Apple Pie and Wine

I must confess, I prefer fruit products rather than raw fruit. Given a choice between an apple and some grapes and wine and apple pie, I would choose the latter.  😀. But I do try to eat raw fruit too.

So here are my favorites:

• Grapes
• Pineapples
• Apples
• Oranges
• Bananas

It’s often said that because we have so much processed sweet food nowadays, raw fruit has lost its attraction to some extent. I think that chopping fruit up and turning it into a fruit salad makes it a bit more appetizing for me.

Spiritually, fruit looms large in key parts of the Bible. In Genesis, we see all kinds of fruit-bearing trees, including the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life represents not only quantity (living forever) but quality of life. The fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil was forbidden. It represents people thinking that they should disregard God and choose for themselves. And because Adam and Eve did just that, they were forbidden the fruit from the tree of life. But there was a way back – the promise of a Saviour.

When we get to the New Testament, fruit is often used as an illustration of how our characters can change by abiding in Christ and in the Holy Spirit.

John 15:5
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Gal 5:19-23
¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control.

And then, in the very last chapter of the Bible, fruit is mentioned once again, this time representing God’s eternal provision for those who responded to his invitation:

Rev 22:1-3
22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. ³ No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him