April 24, 2023 – John 15:1-16:15.
Jesus in John 15:1-5 gives us a very clear prescription for how the Christian life is meant to be lived:
“I am the true vine and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine and you are the branches.” (NRSVUE)
This imagery is so vivid, especially as so many of us are working in our yards and gardens after a long winter. Jesus is the vine, and God is the vine grower. In other words, Jesus is the source of all life, the only way we can have life, the only way we can bear fruit is to be connected to the vine.
Of course, being connected to the vine is not something we originate, but is a gift of a loving God. In baptism, each of us has been grafted onto the vine, which is Jesus Christ, and where God now gives us life and sustenance in order to grow fruit. The ultimate goal in our faith lives is to be connected to the vine, to stay connected to the vine and bear as much fruit as possible.
One of the things that is different about a vine as opposed to a tree is that very often the branches of a vine loop around and connect to the vine in numerous places. To use a contemporary term, these are almost like “fruit loops,” when we as a branch want to connect to the vine in as many places as possible. For us, we reconnect the vine whenever we worship, receive Holy Communion, pray, serve, and in many other ways.
If we ever lose connection with the vine, our faith and our fruit-bearing will very quickly wither and die. Life is all about being connected to the vine, which is Jesus.
Another truism about vines and branches is that the branches will only bear the kind of fruit that the vine produces. In other words, branches on an apple tree will never produce cherries. Same with the Christian life. When we are connected to the vine, we will only bear the kind of fruit that he empowers. Because Jesus is love and grace and hope, our fruit will never be hate or judgment or self-righteousness. Because Jesus is grace, our fruit will never be grace-less.
The call today is that we abide in Jesus, as he abides in us. When I was growing up a favorite hymn we sang over and over was entitled “Abide With Me,” If you want to be inspired, check out “Abide with Me," by the Luther College Norseman Choir.
“I need thy presence every passing hour; what but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power? Who like thyself my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.”
Questions for reflection:
- What experience comes to mind in your own life about the vine and branches?
- What are some of the ways that you can connect with the vine, which is Jesus?
- How do we bear fruit in 2023?