Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
Our watchword for today is taken from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, Chapter Two verse 21, “Yet I planted you as a choice vine, from the purest stock. How then did you turn degenerate and become a wild vine,” (NRSVB). The prophet Jeremiah is speaking to the people of Judah and revealing the word of the Lord to them, telling them to repent of their ways and turn back to God. God loves them with a deep and perfect love, not the love of a human partner, but the love of the creator God, who only wants the best for his beloved. God called Israel out of slavery and saved her from this bondage, so that she could be free to serve her God, the God of Israel. God called Israel to freedom, not to live and do what they wanted to, but to live and act in love to God and their neighbours and follow God’s commandments. Jeremiah uses the symbol and image of the vine, a choice vine that is grafted in, nursed and pruned to give beautiful choice fruit. Instead of worshipping God in truth and pure faith and obedience, Israel is producing fruit that does not reflect the choice stock of faith, love and mercy that she received. God, as the perfect partner, the giver of all that is needed, is pained by the rejection of the people of Judah and Israel, whom he loves. Despite their rejection of his perfect love, he waits for them to return to him so that he can bless them again with choice fruit and a bountiful harvest. God is forever patient, filled with loving-kindness and waiting for his children.
Jesus taught his disciples, “I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vine dresser. You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you. Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. When you bear much fruit, My Father is honoured and glorified, and you show yourself to be true followers of Mine” John 15 verses 1, 4 and 8, (Amplified Bible). This is our witness, being grafted in the Vine, our Lord Jesus, Christ, allows us to produce good and choice fruit, because of the teaching and commandments of our Lord Jesus showing in our thoughts, words and actions. When we love our neighbour and act with their needs in mind, our Father’s work and word in the world will served and glorified by us. Being a branch in the True Vine frees us not to serve ourselves, but those around us, pointing them to Jesus, and his work of Love on the Cross for all.
In the Book of Revelations, the vision of John tells of the Angel announcing to the Church in Ephesus, that they have to remember the first love that they had for the gospel and how they loved the Lord. They have fallen away from that first love of embracing the power of the gospel in their lives and living according to the commandment of loving the neighbour, because they have turned from loving God whole-heartedly. “Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first,” Revelations Chapter Two verse 5, (NRSVB). Like the congregation in Ephesus, people have, through the ages, experienced times when they forget their first joyous experience of being wrapped up in the love of God. They take little slip ways off the beaten road of God’s commandments of love. When the branch tries to exist without the Vine there cannot be a produce of choice fruit. The children of God have been purified and grafted into the Vine and they are not detached form him! God wants his children to repent and be reminded that their good works and fruit are not of themselves, neither are these for themselves, but to the benefit of those around them and to the glory of God. God has chosen and grafted us unto the Vine when Christ died for us on the Cross. We are regenerated and we cannot help bearing good fruit for we are dwelling in the Vine.
Father, we praise you that you produce good fruit in us to share with the world, Amen.