When you and I think of “fruit” we probably think about apples, oranges, mangoes –and even tomatoes! But we seldom think of wheat. When we read about “fruit” in the scripture, however, the most common definition of fruit is wheat!  Either wheat of the field or grapes of the vine! In today’s scripture, when John issues a warning to the crowds coming to repent and be baptized, he tells them, they must produce “fruit.” In this metaphor, John is talking about wheat! How do we know? Because the second part of his message has to do with another prominent metaphor of scripture –the threshing floor!

In today’s world, we don’t think much about grain or the way it’s harvested or prepared. Most of us no longer live in an agricultural community, on a farm, or near enough to one to understand the way a …