Jesus told people many stories.
It was one of his many ways of trying to reach into the hearts of the
people and give them word-pictures to lead them to great truths. Trying to be like my Master, I wrote a little
story some years ago. If you think it's silly, well, just forgive me and bear
with me. We'll get to the meatier part of this study soon enough.
The
Little Branch
Once
upon a time there was a small branch. This branch was growing out day by day,
feeling stronger and stronger. One early morning in the spring the Little
Branch noticed something kind of funny. There at the end of his branch was
growing a little tiny green leaf. He
wondered where it came from, it didn't look as if someone had glued it on and it
looked like it was growing. He quickly glanced around and to his surprise all
the other branches, old and young, had little green leaves sprouting on them as
well. He was delighted that his first
leaf had sprouted along with the others.
One
of the older and much larger branches encouraged the Little Branch. "You
keep on growing little one and one day your branch will have fruit on it!"
"Fruit?"
the Little Branch asked, "What is fruit?"
"Fruit,
my little friend, is something wonderful. It always looks quite different than
anything else that grows on a tree. Sometimes it's quite round with brilliant
colors. Fruit can come in all shapes and sizes and . . ."
The
Little Branch, interrupted. "What does fruit do?"
"Well,
Little Branch, if you are patient and permit the Vine to feed you, a piece of
fruit can bring pleasure to the sight of those who pass by. The very color is a delight to those who
behold it. And greater still, it can be given to those who need food."
"Food!"
exclaimed the Little Branch. "That would be a very helpful thing to give,
wouldn't it?!"
"Oh
my, yes" said the Old Branch. "To
help someone else is one of the greatest gifts we can give. As you grow you will see that we branches
provide shady places in the hot sun for animals and people. They can relax
beneath us. On top of that, birds will find shelter and rest in us. Little
Branch, you've got a very good life ahead of you. "
Struck
with awe and a new sense of self-confidence, the Little Branch suddenly became
sure that he was a very necessary part of the world.
"Little
Branch," called out the Old Branch, "I need to warn you of something."
"Oh!
" said the Little Branch.
"Yes,
you see, we have a great Gardner. He loves us and takes care of us. In fact,
I'm quite sure He will be delighted to see your new leaf. Sometimes He comes through and cuts off some
branches that are not growing."
"Oh
my!" cried the Little Branch, "That seems awful! Am I in danger of
being cut off?"
"Only,
my dear Little Branch, if you stop being fruitful. If you stop sprouting leaves, you get gray
and brittle. And if you don't produce any fruit at all then He will cut you
off. The good Gardner also knows that He will need to prune you."
"Is
a prune a fruit?"
"Yes,
yes," laughed the Old Branch, "but when the Gardner uses that word it
means to cut off. Sometimes we get extra growth that takes away from the rest
of the leaves and fruit. Then our fruit is small and shriveled. He will cut back the unnecessary parts."
"Oh,
I think I understand."
The
Old Branch spoke gently and firmly to the Little Branch. "Your goal in life is to stay in the
Vine and be as fruitful as you can be as long as you can. Can you do that,
Little Branch?"
"I
can sure try!" And with that he turned all of his energy and focus on to
that one little leaf.
Weeks
and months passed by and the Little Branch grew to maturity. By this time he
was full of leaves tossing in the breeze. He was so proud of how he looked Then he began to see tiny pieces of fruit
beginning to grow. He was thrilled. Fruit! Fruit!
"Won't
the Gardner be so happy to see all the fruit growing on me?" thought the
Little Branch.
Many
happy days followed as the Gardner came by and inspected the vine and the fruit
as they grew. Tenderly handling the leaves, he examined them carefully and
looked to see if there were any problems with the Little Branch. The Gardner
was always delighted with all of the fruitful branches on His Vine.
One
day after a long hot spell, the young, strong branch got a funny idea in his
hot little head. He bent over and began to pull at the base of his branch. He
pulled and pulled and pulled. He twisted, yanked, spun around and tried leaping
off of the Vine. The Little Branch had entertained the idea of loosening its
ties to the Vine for some time. But this
day he started to take action.
The
older branch had not noticed what was happening until he looked down and saw
that the Little Branch was trying to tear itself free.
"What
are you doing?!" cried the Old Branch.
"Oh,
I'm quite strong enough now to make it on my own, Old Branch. Can't you see how
much fruit I have produced in such a short season? My goodness, don't you think
that I should go and start a whole new orchard? I could provide so much for so
many!"
The
Old Branch shook his head, "No, no, young one. You must understand that
the only way you can produce fruit is to stay attached to the Vine. Have you
not noticed the branches just below you?!"
At
this the Little Branch looked down and gasped. There he saw two branches, all
brittle and gray. They had no leaves and no fruit. In fact one of the branches
was almost completely broken off of the Vine.
In
the next moment he could hear the Gardner coming. He quickly straightened up
and watched as the Gardner approached. The Gardner noticed the two dead
branches. To the Little Branch's horror, the Gardner swiftly cut off the two
dead branches. They fell to the ground and the Little Branch was shaken.
As the Gardner
walked away, the Old Branch breathed a heavy sigh. "It's always so sad
when that happens," he said. "Always so sad."
"Did—did
they try to leave the Vine?" the young branch stuttered.
"Yes, one
probably thought she could make it on her own, Maybe the other one just didn't
want to do anything anymore. We may never know. "
"How long
have you been on this Vine?" the young one asked.
"Ah, seventy
or seventy-five years I think."
"Did you
ever try to leave the Vine?"
"Once, when
I was about your age, I was seriously thinking about it. Then I saw a scene
very similar to the one you just witnessed. I resolved to stay on the Vine
because the alternative was so sad and distressing. I can't survive without the Vine. The Vine
gives me everything I need—for life and fruitfulness, for support and
sustenance—everything I need. I have never wanted to leave since. And I hope
that you will come to this same resolve, Little Branch. There is much joy ahead
if you do."
The Little
Branch looked down again at the dead branches on the ground, so lifeless and
still. A new determination welled up within him. Now, because of all that the
Vine and the Gardner had done for him, he resolved in his heart to always stay
rooted in that wonderful Vine.
The End.
Thank
you for indulging me in the telling of that little story. It's really a story born out of wanting to
understand the 15th chapter of the Gospel of John. John was the disciple of Jesus Christ who
lived the longest. Some scholars think he lived to be around eighty years old.
He was most likely somewhere between sixty to eighty years old when he wrote
his account of Jesus Christ. He had a very clear purpose in writing his book.
In his own words found in John 20:31, he said, "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."
There
is a large passage of Scripture in John's book that is completely dedicated to
Jesus' own words. Chapters 14-17 seem to be a compilation of things that Jesus
said to his disciples not long before he was taken to be crucified. Some have
called these chapters the "Farewell Discourse".[i]
In these passages Jesus speaks words of
comfort, prophecy of the end times, the reality that the disciples will face
great opposition and do great works, he explains the way to powerful prayer
lives, and points to the promise of the Holy Spirit.
In
the middle of all of these great words there is this beautiful imagery of Jesus
as the Vine and our Heavenly Father as the Gardner. The image of a vineyard is
one very familiar to John's Jewish readers God as the Gardner and Israel as the
vineyard are prevailing images throughout the Old Testament. And these images would also be accessible to anyone,
Jew and Gentile alike, in the agriculturally oriented culture in which he lived
and ministered. Everywhere you went people would see fields of crops. Many of
those would be grape vineyards where tons of grapes were produced. In ancient
days wine was used as a purifier for water. They did not have vast mechanical
plants where millions of gallons of water could be purified and distributed to
the community. They would draw water from public wells and carry it home. Then
they would take one part wine and put it to ten parts water, thereby killing
any harmful bacteria. So, you can imagine how valuable the grape crops would
be. And you can see how dominant the image of a vineyard, a field of crops, a
vine, a branch and fruit would be.
So
Jesus uses this dominant image to try to help the disciples understand how
important their relationship with God is to their life and spiritual
health.
Read
John 15:1-8.
The
group of dedicated disciples sat around Jesus, absorbing every word their good
Teacher spoke. In the middle of this discourse he moved them to understand who
he is, what he expects of them and how they can achieve what he expects of
them. Just as a branch is attached to a
vine, so also the disciple's lives are attached to him. There is no other vine
that will sustain them as he will—he is the true Vine.
There
is a dynamic principle here. The vine provides the life-giving substance for
the branch. The vine is connected to a
source of power and growth that the branch cannot get to without it. How long
does a rose last that when it is cut from its base? A couple of hours, a couple
of days? So, too, any of us who desire to be like Christ cannot do it unless we
stayed connected with him.
Jesus
makes it very dear that those who have been attracted to Christ and who accept
his his salvation and teachings by faith are washed clean. What a great gift
that is! In some respects it is like a marriage. How can you have a bountiful
married life unless you live together and stay connected and communicating? Or
how can you have a successful career if you do not stay connected to the work
place? How can you pass a class if you do not attend? How can the car keep
running unless you fill it with gas and get the oil changed? How can the vacuum
cleaner work unless you plug it into the electrical outlet? The vine and the
branch are the same principle of "being there"—you have to be there
to be connected.
It's
like the silly Little Branch trying to tear itself off of the vine. It just
doesn't happen that way. A branch is just a branch. Fearsome independence does
not yield growth. You have to stay in the Vine to receive the substance of your
life. Staying in the Vine means things
as simple as daily devotions, Bible reading and prayer, singing and praise to
God, attending services where Jesus Christ is glorified and God is worshipped,
receiving the sacrament of communion, enjoying fellowship with the whole body
of believers. If you aren't enjoying all of the benefits of the Vine you may
just shrivel up! Perhaps you are wondering why your spiritual life is so vacant
and stiff. Are you attached to the Vine? Are you drinking up everything you can
from the Vine? This will be the only way you can thrive.
Getting
your spiritual experience by proxy, through just coming and watching as others
enjoy the benefits of a vital relationship with God, is just a flat, gray
shadow of what it could be! And the outcome is really quite disturbing. Jesus is very clear in his statements
regarding what happens to dry, brittle branches. They get thrown into the fire.
They become refuse, ashes, dust. There is really no use for them. They are the
opposite of the beautiful picture that Jesus painted in Mark 4:30-33 where he talks
about the tiniest mustard seed growing into a great tree where birds can find
shelter.
What
is the substance that the vine provides? Is it just a list of duties to
perform? Go to church. Check. Read your Bible. Check. Take Communion. Check.
No, it's so much more than that. The substance that the Vine gives to the
branch is described in next verses in John.
Read
John 15:9-17
Love
is the substance by which we live and breathe as Little Branches When we first
receive the love of God through the forgiveness of our sins and the renewing of
our minds, then those things the God expects us to do—remaining in the Vine—come
as a response to his great love. It's not all about duty. It's about
remembering where we came from, remembering what God in Christ Jesus has done for
us, recognizing that we get great big bushels of love poured out all over us
even though we don't deserve it.
When
that kind of thing begins to course through your veins, we can't wait to open
the Word again. We look forward to going to church. We long for communion.
Every other word out of our mouth is a word of thanksgiving for all that God
has given us and done for us!
Jesus
described a most incredible kind of love, one where he lays down his life for
his friends. In one breath Jesus elevated the disciples from mere students,
mere servants to friends. The key and the joy of remaining in the love of God, is
the key that kept him on his mission He
took common folk like you and me and pulled them into an intimacy that would
astonish them. He no longer regarded them as his students, nor did he regard
them as servants. No, he looked them in the eye and said, "You are my
friends. Now I'm going to tell you about the key to live a fulfilling life on
earth."
He
lived with us as our example—constantly remaining connected to the Father's
love. He did not give way to the misunderstandings of God that floated all around
him. He didn't have time to give way to them—he was busy receiving directly
from Heaven. He didn't have time to get angry and bitter at God, precisely
because he spent all of his time rejoicing in the reality of Heaven and the
realities of the love of the Father. He
didn't get stuck in a rut of despair or hopelessness because he was constantly
moving toward the source of all joy. He didn't become self-absorbed, because he
was so busy being other-absorbed. This is love and Vine living!
But
love is never an end unto itself. There
is something else that Jesus described—fruit.
The fruit of a godly life is
evidence, hard evidence, of the core of love in a branch. In verse 16 Jesus said," You did not choose me, but I chose you to go
and bear fruit—fruit that will last."
In Galatians 5:22-23 we read what the fruit looks like for one who is
stuck to the vine. This fruit consists
of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control.
There’s
a funny thing about fruit, each variety looks so different, doesn't it? It's
not always exactly the same, but we still know it is fruit. There is evidence that it is fruit—chemically
it is classified as fruit. There is a
particular smell, taste and touch to let us know that these are pieces of
fruit. Each piece of fruit came off of a branch which was attached to a vine.
Not one piece of fruit grew by itself.
Not a one.
It
is the same with our spiritual lives. God will know if we are attached to the
Vine by the evidence he sees in our lives. Are we demonstrating love? Is there
a sense of joy that resides within us no matter what comes our way? Are we
hungry for peace and pursuing it? Are we patient? Are we kind? Are the things
that we do done out of kindness? Are we genuine in our care and affection for
one another? Does God find us faithful when faced with temptations of all
kinds—temptations to old and new sins, temptations to give up, temptations to hate
and not forgive. When we find that we need to correct or rebuke a brother,
sister or our children are we gentle, not getting out of hand in harshness or
severity? Are we able to live lives controlled by the Spirit of God, not by our
own evil desires?
We're
asking a lot of questions. As we ask them let's make sure we understand that
the fruit is an outcome of staying in the Vine. We don't produce fruit and then
hope the Vine is pleased. The Vine is pleased and then produces fruit through
us.
Jesus
concludes this great section of Scripture by saying that if we remain in the
Vine we will be given everything we ask for.
Wow! Did he really say
that? Yes. Because Jesus knew that when the substance of
his love is coursing through our veins, when the little leaves start popping
out and those tiny buds of fruit start to grow, even our requests will be as if
he had asked them.
The
love of the Father was coursing through Jesus’ veins. And his promise is that if we remain attached
to him, that same love will course through our veins. That great substance of love will no longer
have to be a command from a teacher, rabbi or master. Rather, it will be the compelling force, the
breath we breathe, the substance of our lives.
Then, just like the Little Branch and the Old Branch, we will be
resolved to stay in the Vine because we know what fruit is coming and we are
grateful for all that has been done for us and through us.
For this reason
I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth
derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you
with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in
your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in
love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long
and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses
knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who
is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his
power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ
Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians
3:14-21
Copyright
M.R. Hyde 2012
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