5 I am the vine; y’all are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in them bears much fruit, for apart from me y’all can do nothing. 6 If anyone doesn’t remain in me, that person is like a branch that is thrown out and withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If y’all remain in me, and my words remain in y’all, ask whatever y’all want, and it will be done for y’all. 8 “In this my Father is glorified, that y’all bear much fruit, showing that y’all are my disciples. John 15:5-8 YALL
I just recently pulled up some pepper plants in my backyard. They had a good run, bearing fruit from March well into December. (I live in Arizona) They still had leaves, but were beginning to wither and were not putting on new fruit. I pitched the uprooted plants into a pile against the back fence. Within a few days, they had turned brown, shed all their remaining leaves, and were easily crushed and broken into a small pile that could be easily carried to the trash. Now to get ready for planting next month!
I was reminded that the Bible uses several agricultural metaphors to describe the church. My uprooted and withered plants reminded me that without connection to the vine, we are fruitless. The translation above makes it clear that we are in this together. We each have the responsibility to stay connected, both to the vine and to each other. When we do, the Father gets the glory. When we don’t…? When the vinedresser comes, He is looking for fruit, not dry branches.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul calls the church “God’s field.”
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who makes things grow. 8 Now the one who plants and the one who waters are the same, and each will receive a reward according to their own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. Y’all are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 YALL
This portrays us as a field where seeds are sown and watered with the expectation of fruit. Jesus tells us that this is how the whole kingdom works (Mark 4:26-29). It’s our job to care for our hearts so that they are good soil, “And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest” (Luke 8:15 NLT) Again, the glory goes to the God who supplies the seed, not the minister who sows it. (2 Corinthians 9:10)
In Romans 11, Paul used another plant to describe the church: the olive tree. From Noah’s ark, where the dove brought an olive branch to signify that the judgment was over, to the olive oil used to anoint kings and priests, to the olive trees standing in the presence of God, the olive tree conveys enduring life, divine favor, peace after judgment, and the faithful community’s connection to God.
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Romans 11:17-21 ESV
Israel was the original tree, but branches were broken off. The Gentile Church was a wild olive tree that was grafted in and became part of the cultivated, fruit-bearing tree. The lesson here is that branches are broken off because of one thing: unbelief. The warning is not to be proud that we’ve been grafted in. Instead, let’s be thankful and remain faithful. It’s not us who support the root. It’s the root that gives us life.
When we get together as the church, the called-out people of God, let’s remember whose we are and why we gather. We can’t be connected to the vine without being in close proximity to the other branches. As we receive the seed of the Word and the watering of the Spirit, our faith will grow and our connection to the Vine will be strengthened. As a result, our fruitfulness will be increased, and the Vinedresser who supplies the seed will be honored. Let’s go to church.
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