Fried Green Tomatoes is another favorite movie of mine.
Slice tomatoes about ¼ inch thick, season with salt and pepper and then coat both sides with cornmeal. In a large skillet, heat enough bacon drippings to coat the bottom of a pan and fry tomatoes until lightly browned on both sides. You’ll think you died and gone to heaven! Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café pg 403
In the recent Facebook post, we made a comparison between the fruit of the Spirit and tomatoes. If you didn’t read that one, you might think it a far stretch, but in truth, it really isn’t. Check out last Saturday's Facebook post for clarification.
In the fruit of the Spirit, tomatoes 1 and 2 would be love and joy. I have to say these are some of my favorite words. As a matter of fact, in my Bible any time I see the word love or heart I draw a heart on top of the word, and when I read the word joy I write joy in my margin. So how about we slice up these 2 tomatoes and see what we can learn?
TOMATO 1 - LOVE
Agape’ love first makes its appearance in the Bible in Song of Solomon. I love this book. It is the best love story you will ever read. It’s a love story between a man and a woman, and it is a picture of how Christ loves the church. So agape’ should be present in Song of Solomon.
“Agape’ love is not emotional love but love that springs from character. God loves us with His character even in the face of our sin.” John 15:12-13, Romans 5:8, 1 John 3:16-17 (Versebyversecommentary.com). When you think of agape, think about this verse, John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
How did Jesus prove His love for you? He died for you on a rugged cross in a humiliating criminal death. That is how far and how wide and how deep our love should be for one another. And 1 John 4:8 says clearly He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. Are you loving the people God puts in your life? Are you loving people with the love Christ has shown you?
And just for the record, the fruit of the Spirit isn’t like the gifts of the Spirit where the Spirit assigns certain gifts to people. The fruit of the Spirit is something all Spirit-filled Christians have. The Spirit gives all of them to believers, so if you aren’t loving like Christ, then you probably aren’t living in the Spirit or you aren’t saved. Spirit-filled Christians can love others regardless of issues, regardless of life choices, regardless of different beliefs. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things – 1 Corinthians 13:7. If you have a hang up about loving someone, better take it to the cross and nail it up because there’s not room for it in the fruit. That kind of thing will be pruned.
Loving people in this sinful, fallen world is hard, and it’s easy to get hurt. That is why it’s important to walk in the Spirit.
TOMATO 2 - JOY!
JOY! Did you know joy has a sound? It’s the only fruit I found to have sound. Shout for joy! Isaiah 49:13, Psalms 5:11. Woohoo! When I think of joy, this is what I want to experience, but this joy is not based on external things. Nooooo.
As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us to count it all joy when you fall into various trials – James 1:2-6. Who wants to endure trials? Nobody. And yet as Christians we are to endure trials with joy. WHY ON EARTH SHOULD WE HAVE JOY IN TRIALS?
Joy is a character quality produced by the Holy Spirit that has a sense of wellbeing knowing that all is well in God’s sovereign purpose in our lives. Versebyversecommentary.com
We can know whatever trial we are going through God is going to handle it. He’s gone ahead of us. He hems us in from the front and back, and whatever trial comes our way has passed through His hands. Nothing can happen to us as His children unless He allows.
Scripture tells us trials will test our faith (another fruit of the Spirit) and will produce patience. Patience enduring a season of testing is called longsuffering.
Let’s look at it another way. If you have hatred in your heart for anyone, you really can’t have joy. The sin of hate, the energy it take to despise someone does not produce joy. You can’t experience the fruit of the Spirit if you are working in the flesh.
Remember the fruit of the Spirit comes from one Vine, and what is dead or non-producing will be pruned or cut off and burned. You either have the fruit, or you are walking in the flesh. Might I recommend slicing up and partaking of the fruit of the Spirit, it’s much sweeter.