It was a big and mighty tree in the center of the small town.  It had been there forever.  And despite it’s grand size and presence, people walked by it without noticing it as they passed it each day.

That is, until spring time when it began to bloom with fragrant flowers which let them know that it would soon be producing luscious fruit for all to enjoy.  In the spring, people would often comment about how delicious the tree smelled, but would continue walking as they went on their way, giving the tree little to no thought until the next time they passed it.

During the summer months, the tree’s blossoms would give way to the beginning of new fruit.  It started off small and green and unripe – not ready for people to enjoy yet.  But by fall, the tree was full with branches laden with supple fruit which drew people to the tree, to stop and enjoy it’s bounty and offer thanks for the fruit it had supplied.  It was at this time that people were reminded of how great this tree really was.

The tree loved these people.  Even when the people didn’t love it back.  Even when they completely ignored it during their busy days, it would watch as they walked past.  With it’s branches and leaves, it would provide shade and refreshment from the hot summer sun.  But most often, people were in too big a hurry to stop and enjoy it’s haven.

Children were the only ones who seemed to appreciate the tree on a regular basis.  They loved it’s fruit.  They enjoyed it’s shade.  But what brought them the greatest joy was climbing up into it to a magical place of imagination and adventure.  They knew the greatness of the tree.  Life had not yet turned them into the adults who were too busy or too smart or too distracted to see it.

The tree remained patient with the people walking by.  It would drop leaves in the fall to show its love.  It housed birds who sang lovely songs in the spring to remind them of its love.  And still people passed unknowing, unaffected.

The branches of the tree were frustrated.  What more could they do to draw people’s attention to this great tree?  They provided shade and fruit and very rarely was it appreciated.  All that work, and for what?  And so, without consulting the tree itself, they began striving to be the best branches that could produce the most fruit, provide the most shade, and bring the tree the glory it deserved.

They gave a worthy effort.  Worked and worked and worked at being the best.  Grunted and groaned with their ever increasing labor.  Blood, sweat and tears.  But instead of the desired effect of more fruit and shade, the result ended up being competition between the branches.  The desire to bring the tree attention and adoration faded into the background as the focus became to outdo each other.  To outshine the other branches with their noble effort.  Bickering among the branches turned into branches being broken.  Egos prevented the branches from their once common goal.  And not one of them noticed that with all their trying to be the best, to do the best, to look the best, they were no longer producing any fruit.  They were bare of leaves to provide shade and comfort for the people.  They had become a twisted, broken, striving mess of sticks.

And the tree cried.  He knew that their intentions had begun in the right place – to honor their tree and bring it the attention it deserved.  But they had gotten caught up and had forgotten the very most important thing.  They had tried to do it on their own, without their beloved tree.  And they overlooked the most obvious detail.  The tree was the source of their life.  The tree was what produced their fruit and their leaves and their beauty.  They were nothing without it.  They could sweat and work and strive and compare, but without the tree they were just a bunch of dead, lifeless, worthless sticks.

And so the tree gently reminded them.  It took in their brokenness and pride and selfish ambition and drew it in and showed them.  And as the branches looked at themselves and at each other, they saw their brokenness and the futility of what they had been doing.  They did not produce fruit or shade or glory for their tree.  Instead of being productive and constructive, their efforts had become hurtful and damaging.  And people were repelled from the tree because of its ugly branches.

The branches began to cry.  And with those tears came much needed water for those dried out, brittle branches.  The tree invited them to let it put them back together.  The branches could do nothing but jump at such an idea, and the tree began to heal them and they began to help heal each other.  They were again one.  One with each other and one with the tree.  The great and mighty tree.  The one that gave them life.

Soon the tree was producing year round.  It’s blossoms always fragrant.  It’s fruit plentiful and delectable.  It’s leaves were green and full and provided a wonderful canopy of shade.  And the people began to notice.  Not everyone.  There were still those who would walk past with no interest in the tree or its branches.  But those who did stop, lingered.  And they enjoyed.  And they recognized the greatness of the mighty tree.   And the branches sighed a great sigh of relief at having given up the striving for abiding in the tree itself and enjoying the life that it produced through them.

(Based on the analogy found in John 15.  “I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…this is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples…so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete…love each other as I have loved you…)