Jesus says “I am the true vine”. We can look at this statement and say, “wow, that’s cool, but what does this actually mean?”, and I think that would be an honest and real response. When looking into the context of the Bible verses that Jesus is making this claim, he is more than likely referring to a grape vine, and the audience would have a common understanding of what he was referring to.
Because I do not have a vineyard in my backyard, I did a little research on grape vines, there was a lot to learn and I found it fascinating. Here are a few quick things I learned: 1) plant in full sun 2) it is possible to get fruit as soon as one year after planting 3) annual pruning is important for the plant to stay healthy.
So how to we cling to the true vine? How do we bear fruit? What does this mean for us? I think we can use the three quick points to answer these questions. 1) We should plant our lives in full sun, if Jesus is the light of the world, we should be living our lives in a way that share the full light with the world but also receiving that light into our lives to strengthen and renew us. 2) Patience, live in to the grace of God, and give yourselves and other patience as you bring the love of Jesus into the world. In order to bear fruit, we must plant seeds, and it take time, grace and second chances. 3) We can look into our lives and see where we can let go of things and habits that are not healthy or helpful. We do not need to do this alone, we can be supported by others and rely on the grace and mercy of Jesus our true vine to do this.
So, let us go in to the world clinging to Jesus and bring his love into the world.
Prayer:
Jesus, help me cling to you, the true vine, help me let go of things I need to, and help me be patient with the seeds that are growing within my life and others. Amen.
Jay Kiel
Tomorrow: “I am the Bread of Life”
