us their best quality if we pick them green and allow them to ripen indoors. After maturity, with refrigeration, they will remain edible for an extended period of time.
The apple, though. When it begins to drop from the tree, it is ready. All the starches inside have begun to turn to sugar, and the flavor is at peak readiness. Then, stored just above freezing, it will keep almost indefinitely.
So, to put all this in perspective, we must allow our fruits to ripen on the vine, tree, or bush, and we must use the mature fruits in a timely manner. Otherwise they are wasted, and we might as well have let them fall to the ground for the wild animals to enjoy.
One other thing: No one would argue that a freshly planted strawberry plant must produce ripe strawberries immediately. Everyone would look to the mature peach tree for the best peaches.
Why, then, do we discount our elderly in our churches? It is when the fruits are left on the vine that we receive the best harvest. Mature fruits are what we need to show to the world. Our fruits are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We are not going to see these fully matured in the new Christian. Rather, it is in the mature Christian that our fruits can be harvested fully ripened and ready to use.
Harvesting Tip #1:
Proverbs 20:29 tells us that the splendor of old men is in their gray hair.
These words tell us that the fruit has had the opportunity to fully ripen, and it is ready to be harvested. Let’s look for gray hair when we seek advice.
Harvesting Tip #2:
Psalm 92:12-14 tells us we will bear fruit in our old age; we will be ever full of sap and green.
The fading color of our hair is not an indication of the end. Rather, we are filled with the flavor of experience that provides benefit to the young. As mature Christians, let’s not hesitate to share our wisdom when asked to do so.
Harvesting Tip #3:
Titus 2:1-3 describes the fruit we can expect to see in mature men and women. They will be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Likewise they will be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine.
What a harvest our churches can reap, if we look to those whose fruit has been allowed to mature on the vine! They can continue to be vibrant parts of our spiritual walk if we welcome them along.
When we are hungry or weak with thirst, it is easy to see the youth with strong muscles and a quick step as our solution. The Word tells us otherwise. The youth gets things done, but the mature fruits of the Spirit are to be found on the mature vine. When we turn to our elders in the church, we will leave satisfied and filled with the sweetness that can only come from the Lord.
We don’t harvest from the young plant. We pick the sweetest fruit from the mature vine.
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