“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me”. John 15 v 4
A couple of years ago we bought a puppy for our youngest daughter. This was after much debate, discussion and persuasion. Our dog is very cute and that is probably her saving grace because if she was not so cute she would have probably been re-homed. I know all the stories you hear about don’t blame the dog, it’s the owners fault but I just ask myself have they ever tried training a Beagle - possibly the most stubborn breed of dogs in the world! One thing our dog will not do is stay. Well she will until food is involved. As soon as she sees or smells food all the hard work and training goes out the window because there is no chance she will do anything she is told if it means she has the chance of a snack!
I criticise the dog but then I began to think about how stubborn we are as people? How often do we fail to listen to the guidance of our Father? How often do we choose to wander off and do our own thing and end up causing ourselves unnecessary stress and pain simply because we failed to stay. This word in today's passage is often translated in English as abide or remain. The Greek word is, “meno”, and it simply means ‘to stay and remain where you are.” The sense is do not try to be a vine - you are a branch so stay as a branch! You see too often we get caught up trying to be the one who is the supplier but that is not our role. As a believer we need to get our heads around the fact that we are not responsible for the fruit in our lives. The fact is fruit grows if it is connected to the vine.
We have taught this lesson to our kids as we have an apple tree in the middle of our garden. One year we cut some of the branches off it and my daughter wanted to keep one and take it inside so that when the apples grew she could have them in her bedroom. What seems so foolish to us seemed simple to her because this was part of an apple tree and the fruit can be picked from the branches. We had to help her see that once the branch was cut off from the tree it ceased to be effective. It no longer had a life source providing what it needed to bear fruit. When the branch is connected to the vine it bears fruit- it’s how nature works. We are the branches and a true branch is restful & carefree because it knows that everything it needs is coming from the VINE - IT TRUSTS THAT THE VINE WILL SUPPLY!
Consider all the striving we do. The self- effort and the stress of trying to get things right. But the Lord has a better way. It’s a way of rest, a way of Holy Spirit led activity that flows from our connection to the source of life. Not only will you experience greater levels of fullness and joy but your peaceful demeanour will be a more notable testimony than your words. Grace & peace filling you to capacity - this is the Lord’s heart for you.
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Who Do You Say I Am Series – Exchange Church Belfast 2020