John 15:1-17
The image of the vine brings forward the importance and imperative of fruitfulness in Christian life. The fruitfulness of Christian character is probably what is in mind. Other kinds of fruitfulness are important, and connected, to that character – like the bringing of new believers to the church – but it would be in keeping with what we’ve read so far in John and with other New Testament passages for us to focus here on Christian character as a product of the Spirit, who has been at the center of Jesus’ discussion just before this.
The vine is to John what the Body of Christ is in Paul’s language. The Christian must have a vital, living link with his/her Saviour. Any part of our life that impedes that life-flow must be dealt with decisively. Just as Paul in 1 Corinthians said anything that is not of love – no matter how outwardly valuable it may seem – is not just not what it should be, but worthless; so here we need a living connection with our Saviour for authentic faith and life. It is also a variation on a theme contained in the conversation of Jesus with the woman at the well in John 4. There we reflected that we depend on the flow of life from Jesus; we have no reservoir. It is true of the natural world that there is no life without movement. There is no true Christian life without continuous growth: new ways of reaching out, increasing purity of motive in our offering of our lives back to God (worship in the midst of life), deepening intentional fellowship, and expansiveness in our giving and serving. We can grow at a different pace at different times, but there is no standing still, no mere pew-sitting.
If there is any attitude, any habit, any resentment, jealousy or inertia that is keeping us from growing, we need to prune it, or we will be like the fellow Nicky Gumbel of Alpha talks about in a “Beta” talk, who found he was saved but wasn’t really living.
Prayer:
Lord, teach me the difference between self-preoccupation and self-examination. Through Jesus. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
"anything that is not of love – no matter how outwardly valuable it may seem – is not just not what it should be, but worthless"
Ouch. It's that cutting away that is so difficult. The giving up of the ways of this world. It's scary.
My kids are going through their second separation as we have to find a new home. My son has many questions about God, and how God can let us, and the rest of the world, suffer. He wonders why God doesn't answer prayers. I said he does sometimes, but God won't put me and my partner back together. But he'll send people and opportunities to help us. My daughter says she likes Sundays best now because we go to church, and everyone is happy and friendly, and talk about how God loves us and how we are never alone. Please let that be true.
I pray that you will indeed experience God sending you - in abundance - people and opportunities to help you and your kids. And that the church environment will be one of encouragement, friendship and joy - especially in a time of really tough change.
those are tough questions:
-why doesn't god answer prayers?
-why does god allow suffering?
if i could send answers through time to 8-year-old self, i'd say:
-god does answer prayers, but it may not be the answer you want or expect, and so sometimes you miss the answer.
-god allows suffering, but god is not the cause of suffering. humans cause suffering because we choose to not listen to god. god loves us and so god allows us to choose. and so, god allows us to experience the consequences of our choices, whether those choices cause joy or suffering.
-but what about people who don't have a choice?
-we always have a choice, but it may not be the choice we want or expect.
for hard questions like this, questons of justice, i sometimes recall the beatitudes.
i don't know if that would've done me much good in the short term, but it's like yeast to help me rise as i'm baked in the oven of experience.
correction:
if i could send answers through time to my 8-year-old self, i'd say:
Post a Comment