Vines & Branches
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 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. 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 15:1–4
This passage is kinda special to me. The first time I ever spoke publicly about scripture was on this passage. It really wasn’t a sermon or a whole teaching but I did have visual aides so…maybe it was a mini-sermon. But whatever you want to call it I read a devotional about this verse this morning and it made me think. It’s been over 20 years since that first sermonette that I spoke on this verse and yet I still can’t seem to get it right. I know that I have to “remain” constantly grafted in to the vine drawing my nourishment and strength from God and yet days or to be honest weeks can go by where I don’t spend time in prayer or reading. It like Paul said, “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” (Romans 7:15)
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In the devotional by Levi Lusko, he simplified this passage by pointing out that for plants to grow they need: dirt, air, light, and water.
Dirt: Genesis says that God created man out of the dust of the earth. We must remember that we are nothing but dust — humble jars of clay.
Air: Every breath we are given comes from the Lord.
Light: Jesus calls himself the “light of the world.” God has embedded in our souls a process similar to photosynthesis; we must be in contact with the light constantly, not sporadically.
Water: Jesus once famously asked, “Is anyone thirsty?” and then promised that if anyone thirsted, they could come to him to be satisfied. The Scriptures often equate water to the Spirit, the Word of God, and worship. These are the means by which we remain spiritually hydrated.
