Fruit On The Vine

Sunday, 2 May 2021 10:00

I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

We’ve recently built an arbour in the garden. It’s down in the far corner where it gets sunlight for most of the day. The plan is to grow a vine up one side of it, an idea that reminds me of holidays in France when we’ve stayed in gites with vines growing up trellises with bunches of grapes hanging from them and of drives through the French countryside past acres and acres of vineyards stopping occasionally to sample the fruit of the vine. 

Maybe we’ll get a few grapes on our arbour but I suspect we won’t get a wine bottle’s worth. I’m no expert in viticulture but I suspect that, even in that far corner of the garden, South West Scotland doesn’t have the days of sunshine and the climate to grow many grapes. You need a good strong vine to produce good fruit.

So why does Jesus describe himself as the true vine? What’s he getting at in this passage? Sometimes I find the way John conveys what Jesus said - or maybe it’s the translation - can be a little hard to follow. Especially when the translation uses a word like ‘abide’ which is getting a little on the archaic side. The Greek word can mean ‘live’ in the sense of ‘to dwell’ but also ‘to remain’ as in not leaving. So perhaps we should read this as “If you stay with me and let me live in you then you’ll bear lots of fruit”. “Stick with me, kid, and you’ll do fine.”

Which is all fine and dandy, but what does it mean to bear fruit? And how are we meant to stick with Jesus and let him live in us? And how does doing that let us bear fruit, whatever that is? A few verses later Jesus glosses this a bit by speaking of his words living in us; his teachings and his example. Through Jesus God speaks to humanity of what it is to bear good fruit. He speaks of loving one another, of loving our enemies and praying for them. He offers healing for the sick and feeds the hungry in their thousands. Above all he offers himself in service of others, washing the feet of his disciples and, above all, going to the Cross and giving his life not just for his immediate friends and followers but for all humanity.

To let Christ live in us is to follow his example, to try to put his teachings into practice and to follow his example. To try to live lives informed by generosity and kindness, by care for those in need and for those who are vulnerable. To try to live lives that reflect Christ’s openness to those who were different or despised - the Centurion or Matthew the tax collector. To try to put the needs of others before our own by being of service to one another. It’s not always easy - it’s generally not - but here in this passage Christ calls us to stick with him: to take up our Cross and follow him.

That’s not always easy. But is it worthwhile trying? You betcha! Before I talk about why, I want to talk a little bit about what Jesus says about not bearing fruit apart from him. Christ’s call to take up our Cross and to follow in his way, following his teachings and his example is a challenge and I wonder, sometimes, if we in the Church have always encouraged folk to take up that challenge. Back when I became a Christian more than thirty years ago I attended Communion classes with my local Minister and I remember him saying that what was asked of me was that I read the Bible, attend church and give a proportion of my wealth to its work. And I came away dispirited. Was that it? Read the book, park my backside on a pew and hand over the dosh?

None of that involves letting Jesus live in us. None of that involves trying to rise to the challenge Jesus offers us in his teachings and example. Maybe we’ve been scared of suggesting that in case we frighten people off. But all around us now we see what the consequences are, to a society, of not letting Christ live in us. Selfishness, greed and a lust for power are vaunted as values to be embraced. People are encouraged to accept that lies, corruption and selfishness are part and parcel of political life and that as long as it’s “our side” that are involved in them we should support them. The wealthy get wealthier and the poor get poorer and everyone gets angrier until we turn on each other to make sure we get what’s coming to us and nobody’s going to take it from us.

Is that really how we want to live? Is that really what we want to hand on to our kids? Is that really the world we want to live in? No? Then the challenge is there to live a better way, to be branches of the vine and to bear good fruit. See, it’s interesting that Christ describes himself as a vine. The vine carries energy from the light of sun to the branches so that they can bear fruit. Christ represents the physical presence of God on Earth - the means by which God touches the Earth and, through us, touches humanity and offers us love.

Rising to the challenge of the Cross means allowing the love of God to flow through us into the world. Which sounds a bit abstract but it’s really simple. It’s as simple as a hand offered to someone who’s fallen on hard times. It’s as simple as time spent with someone who really needs to talk about what they’re going through. It’s as simple as a few coins dropped into a box or a sponsored walk for charity. It’s as simple as a shoulder to cry on or a friendly smile when someone really needs it.

That simple? Really? In a world of selfishness and greed every simple act of generosity bears fruit. In a world of hatred and tribalism every welcoming smile bears fruit. In a world that insists we exist to enrich ourselves and our well-heeled friends on a you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours basis, every act of kindness without hope of reward bears fruit.

You want the world to be a kinder place? That starts with you and me being kind; with letting the love of God flow through us and bear good fruit. You want the world to be a more generous place? That starts with you and me being generous; with letting the love of God flow through us and bear good fruit. You want the world to be less harsh? That starts with you and me being more gracious and more forgiving; with letting the love of God flow through us and bear good fruit.

Good fruit, in turn, carries seeds. Through the vine light is carried to the branches that bear fruit that carry seeds. Through Christ the light of Heaven shines in the world and urges you and me to seed the world with kindness and generosity; with love for those we disagree with; with compassion for those who are running from pain and fear; with the recognition that, for all our differences of race or class or wealth or nation or language we are at our best when we love each other.

Christ offers us a choice between a sterile barren world of selfishness and greed or a life lived as who we are meant to be: children of God bearing good fruit in a world that direly needs it