“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you”. John 15 v 2-3
There are times in life when things are not quite as they seem. Situations or events may be presenting what looks like the facts but somehow it just doesn’t add up. On closer inspection we find that it is not the whole picture and what we know of someone or something causes us to dig deeper, to delve further and to investigate until we are happy that we have the full story. This is how we need to approach the Bible.
You see there will be passages that often don’t make sense on their first read or they do not appear to line up with what you know of your loving Father. In these moments rather than changing your view of God take time to ask the Lord, “am I missing something”, and to go back to the most accurate translation of the word you can find. You will be amazed at how one verse can be completely transformed when you learn to interpret it through the lens of His grace. Take the passage above. Many people have been taught that in order for Jesus to help us grow he must cut away at the sinful parts of our lives. We set ourselves up to expect pain, chastisement and affliction. In extreme cases Christians believe that Jesus would even give them sickness to teach them a lesson. How far is this from the truth! Jesus who came to heal the sick and set the captives free!
So what do these verses actually mean and how do they relate to us today?
The word that is used here is not CUT it is the word: KATHIRO, which means “to cleanse with water”. In those days when the leaves were dirty from insects, moss and the dust of the ground the vine-dressers would need to come along and clean the leaves so that there would be no obstruction to them bearing fruit. If we look further in the passage we see this is confirmed “Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.” The word is KATHAROS - clean, pure, unsoiled, to be ceremonially & morally clean (the demands of the law have been met). You see Jesus cleanses us by the washing of the word.
He is not talking about our position in Christ which has been sealed for eternity when we accept and put our faith in Jesus. We are not trying to be clean, WE ARE CLEAN!! When he saved you it was complete and total and whole. You are spiritually guiltless and upright. He is talking about the need to be cleansed from the work of the flesh, from bitterness, jealousy, fear, unforgiveness, hatred, impatience. We all get messy and life in this world affects us but Jesus doesn’t want our lives to be hindered and for obstacles to hold us back he wants us to walk into freedom and life ; “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Hebrew 12:1-2
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Who Do You Say I Am Series – Exchange Church Belfast 2020