This embroidery piece was one of the first I’ve done. The main motif is a branch of cherry tree, with the blossoms embroidered as French knots. Surrounding the cherry tree are unnamed yellow flower vines that I’d like to think are buttercups. I may or may not be partial to buttercups.
“Every good tree produces good fruit, but the rotten tree produces bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 7:17-19 TLV)
In this verse, Jesus is teaching in His sermon on the mount. He speaks here of false prophets. How are we to tell if a prophet is false or not? When we analyze what they say they are versus what they actually do, we can determine if they’re legitimate or not. Jesus likens this to trees. If you see a tree that is clearly a cherry tree in bark and leaf, but produces peaches, then this is a false cherry tree! What this tree could be in actuality is a mystery.
What’s worse and is a definite sign of a false prophet would be a cherry-lookalike that produces bad fruit. The condition of the fruit of a tree reveals the true nature of the tree. Thus Jesus says, a good tree cannot produce bad fruit, as the tree is healthy and would pass that state to its produce. A bad tree cannot support healthy fruit and would only produce fruit not fit for consumption.
This embroidery is of a cherry tree in blossom. The way fruit trees work, the blossom becomes the fruit. There is no fruit if the blossom hasn’t been pollinated. We have no fruit in Christ if we are not pollinated with His word. An unhealthy tree will also not make blossoms, as it cannot produce any fruit coming from the blossoms. Therefore, a blossoming tree is sign of a tree that will produce fruit. Therefore, we should blossom in our own lives to evidence the fruits of the Spirit.