Jesus likes to speak in metaphors. The images he uses are familiar to his first followers, and to us as well. Last Sunday, we heard Jesus self-identify as a "Good Shepherd," and this week we hear Jesus tell us that he is the "True Vine." Both of these "I am" statements are part of a larger group of metaphors that Jesus uses to identify himself in familiar terms....bread, light, door, life, way, truth.
All of these metaphors are powerful not because they define a thing, but because they point to something else... a relationship with God, with Jesus, and with each other.
Most of you have probably seen or owned a vine before. When you forget or refuse to tend to them; when they are left alone, the vines will grow uncontrollably and result in a big ole tangled mess. Someone needs to keep those things in order! In addition to trimming it back in order to keep it nice and pretty, the vine grower must also cut away lifeless and unproductive branches and prune the branches that are productive so that they will keep producing. At some point, all of the branches need to be cut. Vineyards are long term investments and they need a watchful eye, a careful and committed worker, and lots of patience.
The vineyard worker and the branches need to abide, or remain, committed to the process of producing fruit. This is where the metaphor involves us as branches of the true vine that is Jesus Christ. He is the source of our fruit; He is the reason we produce what we do; He is the true vine. To produce good fruit, that is, to live a life worthy of Christ, to live life abundantly, to make the most out of our relationship with Christ, we must remain in Him. We must stay in place, endure, and hold out for a more abundant life (these phrases come from the Greek root of the word we use for "remain" or "abide"---which is meno). God remains steadfast for us, so we must remain in God. That is our relationship.
If Jesus is our true vine, let's be His true branches.
See you Sunday!
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