The True Vine
Preaching
Preaching the Parables
Cycle B
A number of years ago, PBS presented a television series, The Great Search, which examined world religions. One episode showed pictures taken of an Eastern Orthodox Church in Romania, and one of the pictures depicted Christ seated on an altar. From him came a vine with many clusters of grapes which he was shown crushing for the vine of the Holy Eucharist. In today's parable, Jesus similarly claims to be the true vine who gives strength to the branches for bearing fruit to the glory of God.
But is this passage of Scripture truly a parable? Many authorities do not consider "Jesus the True Vine" to be a parable. The author of the Fourth Gospel in the King James and Good News versions, however, refers to "Jesus the Good Shepherd" (John 10:6) as a "parable," and since the accounts of Jesus as the Good Shepherd and Vine are similar, then surely it, too, can be properly interpreted as a parable. The Good Shepherd parable is pastoral while the other uses agrarian motifs to identify Jesus and his followers, and the figure of the vine certainly is treated as an analogy or metaphor. Allegory is also used - e.g., Jesus calls himself the vine, and compares God the Father to the gardener or the vinedresser and God's people to the branches of the vine. The parable defines the identities of the Father, Son, and believers, and tells us that we must remain attached to the vine, to be fruitful. The life of the branches is derived from the Vine, for from the Vine comes the strength to bear fruit. To be detached from the Vine, furthermore, results not only in non--productivity but also in destruction of the branches by fire. Surely these important elements - metaphor, allegory, an important vital theme - are sufficient to establish John 15 as a parable for our purposes.
Context
Context Of The Season
The parable of the Vine is the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, so we are still celebrating the triumphant resurrection. What does John 15:1--8 have to do with the empty tomb and the resurrected Christ? Why was this passage chosen for this Sunday of the Easter season?
One possible reason may be that Jesus is an eternal Vine. He is not merely a vine of the past and is certainly not a dead vine. And because of Easter, he is the living Vine for all ages. Because he lives today, our branches get their life and strength from him. If the vine were dead, then there would be no hope of eternal life for the branches, and we would still be in our sins. The Cross would only be a sign of martyrdom rather than of salvation. But because the Vine lives, the branches in him produce fruit to the glory of God. On this Fifth Sunday of Easter, therefore, we are proclaiming that the Risen Lord is an eternal Vine to whom we are attached for life and service.
Another reason for the timing of this reading may be found in the words of Jesus, "I am the true vine." Jesus says, "am," not "was" nor "will be." The Resurrection enables him to be the reality of our lives today; he is the great "I am," the living one, the alpha and the omega of our existence. "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever" is the theme of the Easter season, and Easter 5 is celebrating this eternal truth.
Context Of The Day
The Lessons and Propers for Easter 5 focus on Christ the true vine. On this Sunday we deal with the living Christ, and our living in him.
The Prayer of the Day supports the motif of the Vine and branches: "O God, form the minds of your faithful people into a single will. Make us love what you command and desire what you promise ..." When we abide in Christ, we have his will to love what he commands us to love, and to desire what he promises. So here we pray that our hearts may be in Christ where true joy can be found.
The Hymn of the Day, "Amid The World's Bleak Wilderness," is a contemporary hymn written after 1929, and may not be in older hymnals. It is a retelling of the Vine and branches and ends: "Vine, keep what I was meant to be: Your branch, with your rich life in me."
Context Of The Lectionary
The three Lessons of the Lectionary deal with the living Christ and our living in him.
The First Lesson. (Acts 8:26--40) Philip brings an Ethiopian into the Christian faith. The Lesson tells us how a person becomes one in Christ through the Word and Sacrament of Baptism. Philip explains and interprets the Isaian prophecy of the Lamb. The eunuch accepts the truth and Philip baptizes him into Christ.
The Second Lesson. (1 John 4:7--12) "Abide in me, and I in you," Jesus said. What does it mean to abide in him? The Second Lesson answers that to abide in Christ is to abide in love, for God is love. If we love God and our fellow human beings, then God (Christ) abides in us. This is how we can know that we abide in Christ: we love God and each other.
The Gospel Lesson. (John 15:1--8) Jesus declares that he is the true vine, and that his Father is the gardener or vinedresser who prunes the branches which bear fruit and who cuts off the barren branches.
v. 3 - Christ cleanses the branches by his word
vv. 4--5 - We read that bearing fruit depends on the branches being in the vine
v. 6 - We see that failure to bear fruit results in destruction
vv. 7--8 - We hear the benefits of remaining in Christ the Vine: answered prayer, glorification of the Father, and proof of discipleship
The Lectionary for Easter 5 needs to be seen in light of both the previous and the upcoming Sundays. Last Sunday we dealt with the Good Shepherd while next Sunday (Easter 6) the Gospel continues where Easter 5's Gospel ends so that it continues the theme of abiding in Christ. To abide in Christ means to keep his commandment to love each other, and answers the question, "What is the fruit that the branches in the Vine produce?" If a preacher plans to preach on the Gospel for Easter 6, the sermon will simply be a continuation of Easter 5's Gospel Lesson. However, because Easter 6 precedes Ascension Day (Holy Thursday), if an Ascension service is not held on Thursday, the festival may then be observed on Easter 6 or 7. (Although Easter 6 is perhaps the better choice so that the Ascension will not come as an anticlimax.)
Context Of The Scriptures
The vine was a common symbol in Israel's history, for the vine often represented Israel itself. Near the Holy Place in the Temple, for example, there was a great golden vine. Just as the shepherd and sheep were common in Israel, so in this agricultural age the vine was as familiar a sight as today's apple or peach trees are to us.
After the Flood, Noah planted a vineyard, made wine, and got drunk (Genesis 9:20). In 1 Kings 21 we find the story of Naboth's vineyard found next to King Ahab's palace. To acquire this vineyard, Queen Jezebel had Naboth murdered and then had her husband Ahab take possession of the vineyard. Psalm 80 speaks of Israel as the vine which Yahweh brought out of Egypt and caused to flourish even though the vine was ravaged, burned, and cut down.
Israel was also seen as a vine by several of the prophets. Isaiah, for example, speaks of Israel as Yahweh's vineyard which produced wild grapes and, as a result, was laid waste (Isaiah 5:1--7). Jeremiah has Yahweh say, "Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine?" (Jeremiah 2:21). Ezekiel points out that the wood of the vine is good only for firewood and that Israel will likewise be consumed (Ezekiel 15; 19:10--14). Hosea calls Israel a luxuriant vine, but notes that the more fruit that was produced also resulted in more altars to false gods.
Jesus also uses the vine in his teachings. In addition to John 15, Jesus tells a parable about workers in a vineyard (Matthew 20:1). At the Last Supper, Jesus says to the Disciples, "I tell you I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matthew 26:29). Jesus passed the cup, filled with the fruit of the vine, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood." In the light of this review, it is most appropriate for Jesus to liken himself and his people to a vine and its branches.
Content
Precis Of The Pericope
I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener who removes every branch that does not bear fruit and prunes those that do in order that they may be even more productive. My words have cleansed you that you may be in me. Remain in me as I remain in you and you will produce fruit. A branch cannot bear fruit unless it is attached to the vine. I am the vine and you are the branches. Apart from me you can bear no fruit and you will wither and die, for fruitless branches are thrown into the fire. But if you remain in me, your prayers will be answered regardless of what you ask. By bearing fruit, you glorify God the Father and prove you are my disciples.
Thesis: Doing for Jesus depends upon being and remaining in Jesus.
Theme: Living in Jesus is living for Jesus.
Key Words In The Parable
1. "True" (v. 1) As we found the good shepherd contrasted with the bad shepherds who do not care for the sheep, so Jesus here claims to be the "true" vine in contrast to false vines. The Greek word, alethinos, means true, real, and genuine. In the Old Testament, the vine was often associated with degeneration and the failure of Israel, so that God's vine (Israel) became a wild vine and produced wild grapes. And just as the wood of the vine was good only for firewood, so God would throw Israel into the fire of captivity. Hosea reports that when the vine of Israel became luxuriant, idolatry increased. But as the true vine, Christ will give life to the branches. Previously, therefore, Israel was seen as a wild vine and Yahweh had to destroy it because of the unfaithfulness expressed in the wild grapes of wickedness. Now, however, God's Son is the healthy vine which will not fail to be faithful to God and supportive of the branches.
2. "Clean" (v. 3) This verse may be the most difficult one to understand. The Greek word katharos (catharsis) is the same word which is also used in the account of Jesus' washing the Disciples' feet at the Last Supper. "Clean" may therefore be best understood in light of the foregoing "prune." When Jesus spoke these words in John 15, Judas Iscariot then left the Upper Room to betray him. To be in and to remain in Christ is to be clean from sin since sin and righteousness cannot exist together, just as oil and water cannot mix. Before being united with Christ, therefore, we are to be cleansed by his word of forgiveness. Today this cleansing is received by the Word in baptism since the water of baptism symbolizes the spiritual cleansing, and we are made one with Christ by the Word connected with baptism. In Ephesians 5:26 Paul explains, "That he might sanctify her (the church), having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word" (baptism). Through the sacrament of baptism, we are cleansed of our sin and united with Christ.
3. "Vinedresser" (v. 1) God the Father is the divine gardener whose work it is to dress the vine by coming with a blade to cut and prune the branches. In this parable, then, the branches represent God's people who are part of the Vine. Christians are subject to two different kinds of discipline. On the one hand, certain branches are "pruned" so that they will be even more productive; on the other hand, nonproductive branches are cut off from Christ and destroyed in God's judgment up on sterility. This disciplining function of God is often overlooked or denied. When suffering, hardship, or tragedy occurs, we often confidently say, "This is not God's will." It may not be, but who is to say this misfortune or suffering is not God's will? Perhaps it is God's way of having us become more fruitful, or it could be God's judgment on our failure to be and do what he expects of us. It should be noted that the harsher penalty of destruction is not visited upon those who bear wild grapes, but upon those who bear no grapes at all.
4. "Abide" (v. 4) Christ asks us to "abide" in him as he abides in us. It is one thing to be in Christ but another to remain in Christ. Christ's abiding in and with us is not in question, for Christ is forever faithful and will be with us always. On the other hand we do have the problem of maintaining our baptismal relationship with Christ. The loss of faith, apathy, a laxity of duty in performing church responsibilities - these threaten our deeper need to abide and remain in Christ. To maintain the necessary oneness, we must engage in prayer, worship, solitude, silence, meditation, and reflection on God's Word.
5. "Whatever" (v. 7) This word is probably the most comprehensive in the passage. To remain in Christ brings this wonderful promise of "whatever" we ask in prayer will be granted. The context of "whatever" is found in the words, "If you abide in me," for when we are in Christ, we will naturally ask for only those blessings that harmonize with God's will. Because we are in Christ, we will know the will of God and we will want to see it done; so we will not ask from selfish desires. As a result our prayers will be answered. This is one of the special privileges to be granted in being one with Christ.
Contemplation
Basic Issues Of The Parable
1. Being and doing. The parable places an equal emphasis upon both "being" and "doing." We are to be in Christ, and we are to perform his will that we might be fruitful. In recent years we may have emphasized "doing" - in terms of social action or exercise of the social Gospel - to the neglect of "being" as the deeper source of our doing good and serving. The church's primary responsibility and challenge is to be in Christ and to bring others into the same being. If the doing is lacking, therefore, we need to look to our being to see if our relationship with God is wanting.
2. Omission and commission. This parable says much about the sins of omission - i.e., of not yielding fruit, of being largely barren and empty. No mention is made of sins of commission in terms of wild or soul grapes or wickedness, but the barren branches are cut off and thrown into the fire. It is the lack of rendering service which is treated most seriously by God, and this might lead us to conclude that our sins of omission are more important than the sins of commission.
3. Branches and the Vine. The branches (people) are connected with the Vine (Christ). There are two kinds of branches in the parable. One category includes the branches that are pruned in order to bear more fruit, while the other type consists of branches that are barren and are cut off and burned. Both types, however, are branches that are attached to Christ the Vine, so here we are dealing with church people, not with non--Christians. The parable also says that salvation is not to be found in any other religion, for Christ is the true vine, and there is no other vine. It is necessary to be attached to the vine to live since to be detached because of fruitlessness leads to destruction.
4. Abide in Christ. It is one thing to be in or attached to Christ and Vine, and it is quite another to remain in Christ. For all people to become one in Christ demands evangelism and missions, but it is an equally important task to enable those already in Christ to "abide" and remain in Christ. This task calls for loyalty and faithfulness under all conditions and for all time. The recent declines in mainline Protestant membership should call our attention to the fact that many people have failed to remain in Christ, and suggests that perhaps the greatest mission today is to be found in the church itself rather than outside her.
5. Fate of the fruitless. Jesus described the Father as the vinedresser or gardener who comes to the vineyard with an axe or blade. Discipline of the fruitful branches is exerted by pruning, and judgment comes to the fruitless who are to be cut off from Christ and destroyed by fire. We must not ignore this part of the parable simply out of fear that it may be discomforting to the "good" people in the pews. The parable is simply saying, "Be fruitful - or else!"
6. Discipline of disciples. In the parable, no branch in the Vine goes untouched since every branch is either cut back or cut off. Of the two alternatives, the former is certainly preferred. Pruning is not an easy or comfortable experience, and it may mean pain, loss, suffering, defeat, or tragedy, but it also suggests the biblical saying, "Whom the Lord loves, he chastens even as a father chastens his son," because the purpose of the discipline is to enable the branch to bear more fruit. Out of adversity, struggle, and sorrow we may find a deeper character and often a closer walk with God.
Preaching The Parable
1. All that a Christian ought to be. What does it take to be a true Christian? There are so many different kinds of Christians that we may have difficulty in knowing whether we are genuine Christians. The parable gives us the components of a true Christian who:
Accepts the discipline of pruning - vv. 2, 6
Remains in Christ the Vine - v. 4
Is fruitful in the quality of life and service - vv. 5, 8
2. Life in the Living Christ. In this Easter season, the Risen Christ is in our consciousness. He is the living Vine to which we are joined and in which we live. What is this life in Christ?
A life of prayer - v. 7
A life of service - v. 8
A life of glorifying God - v. 8
3. Essentials of the Christian life. Today's parable gives us the basics for a Christian life:
Being in Christ - v. 5
Remaining in Christ - v. 4
Doing for Christ - v. 5
Being in Christ begins at baptism. As an act of God's grace, a person is initiated, incorporated, and inducted into the kingdom. Paul speaks of the Gentiles being "grafted" the olive tree, while the branch of the Jews was broken off due to their lack of belief (Romans 11:17--24).
Remaining in Christ calls for persistence and loyalty until death.
Doing for Christ means finding the strength to grow and bear fruit.
4. The problem of fruitfulness.
A. The impossibility of being fruitful when detached from the vine - vv. 4, 6. Apart from Christ we are nothing, and we can do nothing good in God's sight. When a branch is cut off from the vine, it withers and dies, and then is thrown into the fire.
B. The possibility of being attached to the vine and yet not fruitful - v. 2. Nominal Christians and inactive members of the church are still attached to the vine, but they are unfruitful. Evidence of this is to be found in their low quality of life, their neglect of the church, and their failure to perform service. In the parable, of course, Jesus taught that these barren branches be destroyed.
5. Keeping in touch with Christ. People usually seem to recognize the need to keep in touch with each other. If friends fail to do this, for example, they eventually become strangers to each other, while workers often keep in touch with the central office by means of shortwave radios. Jesus tells us to "abide," to remain in touch with him (v. 4). How does one keep in touch with Christ from day to day?
Public worship
Bible reading
Personal devotions: solitude, prayer, meditation
6. Blessings of abiding in Christ. Does any good come from being and remaining in Christ? Are there any rewards? What would it profit a person to be and remain in Christ? Let the parable answer:
It makes us fruitful - vv. 4--5
It saves us from destruction - v. 6
It answers our prayers - v. 7
It glorifies God - v. 8
Contact
Problems
Preachers again face the problem of making an agricultural concept meaningful to people in a largely urban, commercial, and industrial society. This same problem was confronted in the parable of the Good Shepherd. How many church people are familiar with a vineyard? Must we go to the vineyards of California, New York, France, or Italy to make the parable meaningful? The challenge we face is to proclaim the principles and truth which the metaphor defines.
The similarity of last Sunday's parable of the Good Shepherd to today's parable of the True Vine may also cause concern to the preacher. Both parables, for example, deal with the identity of Jesus and there is also a similarity in the description offered of Jesus as "good" and "true." Is there enough difference between the two parables, therefore, to avoid mere duplication? The special quality of the Vine parable may be that it defines a mystical relationship in which a person becomes one with the Savior, remains in him, and derives strength from him to serve.
Need
Before writing the sermon, we need to be certain whether the truth of the parable is needed by today's congregation. Are today's church people truly living in the eternal Christ? In 1985 a survey was made of 2,500 Protestants regarding their devotional practices, and revealed that 49 percent had a prayer of thanks before meals, 57 percent prayed daily, 24 percent read the Bible several times a week, and only 8 percent had family devotions. From these statistics, we can easily see that a majority of church members are most obviously not "abiding" in Christ. When half do not pray daily, three--quarters do not read the Bible, 92 percent do not have family devotions, 70 percent do not regularly worship, and 40 percent do not receive the Holy Communion at least annually, then there is a clear reason for the church's decline in membership, the apathy of those who remain, and the lack of service to humanity by all concerned. Perhaps, then, the parable of the Vine is more relevant today than it has ever been.
To abide in Christ the Vine requires the very same personal and family devotions which we have just seen to be neglected by a majority of Christians. The neglect may be due to busy schedules and involvement in all kinds of secular activities since it is difficult for a person in today's crowded world to find the time and place for solitude, silence, and prayer alone with God. For many people, therefore, perhaps devotions and contemplation need not be as structured or restrictive as in the past. Solitude, silence, meditation, reflection, and prayer might well be held during the night when it is difficult to go to sleep or in the morning while waiting for a spouse to wake up. We can think seriously about God and life while having a second cup of coffee in the mornings, or while stuck in bumper--to--bumper traffic or when doing repetitive manual activity such as sewing, cooking, washing the car, watering the lawn, or vacuuming the carpets. And while waiting to enter a hospital room, standing in line to check out the week's groceries, or taking your turn to get into the doctor's inner office, you might occupy your mind with more vital matters than listening to the Muzak.
Illustrative Materials
1. A fruitful life. Recently I was in a living room where there was a handmade banner which displayed a plant and the verse, "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit" (John 15:8). It was given by the staff of the Lutheran Church in America to my close friend of more than fifty years, Dr. Robert W. Stackel, at the time of his retirement. It was an appropriate gift to a man who had produced much fruit for the kingdom as director of the Lutheran Evangelism Mission, executive director of Lutheran World Missions, and leader of the Lutheran Hunger Appeal which raised millions of dollars to feed the starving. And what was the secret of his fruitfulness? Simply that not a day passes without reading the Bible and spending time in prayer.
2. Care of the inside. There was a television commercial for Kellogg's cereals in which a young man is shown doing his daily calisthenics to strengthen his body and build muscle. His wife comes to him with a box of cereal and urges him to eat the cereal to care for his insides as well. Much attention and effort are given today to bodybuilding by "pumping iron," aerobics, and Tai Bo, but little attention is given to inner spiritual development of the soul. We must also "take care of the inside."
3. How close to God? Two women spent much of an afternoon trying to impress each other with how religious each was. When the visit was over, one said to her husband - who had overheard the discussion and who was quietly smoking his pipe - "You know, Mrs. Sills is a good Christian, but I just believe I live closer to the Lord." After thinking a moment, he replied, "Ain't either of you crowding him any!"
4. Keep in touch. "Abide in me" means to keep in touch with Christ. Years ago a Vietnam Memorial was dedicated in Washington. It is a curved wall with more than 58,000 names of fallen veterans carved into the black marble, and thousands of spouses, sweethearts, parents, children, and war buddies came to find the name of a loved one and touch the name. As their fingers went over the name they wept, sobbed, or prayed. It was their way to once again be in touch with a loved one.
5. Don't leave me. Jesus urged his Disciples to abide in him, to remain in him, and to be loyal to him. At the age of 86, a retired university professor was dying in a hospital. By this age she had outlived most of her friends and associates, and her former students were unaware of her condition and loneliness. Her minister visited, but he was too busy to spend more than a few minutes with her when he came. One day, as the minister began to leave, she reached for the hand of her nurse and implored, "Don't leave me." Jesus also reaches out for us and asks us to join him.
6. Living but dead. Three peasants were once walking on a country road, when to their amazement, they came upon a man lying on the road. They looked him over and he appeared to be healthy and to have a good robust color. He seemed to be well fed, and his clothes were of fine quality. He looked intelligent. So they decided there was nothing wrong with him, and to put him on his feet and let him go his way. They stood him up - but he fell over. They did this three times and each time he fell over. Finally they concluded, "There is nothing wrong with this man, but he won't stand up." And this is the sorry state of the barren branches in the parable as well - to be alive but never know the beauty of fruitfulness to be found in service to Christ.
But is this passage of Scripture truly a parable? Many authorities do not consider "Jesus the True Vine" to be a parable. The author of the Fourth Gospel in the King James and Good News versions, however, refers to "Jesus the Good Shepherd" (John 10:6) as a "parable," and since the accounts of Jesus as the Good Shepherd and Vine are similar, then surely it, too, can be properly interpreted as a parable. The Good Shepherd parable is pastoral while the other uses agrarian motifs to identify Jesus and his followers, and the figure of the vine certainly is treated as an analogy or metaphor. Allegory is also used - e.g., Jesus calls himself the vine, and compares God the Father to the gardener or the vinedresser and God's people to the branches of the vine. The parable defines the identities of the Father, Son, and believers, and tells us that we must remain attached to the vine, to be fruitful. The life of the branches is derived from the Vine, for from the Vine comes the strength to bear fruit. To be detached from the Vine, furthermore, results not only in non--productivity but also in destruction of the branches by fire. Surely these important elements - metaphor, allegory, an important vital theme - are sufficient to establish John 15 as a parable for our purposes.
Context
Context Of The Season
The parable of the Vine is the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, so we are still celebrating the triumphant resurrection. What does John 15:1--8 have to do with the empty tomb and the resurrected Christ? Why was this passage chosen for this Sunday of the Easter season?
One possible reason may be that Jesus is an eternal Vine. He is not merely a vine of the past and is certainly not a dead vine. And because of Easter, he is the living Vine for all ages. Because he lives today, our branches get their life and strength from him. If the vine were dead, then there would be no hope of eternal life for the branches, and we would still be in our sins. The Cross would only be a sign of martyrdom rather than of salvation. But because the Vine lives, the branches in him produce fruit to the glory of God. On this Fifth Sunday of Easter, therefore, we are proclaiming that the Risen Lord is an eternal Vine to whom we are attached for life and service.
Another reason for the timing of this reading may be found in the words of Jesus, "I am the true vine." Jesus says, "am," not "was" nor "will be." The Resurrection enables him to be the reality of our lives today; he is the great "I am," the living one, the alpha and the omega of our existence. "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever" is the theme of the Easter season, and Easter 5 is celebrating this eternal truth.
Context Of The Day
The Lessons and Propers for Easter 5 focus on Christ the true vine. On this Sunday we deal with the living Christ, and our living in him.
The Prayer of the Day supports the motif of the Vine and branches: "O God, form the minds of your faithful people into a single will. Make us love what you command and desire what you promise ..." When we abide in Christ, we have his will to love what he commands us to love, and to desire what he promises. So here we pray that our hearts may be in Christ where true joy can be found.
The Hymn of the Day, "Amid The World's Bleak Wilderness," is a contemporary hymn written after 1929, and may not be in older hymnals. It is a retelling of the Vine and branches and ends: "Vine, keep what I was meant to be: Your branch, with your rich life in me."
Context Of The Lectionary
The three Lessons of the Lectionary deal with the living Christ and our living in him.
The First Lesson. (Acts 8:26--40) Philip brings an Ethiopian into the Christian faith. The Lesson tells us how a person becomes one in Christ through the Word and Sacrament of Baptism. Philip explains and interprets the Isaian prophecy of the Lamb. The eunuch accepts the truth and Philip baptizes him into Christ.
The Second Lesson. (1 John 4:7--12) "Abide in me, and I in you," Jesus said. What does it mean to abide in him? The Second Lesson answers that to abide in Christ is to abide in love, for God is love. If we love God and our fellow human beings, then God (Christ) abides in us. This is how we can know that we abide in Christ: we love God and each other.
The Gospel Lesson. (John 15:1--8) Jesus declares that he is the true vine, and that his Father is the gardener or vinedresser who prunes the branches which bear fruit and who cuts off the barren branches.
v. 3 - Christ cleanses the branches by his word
vv. 4--5 - We read that bearing fruit depends on the branches being in the vine
v. 6 - We see that failure to bear fruit results in destruction
vv. 7--8 - We hear the benefits of remaining in Christ the Vine: answered prayer, glorification of the Father, and proof of discipleship
The Lectionary for Easter 5 needs to be seen in light of both the previous and the upcoming Sundays. Last Sunday we dealt with the Good Shepherd while next Sunday (Easter 6) the Gospel continues where Easter 5's Gospel ends so that it continues the theme of abiding in Christ. To abide in Christ means to keep his commandment to love each other, and answers the question, "What is the fruit that the branches in the Vine produce?" If a preacher plans to preach on the Gospel for Easter 6, the sermon will simply be a continuation of Easter 5's Gospel Lesson. However, because Easter 6 precedes Ascension Day (Holy Thursday), if an Ascension service is not held on Thursday, the festival may then be observed on Easter 6 or 7. (Although Easter 6 is perhaps the better choice so that the Ascension will not come as an anticlimax.)
Context Of The Scriptures
The vine was a common symbol in Israel's history, for the vine often represented Israel itself. Near the Holy Place in the Temple, for example, there was a great golden vine. Just as the shepherd and sheep were common in Israel, so in this agricultural age the vine was as familiar a sight as today's apple or peach trees are to us.
After the Flood, Noah planted a vineyard, made wine, and got drunk (Genesis 9:20). In 1 Kings 21 we find the story of Naboth's vineyard found next to King Ahab's palace. To acquire this vineyard, Queen Jezebel had Naboth murdered and then had her husband Ahab take possession of the vineyard. Psalm 80 speaks of Israel as the vine which Yahweh brought out of Egypt and caused to flourish even though the vine was ravaged, burned, and cut down.
Israel was also seen as a vine by several of the prophets. Isaiah, for example, speaks of Israel as Yahweh's vineyard which produced wild grapes and, as a result, was laid waste (Isaiah 5:1--7). Jeremiah has Yahweh say, "Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine?" (Jeremiah 2:21). Ezekiel points out that the wood of the vine is good only for firewood and that Israel will likewise be consumed (Ezekiel 15; 19:10--14). Hosea calls Israel a luxuriant vine, but notes that the more fruit that was produced also resulted in more altars to false gods.
Jesus also uses the vine in his teachings. In addition to John 15, Jesus tells a parable about workers in a vineyard (Matthew 20:1). At the Last Supper, Jesus says to the Disciples, "I tell you I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matthew 26:29). Jesus passed the cup, filled with the fruit of the vine, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood." In the light of this review, it is most appropriate for Jesus to liken himself and his people to a vine and its branches.
Content
Precis Of The Pericope
I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener who removes every branch that does not bear fruit and prunes those that do in order that they may be even more productive. My words have cleansed you that you may be in me. Remain in me as I remain in you and you will produce fruit. A branch cannot bear fruit unless it is attached to the vine. I am the vine and you are the branches. Apart from me you can bear no fruit and you will wither and die, for fruitless branches are thrown into the fire. But if you remain in me, your prayers will be answered regardless of what you ask. By bearing fruit, you glorify God the Father and prove you are my disciples.
Thesis: Doing for Jesus depends upon being and remaining in Jesus.
Theme: Living in Jesus is living for Jesus.
Key Words In The Parable
1. "True" (v. 1) As we found the good shepherd contrasted with the bad shepherds who do not care for the sheep, so Jesus here claims to be the "true" vine in contrast to false vines. The Greek word, alethinos, means true, real, and genuine. In the Old Testament, the vine was often associated with degeneration and the failure of Israel, so that God's vine (Israel) became a wild vine and produced wild grapes. And just as the wood of the vine was good only for firewood, so God would throw Israel into the fire of captivity. Hosea reports that when the vine of Israel became luxuriant, idolatry increased. But as the true vine, Christ will give life to the branches. Previously, therefore, Israel was seen as a wild vine and Yahweh had to destroy it because of the unfaithfulness expressed in the wild grapes of wickedness. Now, however, God's Son is the healthy vine which will not fail to be faithful to God and supportive of the branches.
2. "Clean" (v. 3) This verse may be the most difficult one to understand. The Greek word katharos (catharsis) is the same word which is also used in the account of Jesus' washing the Disciples' feet at the Last Supper. "Clean" may therefore be best understood in light of the foregoing "prune." When Jesus spoke these words in John 15, Judas Iscariot then left the Upper Room to betray him. To be in and to remain in Christ is to be clean from sin since sin and righteousness cannot exist together, just as oil and water cannot mix. Before being united with Christ, therefore, we are to be cleansed by his word of forgiveness. Today this cleansing is received by the Word in baptism since the water of baptism symbolizes the spiritual cleansing, and we are made one with Christ by the Word connected with baptism. In Ephesians 5:26 Paul explains, "That he might sanctify her (the church), having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word" (baptism). Through the sacrament of baptism, we are cleansed of our sin and united with Christ.
3. "Vinedresser" (v. 1) God the Father is the divine gardener whose work it is to dress the vine by coming with a blade to cut and prune the branches. In this parable, then, the branches represent God's people who are part of the Vine. Christians are subject to two different kinds of discipline. On the one hand, certain branches are "pruned" so that they will be even more productive; on the other hand, nonproductive branches are cut off from Christ and destroyed in God's judgment up on sterility. This disciplining function of God is often overlooked or denied. When suffering, hardship, or tragedy occurs, we often confidently say, "This is not God's will." It may not be, but who is to say this misfortune or suffering is not God's will? Perhaps it is God's way of having us become more fruitful, or it could be God's judgment on our failure to be and do what he expects of us. It should be noted that the harsher penalty of destruction is not visited upon those who bear wild grapes, but upon those who bear no grapes at all.
4. "Abide" (v. 4) Christ asks us to "abide" in him as he abides in us. It is one thing to be in Christ but another to remain in Christ. Christ's abiding in and with us is not in question, for Christ is forever faithful and will be with us always. On the other hand we do have the problem of maintaining our baptismal relationship with Christ. The loss of faith, apathy, a laxity of duty in performing church responsibilities - these threaten our deeper need to abide and remain in Christ. To maintain the necessary oneness, we must engage in prayer, worship, solitude, silence, meditation, and reflection on God's Word.
5. "Whatever" (v. 7) This word is probably the most comprehensive in the passage. To remain in Christ brings this wonderful promise of "whatever" we ask in prayer will be granted. The context of "whatever" is found in the words, "If you abide in me," for when we are in Christ, we will naturally ask for only those blessings that harmonize with God's will. Because we are in Christ, we will know the will of God and we will want to see it done; so we will not ask from selfish desires. As a result our prayers will be answered. This is one of the special privileges to be granted in being one with Christ.
Contemplation
Basic Issues Of The Parable
1. Being and doing. The parable places an equal emphasis upon both "being" and "doing." We are to be in Christ, and we are to perform his will that we might be fruitful. In recent years we may have emphasized "doing" - in terms of social action or exercise of the social Gospel - to the neglect of "being" as the deeper source of our doing good and serving. The church's primary responsibility and challenge is to be in Christ and to bring others into the same being. If the doing is lacking, therefore, we need to look to our being to see if our relationship with God is wanting.
2. Omission and commission. This parable says much about the sins of omission - i.e., of not yielding fruit, of being largely barren and empty. No mention is made of sins of commission in terms of wild or soul grapes or wickedness, but the barren branches are cut off and thrown into the fire. It is the lack of rendering service which is treated most seriously by God, and this might lead us to conclude that our sins of omission are more important than the sins of commission.
3. Branches and the Vine. The branches (people) are connected with the Vine (Christ). There are two kinds of branches in the parable. One category includes the branches that are pruned in order to bear more fruit, while the other type consists of branches that are barren and are cut off and burned. Both types, however, are branches that are attached to Christ the Vine, so here we are dealing with church people, not with non--Christians. The parable also says that salvation is not to be found in any other religion, for Christ is the true vine, and there is no other vine. It is necessary to be attached to the vine to live since to be detached because of fruitlessness leads to destruction.
4. Abide in Christ. It is one thing to be in or attached to Christ and Vine, and it is quite another to remain in Christ. For all people to become one in Christ demands evangelism and missions, but it is an equally important task to enable those already in Christ to "abide" and remain in Christ. This task calls for loyalty and faithfulness under all conditions and for all time. The recent declines in mainline Protestant membership should call our attention to the fact that many people have failed to remain in Christ, and suggests that perhaps the greatest mission today is to be found in the church itself rather than outside her.
5. Fate of the fruitless. Jesus described the Father as the vinedresser or gardener who comes to the vineyard with an axe or blade. Discipline of the fruitful branches is exerted by pruning, and judgment comes to the fruitless who are to be cut off from Christ and destroyed by fire. We must not ignore this part of the parable simply out of fear that it may be discomforting to the "good" people in the pews. The parable is simply saying, "Be fruitful - or else!"
6. Discipline of disciples. In the parable, no branch in the Vine goes untouched since every branch is either cut back or cut off. Of the two alternatives, the former is certainly preferred. Pruning is not an easy or comfortable experience, and it may mean pain, loss, suffering, defeat, or tragedy, but it also suggests the biblical saying, "Whom the Lord loves, he chastens even as a father chastens his son," because the purpose of the discipline is to enable the branch to bear more fruit. Out of adversity, struggle, and sorrow we may find a deeper character and often a closer walk with God.
Preaching The Parable
1. All that a Christian ought to be. What does it take to be a true Christian? There are so many different kinds of Christians that we may have difficulty in knowing whether we are genuine Christians. The parable gives us the components of a true Christian who:
Accepts the discipline of pruning - vv. 2, 6
Remains in Christ the Vine - v. 4
Is fruitful in the quality of life and service - vv. 5, 8
2. Life in the Living Christ. In this Easter season, the Risen Christ is in our consciousness. He is the living Vine to which we are joined and in which we live. What is this life in Christ?
A life of prayer - v. 7
A life of service - v. 8
A life of glorifying God - v. 8
3. Essentials of the Christian life. Today's parable gives us the basics for a Christian life:
Being in Christ - v. 5
Remaining in Christ - v. 4
Doing for Christ - v. 5
Being in Christ begins at baptism. As an act of God's grace, a person is initiated, incorporated, and inducted into the kingdom. Paul speaks of the Gentiles being "grafted" the olive tree, while the branch of the Jews was broken off due to their lack of belief (Romans 11:17--24).
Remaining in Christ calls for persistence and loyalty until death.
Doing for Christ means finding the strength to grow and bear fruit.
4. The problem of fruitfulness.
A. The impossibility of being fruitful when detached from the vine - vv. 4, 6. Apart from Christ we are nothing, and we can do nothing good in God's sight. When a branch is cut off from the vine, it withers and dies, and then is thrown into the fire.
B. The possibility of being attached to the vine and yet not fruitful - v. 2. Nominal Christians and inactive members of the church are still attached to the vine, but they are unfruitful. Evidence of this is to be found in their low quality of life, their neglect of the church, and their failure to perform service. In the parable, of course, Jesus taught that these barren branches be destroyed.
5. Keeping in touch with Christ. People usually seem to recognize the need to keep in touch with each other. If friends fail to do this, for example, they eventually become strangers to each other, while workers often keep in touch with the central office by means of shortwave radios. Jesus tells us to "abide," to remain in touch with him (v. 4). How does one keep in touch with Christ from day to day?
Public worship
Bible reading
Personal devotions: solitude, prayer, meditation
6. Blessings of abiding in Christ. Does any good come from being and remaining in Christ? Are there any rewards? What would it profit a person to be and remain in Christ? Let the parable answer:
It makes us fruitful - vv. 4--5
It saves us from destruction - v. 6
It answers our prayers - v. 7
It glorifies God - v. 8
Contact
Problems
Preachers again face the problem of making an agricultural concept meaningful to people in a largely urban, commercial, and industrial society. This same problem was confronted in the parable of the Good Shepherd. How many church people are familiar with a vineyard? Must we go to the vineyards of California, New York, France, or Italy to make the parable meaningful? The challenge we face is to proclaim the principles and truth which the metaphor defines.
The similarity of last Sunday's parable of the Good Shepherd to today's parable of the True Vine may also cause concern to the preacher. Both parables, for example, deal with the identity of Jesus and there is also a similarity in the description offered of Jesus as "good" and "true." Is there enough difference between the two parables, therefore, to avoid mere duplication? The special quality of the Vine parable may be that it defines a mystical relationship in which a person becomes one with the Savior, remains in him, and derives strength from him to serve.
Need
Before writing the sermon, we need to be certain whether the truth of the parable is needed by today's congregation. Are today's church people truly living in the eternal Christ? In 1985 a survey was made of 2,500 Protestants regarding their devotional practices, and revealed that 49 percent had a prayer of thanks before meals, 57 percent prayed daily, 24 percent read the Bible several times a week, and only 8 percent had family devotions. From these statistics, we can easily see that a majority of church members are most obviously not "abiding" in Christ. When half do not pray daily, three--quarters do not read the Bible, 92 percent do not have family devotions, 70 percent do not regularly worship, and 40 percent do not receive the Holy Communion at least annually, then there is a clear reason for the church's decline in membership, the apathy of those who remain, and the lack of service to humanity by all concerned. Perhaps, then, the parable of the Vine is more relevant today than it has ever been.
To abide in Christ the Vine requires the very same personal and family devotions which we have just seen to be neglected by a majority of Christians. The neglect may be due to busy schedules and involvement in all kinds of secular activities since it is difficult for a person in today's crowded world to find the time and place for solitude, silence, and prayer alone with God. For many people, therefore, perhaps devotions and contemplation need not be as structured or restrictive as in the past. Solitude, silence, meditation, reflection, and prayer might well be held during the night when it is difficult to go to sleep or in the morning while waiting for a spouse to wake up. We can think seriously about God and life while having a second cup of coffee in the mornings, or while stuck in bumper--to--bumper traffic or when doing repetitive manual activity such as sewing, cooking, washing the car, watering the lawn, or vacuuming the carpets. And while waiting to enter a hospital room, standing in line to check out the week's groceries, or taking your turn to get into the doctor's inner office, you might occupy your mind with more vital matters than listening to the Muzak.
Illustrative Materials
1. A fruitful life. Recently I was in a living room where there was a handmade banner which displayed a plant and the verse, "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit" (John 15:8). It was given by the staff of the Lutheran Church in America to my close friend of more than fifty years, Dr. Robert W. Stackel, at the time of his retirement. It was an appropriate gift to a man who had produced much fruit for the kingdom as director of the Lutheran Evangelism Mission, executive director of Lutheran World Missions, and leader of the Lutheran Hunger Appeal which raised millions of dollars to feed the starving. And what was the secret of his fruitfulness? Simply that not a day passes without reading the Bible and spending time in prayer.
2. Care of the inside. There was a television commercial for Kellogg's cereals in which a young man is shown doing his daily calisthenics to strengthen his body and build muscle. His wife comes to him with a box of cereal and urges him to eat the cereal to care for his insides as well. Much attention and effort are given today to bodybuilding by "pumping iron," aerobics, and Tai Bo, but little attention is given to inner spiritual development of the soul. We must also "take care of the inside."
3. How close to God? Two women spent much of an afternoon trying to impress each other with how religious each was. When the visit was over, one said to her husband - who had overheard the discussion and who was quietly smoking his pipe - "You know, Mrs. Sills is a good Christian, but I just believe I live closer to the Lord." After thinking a moment, he replied, "Ain't either of you crowding him any!"
4. Keep in touch. "Abide in me" means to keep in touch with Christ. Years ago a Vietnam Memorial was dedicated in Washington. It is a curved wall with more than 58,000 names of fallen veterans carved into the black marble, and thousands of spouses, sweethearts, parents, children, and war buddies came to find the name of a loved one and touch the name. As their fingers went over the name they wept, sobbed, or prayed. It was their way to once again be in touch with a loved one.
5. Don't leave me. Jesus urged his Disciples to abide in him, to remain in him, and to be loyal to him. At the age of 86, a retired university professor was dying in a hospital. By this age she had outlived most of her friends and associates, and her former students were unaware of her condition and loneliness. Her minister visited, but he was too busy to spend more than a few minutes with her when he came. One day, as the minister began to leave, she reached for the hand of her nurse and implored, "Don't leave me." Jesus also reaches out for us and asks us to join him.
6. Living but dead. Three peasants were once walking on a country road, when to their amazement, they came upon a man lying on the road. They looked him over and he appeared to be healthy and to have a good robust color. He seemed to be well fed, and his clothes were of fine quality. He looked intelligent. So they decided there was nothing wrong with him, and to put him on his feet and let him go his way. They stood him up - but he fell over. They did this three times and each time he fell over. Finally they concluded, "There is nothing wrong with this man, but he won't stand up." And this is the sorry state of the barren branches in the parable as well - to be alive but never know the beauty of fruitfulness to be found in service to Christ.
