Are we Connected to the Vine?

(The following was published in the bulletin at St Charles Bible Church – April 23rd, 2017, St Charles MN)

     I am not very good at deciphering and identifying plants. I do fairly well with trees, but telling the difference between weeds and grain is not my thing. (My mother’s concern with her boys doing the gardening was that we might pull out all the carrots but leave weeds like Queen Anne’s Lace!) Foragers must take care not to mistake poison hemlock or water hemlock for carrot during its early stages of growth. Daucus carota, the wild ancestor of the domesticated carrot, thrives in many areas of the U.S. and may grow as a look-alike weed in gardens.

     Jesus described a similar problem in His parable of the wheat and tares (weeds). His concern was that “good plants” would also be uprooted while the weeds were being pulled. So, He says, “Leave them be, until harvest.” Angels (not people) were given the final authority to discern the difference between wheat and tares and cast tares into the fire to be burned. (Matthew 13). Harvest time would reveal what ‘kind’ of plant they were.

In the parable of the vine and the branches, the harvest is also the determining factor between ‘good vines’ and ‘bad ones’. The bottom line? No matter what the profession of the ‘vine’, their fruit would confirm or deny their authenticity. The fruit doesn’t make the vine anything; it only reveals what kind of vine (or crop) that it is. Jesus said, “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?” Matthew 7:16 NIV

     We are not called to be ‘fruit inspectors.’ (Unless it is our own!) We are admonished to ‘examine ourselves’ (II Cor 13:50), and let Christ examine others. Disciples were very critical of people sometimes–even to the point that Jesus rebuked them, “Leave her alone.” (Mark 14:6) And still, they seemed to miss the true nature of their close friend, Judas. No one immediately said, “Judas” when Jesus said, “One of you will betray me…”

However, wouldn’t it be wonderful if others could contemplate our conduct and conclude that we were connected to the Vine? The community that observed Peter and John, concluded: “These men had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:10-13). Now that would be cool! —Pastor Jim B

    ’47 / ’56 St Charles MN

Doris Jean H

’44 / ’55 Manheim PA