Yes! There is Good News! 7.1.17

As I was getting ready to consider this week’s article, Sally and I were talking about needing to get out to the grape vine and prune a few branches that are producing no fruit.

Then I remembered the article from two weeks ago. In it we talked about the parable of the sower found in Matthew 13. Remember that parable? Three out of the four areas upon which seed fell produced no crop, no benefit to the farmer. In putting these two ideas together I could not help but think of another parable that Jesus used to teach His disciples. It too involved agriculture. (I’m sure you’re way ahead of me on this one!)

“I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He takes away every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:1-2)

Is it important to “bear fruit / produce a harvest”? I believe Jesus thinks it is. Going on in John 15, “You are already pruned (or clean) because of the word I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I will abide in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must abide in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in me.” OK, the parameters are obvious! I can not expect to see grapes on the branches in my arbor unless they are attached to the vine. This is a parable and so somehow we must come to understand what it means to be attached to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus gets quite specific in the next few verses: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” First of all, He tells us that “we” are the branches. Are you a branch? Next, He tells us we must abide in Him. Are you a branch attached to your Savior? Then He tells us we are to have Him abide in us.
Are you a branch attached to your Savior that allows the nourishing sap of His life to flow in you? And finally, we must bear fruit. This begins to sound very important, very serious. This begins to sound like last weeks article: “So every once in a while it might be advantageous to examine ourselves and see where we place the most effort.”

Jesus does give a hint as to how this should work. “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” First of all we must have His words remaining in us. I know of only one way of having His words in me, I have to read them. But more than read, I should “devour” them. One of the definitions of devour is, “to swallow up; engulf; to absorb completely.”

While teaching a crowd (John 6:63) Jesus says, “The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life.” A few verses later when Jesus asks the disciples if they would want to leave Him, Peter utters some profound words, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” To whom shall we go to produce fruit?

But then there’s the statement, “Ask whatever you wish, and it will be given.” Hmmm?

Don’t go away friends, there is still more to come!