He is the Vine

“I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more…In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing.” (John 15:1-2,4b-5 The Message, underlined mine) 

My granddaddy grew up in the MidWest and loved to keep a garden. I am a MidWest transplant and also love to garden. Occasionally, I call my granddaddy for gardening advice. A couple of years ago, he told me that I should add Concord grapes to our assortment of fruits and veggies that we grow. He said they love the MidWest and are incredibly flavorful compared to the grapes he is able to grow at his current home in Florida. 

I am not a grape expert by any means, but I know that if a branch isn’t attached to the vine, it isn’t going to be producing any delicious grapes. Any branches that have fallen off get cleared up in the spring and tossed in our brush pile to burn on the next favorable day. 

We prune grape vines in order to maximize fruit yield. If you don’t prune a grape vine, you get lots of shoots in many directions. The main vine will put energy into growing all of those other shoots or branches instead of focusing its energy into producing grapes. 

Isn’t this what Jesus has to do with us? He has to trim away all the distractions that keep us from putting our energy into being Christ-followers. The branches that are trimmed aren’t bad. They aren’t necessarily diseased or bug-ridden. Unfortunately, if they are left on the vine, those extra branches drain away vital nutrients and energy from productive branches that could be producing grapes. Many of the things that distract us from following Jesus aren’t bad things. They are often good things. But are we focusing on them at the cost of losing our focus on Jesus? Are we choosing what is good now at the cost of what is best? 

The people who came to hear Jesus preach during His time on earth struggled with many distractions too. Jesus gently reminded them that food and clothing are not worth worrying about. ”Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matt 6:25 NIV) 

We get a little distracted by food and clothing too, don’t we? Social media tempts us with artisan meals and perfect outfits. We are distracted by work and play and obligations. It seems, in our hurried society, that our to-do lists are never ending. Every person has a dream they are trying to achieve, and somewhere in there, we want to add “good Christian” to our list of accomplishments. 

Matthew 6:33 (ESV) states, “but seek first the kingdom of God” (underline mine). Recently, I read this verse in the NRSV translation, and I loved how it was phrased: “But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (italics mine). I always thought of “seek first” as more of a treasure hunt. We are looking and searching for God’s kingdom. But the way the NRSV phrases it “strive first”, really hit home for me. We strive to reach our dreams, strive for what is important to us. We arrange schedules, we plan, we sacrifice sleep for friendships, for children, for spouses, for jobs, for dreams, for things most important to us. What are we doing to “strive” for the kingdom of God? 

I have a friend who runs a flower business. She works constantly to make her dream a reality. She is always searching for something she can implement in her business – someway to make it better or more unique. I think this is how Jesus wants us to be, constantly striving for Him. Am I constantly paying attention, looking for His voice? Am I putting my time and energy into knowing Him? Do I make His Word a priority in my life? Do I make spending time with the Body of Christ vital? 

According to a friend of mine who learned to make wines in California, the best soil for growing good wine grapes is poor soil where the vine has to fight to survive. Fertile soil produces mediocre grapes. And therefore, mediocre wine. The same can be said of following Christ. If we are never pruned, if we are allowed to only live a life of relative ease, what kind of fruit will we bear? We are all pruned in different ways. Our Master Gardener knows the best methods for each of us. Pruning can be painful, but as He allows us to go through hard times and dry seasons, He is carefully trimming away those things that are distracting us from following Him. His desire is that we “bear much fruit.”