IT REALLY IS THIS SIMPLE
May 3, 2009
I John 4: 7-21
John 15: 1-12
Rev. Dr. Dennis Winkleblack
Prospect United Methodist Church
Bristol, Connecticut
A few weeks ago I talked about the cross that hangs at the front of Avon’s Memorial United Methodist Church during Lent. This morning I call your attention to the front of the sanctuary of First UMC in Stamford, where I served from 1990 to 1997. There you will see, in your mind’s eye, an even larger large cross, probably 25 feet tall. It is set amidst a mosaic of beautiful tiles revealing a giant vine with its tendrils lacing throughout.
In the Stamford church, this vine and cross is a powerful symbol reminding worshippers of our gospel lesson this morning: Jesus, the true vine and worshippers as branches of the vine. Over the years, many people have said that after seeing this portrayal of Jesus the vine in the Stamford church, they never looked on their Christian faith quite the same way again. The grape vine is, indeed, a very rich symbol of the Christian faith and tradition.
In today’s world, however, except for those who grow grapes, the vine is not a natural metaphor for understanding how we relate to Jesus and the world. In fact, probably, if Jesus were teaching today, he would surely use another symbol: a computer perhaps, an internet allusion, a telephone, maybe a cell phone – likely something to do with technology. Jesus definitely would tweet on twitter.
In the first century, however, it was viticulture – grape growing for wine – that was the commonly held reality. Everyone knew about grapes. In fact, you may know that in the Bible the vine and vineyards were often used as symbols of God’s chosen people, Israel. In all, there are more than 500 references in the Bible to grape growing and grapevines. The façade of Jerusalem’s Holy Temple was covered by a grapevine, fashioned in gold leaf above its huge doors. To be very sure, Jesus and his disciples would have seen this every time they passed by or entered the Temple.
Accordingly, in the scripture for today, Jesus has once again displayed his genius for taking a familiar thing and then using it to teach a powerful lesson. Indeed, we could spend weeks and weeks plumbing the depths of this marvelous 15th chapter of the Gospel of John.
In this chapter, Jesus portrays God, the Father, as the vine grower, the owner of the garden. Jesus is the vine. And we, those who have trusted this Jesus with our lives, are the branches.
Jesus says that if we the branches are productive, then we’re pruned in order to produce even more fruit. But if we’re not productive, then we’re chopped off and thrown away as just so much waste. By this harsh metaphor, Jesus is making it very clear that a life of discipleship is results oriented. Could say it’s bottom line oriented. Only in this case, it’s not money that matters, but results, or fruit.
Some things about faith are complicated. This truth, however, is simple. As the sermon title suggests, it really is this simple: A Christian’s raison d’etre, reason for being, is to bear fruit.
Fruit. So what exactly does Jesus mean by fruit? Well, what does it mean for a grape growing vine to produce fruit? It means there are grapes, right? It means the plant, the vine has done what it was created to do. So, too, for us. As branches of Jesus’ vine, bearing fruit is also what we were created to do.
In our case, however, according to Jesus, bearing fruit is to produce deeds of love whereby the world is changed, transformed, for the better because it comes to know God and God’s purposes. It’s just this simple!
We, in the church, live out our fruit-bearing charge by acting individually as Christ’s ones (Christians) and together as the church (the “Body of Christ”). Thus, as a church we baptize and teach and give out scholarships and work hard to put together a Vacation Bible school and work with Covenant to Care and serve meals to hungry people, and make music of praise, and yes, even go to committee meetings – all to lead people to know God, to love God and to come to bear good fruit themselves. To say the least, the concrete sign of discipleship, of following Jesus is not what we say. It’s in our fruit. We are made to be fruit-bearing, loving giving creations. It’s just this simple!
Jesus said, “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.”
Abide in me, some translations say unite, some say joined in me. The word is used 10 times in these 12 verses. Sort of get the idea that it’s the key element in the whole bit, don’t you?
Briefly, very briefly, I want to point out from our passage this morning three ways abiding in Christ enables us to fulfill our destiny as fruit-bearers.
First, Jesus says, “if you abide in me (stay close to me), and my words abide in you, then ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Very clearly, to stay close to Jesus, to abide in Jesus one must pray. And what results one gets from praying! Maybe we could put this on our sign out front: “Prospect UMC, the church where you get whatever you ask for.”
In its own way, this is true. It’s true because we also know that in continual praying our wants are transformed until most of what we ask for is what Christ wants already. Such maturity in prayer does not happen at once. But in time we can indeed grow into such a relationship with Christ through prayer. And, lo and behold, selfishly tinged wants are changed into less selfish ones, and, eventually, maybe even totally unselfish ones.
This is why consistent prayer and worship (for what is worship but a wonderful, communal prayer) is so important. Prayer changes us, even when we hardly know it. Until over time we find that what we really want is to want what God wants. This growth in grace is nothing short of amazing!
Second, in addition to powerful prayers when we stick close, abide with Christ, we are also empowered to live the real, authentic life. Real, authentic living is what Jesus means by keeping his commandments which are summed up in his commandment to love one another as he loves us. To bear the fruit of Christ’s love is truly to fulfill our destiny as human beings.
Such real, authentic life is not the result of schooling or good breeding or even luck. Instead, as Jesus states and we know all too well, loving as Christ loves is impossible unless we’re connected to the source of all love: Jesus Christ. In such a relationship we will find ourselves growing in grace and faith as the nutrients of this abiding relationship we have with Christ nurtures us. And then it is also that we find ourselves capable of bearing more fruit, richer fruit, more life changing fruit. And it’s all because we abide in Christ!
Finally, in addition to abiding in Christ giving us a powerful prayer-life and enabling us to fulfill our destiny as loving fruit-bearers, we find ourselves surprised by joy. Somehow, by abiding in Christ and bearing the fruit of love, thinking about ourselves less and less, we discover joy. As Jesus said, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that you joy may be complete.”
Not that we were looking for joy, particularly. In fact, joy is so often a surprising discovery precisely because we weren’t obsessing about things like what makes for happiness. In fact, the deep joy, the contentment even amidst suffering that is known to Christians results only from loving one another as Christ loves us with a Christ-like, non self-seeking love. But thus does come joy. Real joy. Authentic joy. Joy, joy, joy, joy, down in our heart.
And, all of this: powerful prayers; fulfilling our destiny as lovers; and consummate, deep joy, contentment – it all begins and is sustained by our abiding, staying close to the True Vine of God, Jesus Christ.
How fitting it is then, that we seal this promise and include our own by celebrating today the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, Eucharist, with bread, of course, and the juice of that most incredible fruit of the vine – the grape.
