The Vine and the Branches

On a grapevine, fruit grows on the branches. It is on the branches that life occurs. That which is valuable, or desirable, happens. The purpose for all the work in having a grapevine grows on the branches.

But, if a branch is severed from the vines, it dries out, gets brittle, and it is impossible to grow fruit. The branch can only produce fruit, if it is connected to the vine.

Water, and nutrients, are absorbed from the ground by the roots, and flow to the branches through the vine. It is the connection that activates any value of the branch.

When we gave our allegiance to Jesus, we became part of God’s family, and we were grafted into the vine. The material of the vine, and the material of the branch fuse together. Life can flow easily to the branch.

The branch can produce fruit, which is valuable and desirable. Or the branch can produce growth that waster the life, or produces bad fruit. That’s why the farmer gives active care, removing the bad fruit, and unproductive growth.

Of course, this vine-branch connection is figurative. What is really involved is the connection between people. A person’s allegiance connects him to the vine, but a person’s practice defines the nature of that connection. We can give our allegiance, but not necessarily live out that allegiance.

The vine (Jesus) wants the connection to be a vast river flowing into the branch, with each cluster of grapes requiring a semi to carry it. That type of “production” is extremely rare, to say the least.

Jesus urges us to maintain a state of connection. What that is, is not necessarily defined in this story. Of course, he does seem to comment on it. And his entire ministry is an almost perpetual lesson about connectivity to the Father.

Mankind was designed for this. The human spirit’s main fuel is relationship (connectivity) with God. God designed, and created, the world, so he could have a love relationship with the world, just like his love relationship within the God-head.

We know how that worked. Mankind rejected a relationship with God, thinking they were getting something better. And that rejection released all that is wrong, and evil, in the world.

And God’s message: “Come back! Re-connect!” And many have returned, and re-connected. And the connection, along with (according to Jesus) an active remembrance of what he said, will produce semi loads of fruit.

We remember what Jesus said, because if we practice what Jesus said, the connection works. Many have given allegiance, but they are not obedient to Jesus’ words.

If we are honest, no one is completely obedient. And many follow man-made systems, believing they are following Jesus. But, the God-head is living and active. Father, Son, and Spirit pursue a relationship with each of their children, providing daily communication. And persona; guidance and direction. There are many things that God give direction on that are similar. (All plants need water.) But many things are different, (Harvesting tomatoes and wheat are different.)

And we need to hear all of Jesus’s words to us. Words that are common to all. And words that are specific to us. And we need to obey them all. It is the obedience that maintains, and improves, the connection, brings life, and bears fruit.