Skip to main content

Vines, Branches

 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5,8)

          This is one of those passages we hear about and read about a lot. We understand about vines and branches. We’re at least tempted to say, “Yeah, yeah, yeah” as we circle our hand in the “move it along” gesture. And, of course, our “hurry up” attitude shows that we aren’t abiding. We’re taking charge.

          I have to laugh at myself, because since today’s passage came up on Biblegateway.com, I’ve been thinking about it. After lunch, I ran a couple errands, and I came home to find that the maintenance guys had pruned one of my palm trees. I knew they would eventually, but they are pruning them all, and leaving the branches in place until they get them all pruned and can gather them up.

          It is taking a great deal of effort and will-power to not go load them on my truck (they’ll fit nicely across my tonneau cover) and take them to the garbage, along with any others I find along the way. I just can’t abide them being there. Waiting. And it’s not that I’m one of those wonderful “spotlessly clean” folks. Far from it. The problem is that waiting for them to come get them means that they are in charge, and I am not.

          And I think that’s the same problem we have when we’re told we’re branches, and that we’re supposed to remain in Christ. We love the idea. It’s wonderful. We’re so glad for the opportunity. Praise Him! (And all that stuff.) Until we actually have to sit there…and wait. In other words, until we actually have to do the abiding part. After all, we could help. We’d only be helping. Really. It would make His life easier. He’s so busy. What’s taking Him so long? He should be grateful.

          Oops. The whole thing about abiding or remaining is that it requires that we live with, put up with, remain with or abide with things even when we aren’t pleased. Abiding is about “not my will, but Thine be done.” Abiding is about bending the knee. It’s about love, patience, and trust. And it’s hard.


PS. I lasted until 5:30 before I loaded them  up and got rid of them. About 3.5 hours before my patience ran out. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more