Jack Fruits, Land Cruisers, & Oil
Jackfruits are native to India and are also grown widely throughout Southeast Asia, some areas of South America, and in semi-tropical parts of Africa. They are said to have tons of health benefits but they’re not readily available in the desert where I grew up, so I had never tasted or seen one before. That is until a ministry outing in Kazembe, Luapula Province, Zambia a few years back.
These fruits look like weapons of delicious mass destruction! First, they are way bigger than you would imagine possible for the trees they are grown in, to be able to hold up! According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the heaviest jackfruit ever recorded weighed in at 42.72 kg (94 lb. 2.9 oz) and was found in Pune, Maharashtra, India, as verified on 23, June 2016. This monster measured (22.5 in) long and had a circumference of (52 in). These things are no joke!
Secondly, they are covered in spikes and just getting them down from the trees can prove tricky because of their size and awkwardness. You can’t just pluck them off the tree with one hand. You have to get some skin in the game and climb the tree, gently hold them as you twist and, be sure to have strong footing so you’re prepared to take their weight! Once the fruit is released from the tree, it is preferable to initiate the buddy system, so you have someone to hand the giant down to.
First of all, jackfruits remind me to pray for BIG fruitfulness to grow from my life, my family and my ministry. And for yours too!
The day I first set eyes on one of these monsters, our family and the team we were traveling with were given a few jackfruits as gifts and they were perfectly ripe, so even before we cut into them, they made our entire bus smell like bubble gum! This was a welcome change because we had been traveling remote roads where filling stations are few and far between, so we had a few twenty-liter jerry cans of diesel tucked away at the back of the van. These particular jerry cans didn’t seal well, so many of us were nauseous from the fumes!
We parked the bus, which I will lovingly refer to here as “Mister Fume-Bastic”, behind a small village church right at the edge of a football pitch and began the process of setting up a stage for the worship team and organizing all the necessary equipment to show the Jesus Film and prepare microphones. While all that was going on, I went back to the bus to grab a bottle of water and found our driver cutting into and dividing the jackfruits for our team. He passed me a piece of fruit, and then a small cup of cooking oil which seemed like a strange combination.
Richard then explained what the oil was for. He showed me which part of the fruit was edible and which was not; and he explained that I’d have this sticky gummy fruit all over my hands without the oil. I needed oil on my hands to get the good fruit for my personal enjoyment and to navigate the bad, without being totally trapped and distracted. I needed oil on my hands to fully enjoy the experience and not get bogged down in the sticky mess of it all. I needed oil on my hands to draw out the sweetness this fruit had to offer. I didn’t realize I needed the oil. And honestly, I didn’t think it made any sense. But I learned quickly that it was a life hack worth knowing. Especially because life itself is a lot like eating a jackfruit.
When people require extra grace and patience...the same grace and patience we ourselves would hope to receive, we need oil. When things don’t fall into place or go according to plan, and we have the choice to grow better or become bitter, we need oil. When life is hard and it feels like we’ve stepped backwards…again, we need oil. Being patient requires oil. Staying the course requires oil.
Oil softens. Oil lubricates. Oil protects. Oil shines! Oil anoints!
In the book of Matthew, Jesus told the story of ten bridesmaids. Five were described as foolish and five were wise. The wise ones brought extra oil for their lamps., just in case the bridegroom was delayed late into the dark night…and he was. When he showed up after midnight, unannounced, the foolish five had to run off and try to buy some oil of their own. They were caught unprepared. They missed the party and were locked out.
I know, I know, I know…a bridesmaids Bible verse doesn’t sound very lion-like but think of it this way: land cruisers are powerful machines that can drive over boulders, through mud and sand, across rivers, and over mountains. They have very powerful engines. They have locking differentials to ensure power and traction. They have a strong stable chassis, they have grippy tires, and they can go, go, go! But without oil to lubricate that powerful engine to keep it from overheating and keep it running clean, they won’t go so far. Even powerful lion land cruisers need oil!
Living in Africa and traveling extensively on distant rural journeys I tried to keep go bags, “bug-out bags” ready to grab and head out to face any situation! Medical supplies, outdoor survival items, camping gear, vehicle repair kit, even MRE’s. I can geek out on stuff like this, and now that I have my EMT Basic license, and worked for a short time as a firefighter, I go BIG with my gear and prep…to an annoying degree!
Oil goes in your spiritual bug-out-bag. It is the preparedness for the surprises of this life. It’s the grace we need every day. And with it, we’re in on the happenings. We’re ready for whatever comes. And with it, we can fully extract the jackfruit bubblegum goodness from these lion lives of ours.
Pack your go-bag. Prepare yourself. Be ready with some oil