Jesus is the true vine
God is the vine grower
He prunes me
Burns me
And invites my growth
God, I am yours
You are mine
Help me bear fruit that is good
I want, I desire
A life well lived in Christ.
Last week the church explored in scripture and sermons Jesus as the Good Shepherd. This week we are offered a reflection on God as vine grower and Jesus as the vine. God in Christ Jesus is the source of living water, He is the bread of heaven that gives life, and He is also the vine and we are His branches.
Our passage today comes in John’s Gospel after Jesus has prophesied his suffering, death and resurrection. He has promised to return and to not leave his followers alone.
Our passage, like the good shepherd passage, is a teaching about what it means to live life abiding in God.
God the vine grower and the gardener. Jesus is the vine and we are branches bearing fruit.
God the vine grower and the gardener. Jesus is the vine and we are branches bearing fruit.
The vine is trimmed from time to time. But this is not the true focus of the passage; this passage is about abiding and remaining. One scholar, Raymond Brown says that this passage is about the disciples and their community remaining connected to Christ. We as families, we as Church communities, we must remain connected to Christ.
We abide in God in Christ Jesus. Unless that is, we are abiding in something else. What is our ultimate concern in life? What is the most important part of our life?
Is it Christ?
Is it Christ’s community?
Is it our connection to one another?
We love to put other things in the place of the vine. We like to think that sex, alcohol, or money, or power, or some other something will work just as well as the True Vine.
The truth is, they don't. We know it too.
It doesn’t mean we don’t keep trying to make these false gods work for us
But false gods are not interested in us. False gods are not interested in our well being, or the wellbeing of our families. The false gods want you to serve them- you give them your money, your time, your energy, your focus...your life. And the false gods take all of this and they consume it with no return on your investment.
Or…are there other things at the center of our life?
Abiding or remaining in Christ is love and it is life in tune with the commandments of God. What do we see as a life well lived? A life abiding in Christ?
The abiding life is one where:
We trust our lives in God, and others come to know Jesus Christ by our life. When they see us, they see the life of Jesus. Nothing is put in the place of God, God is respected in our words, and God is respected in our actions. Life is lived out in an ever flowing experience of worship, prayer and study.
We trust our lives in God, and others come to know Jesus Christ by our life. When they see us, they see the life of Jesus. Nothing is put in the place of God, God is respected in our words, and God is respected in our actions. Life is lived out in an ever flowing experience of worship, prayer and study.
As we abide in God , we abide in our true selves and in the thin space between heaven and our bodies.
Abiding in Christ, means we abide in others-we love others, we love our families, and Jesus says we love our enemies. We treat neighbors with love, just as we experience God's love for us.
When we abide in Christ, we love, honor, and help our parents and family; those in authority are honored, and we meet their just demands.
We as Episcopalians believe that life that abides in Christ is a life that shows forth respect for the life God gives us; we work and pray for peace. Malice, prejudice, and hatred are not born in our hearts; and kindness is shared with all the creatures of God.
Life abiding in Christ is a life where we build up of the family of God. We live lives that are honest, we live lives that are fair in our dealings; we seek justice, freedom, and that all people have what it takes to live life. We speak truth, and do not mislead others by our silence, just as we do not mislead people with our words.
Life abiding in Christ resists temptations like envy, greed, and jealousy; we rejoice in other people's gifts and graces.
Abiding in Christ is accepting our true nature as sinful creatures and then
living in, remaining in, abiding in Christ; being Christ's own forever - as our baptismal liturgy tells us.
Accepting our chosen nature-God has chosen us, Christ has chosen us (despite our devotion to false gods) and abiding in God’s love for us, creates a life where we are able to truly abide with others.
In giving up our desires, we discover the life of abiding in God’s vine; a life that is well lived in Christ.
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