“And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.” Titus 3:14 NKJV
Reflection: what do you most deeply long to see among the fellow believers in your circles, those that God has put in your path?
The end of a lecture, the conclusion, often contains the most important point that the writer wants to leave the audience with. Through it, one can better understand the deepest longing of the writer. What they are most passionate about. It’s like them saying, “if there is one thing I want you to take away from this, it is …”. The conclusion contains the “parting words”, if you will. So, as we have studied this letter, this lecture, to Titus, we have seen there is so much wisdom to gain. But in today’s focus verse, we see the parting words from Paul, to the believers in Crete. He said “let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.” Titus 3:14 NKJV.
If we dissect this a bit, starting with the end, his main concern for the church members was being “unfruitful”. In other words, the seed planted by the Lord has not produced the fruit expected. And, of course, Paul’s fear is that some might think all is well, but is not, as no fruit is produced. The Lord will eventually remove what is not bearing fruit. “And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”” Luke 13:6-9 ESV.
One thing that is very interesting to notice here, is what sort of fruit Paul is referring to; a bit different than what we see in other places, such as when Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 ESV. Fruit of the Spirit is a result of having the Spirit of the Lord, not something we necessarily can do on our own. But the fruit Paul talks about to Titus was something that could be learned, as he says “learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs”. This is referring to very practical fruit, helping those around us in need, which Jesus also talked about. And, when we look at the fruit of the Spirit, we can easily see the connection, how that produces practical fruit of a helping those in need.
And after thinking about this, I’m wondering if we have the same concern as Paul did for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Longing to see fruit from them, a confirmation that their repentance is genuine; not in word only. In talking with the religious class, who were deeply hypocritical and self serving, Jesus said “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” Matthew 3:8 ESV. They had no repentance, and hence no fruit. But all who are in Jesus, will bear fruit, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 ESV.
If you had to write it down, what would be your parting words to those who God put in your path? What is your deepest longing for them?
