"I feel like mother nature has sent us all to our rooms to think about what we've done."
- Anonymous Meme
I'm not sure I fully subscribe to that line of thinking, but I think there is something to it. Many of us are intuiting that something bigger is going on right now. It is more than just COVID-19, more than economic decline, more than social distancing, and more than the emotional rollercoaster that we are all riding. There is something "big" on the horizon, and we are all trying to decipher what it is.
Our initial reaction is to think, Jesus is coming back, and everything is falling into place. I agree with this assessment. I just don't think He is coming back yet. At the rate that the economy is collapsing and how governmental leaders are bickering–I can see how Jesus' return might be soon.
I think we are in a season of getting prepared for the second coming of Jesus.
This makes me think of the final teachings that Jesus gave to his disciples before He died on the cross. In John 15, Jesus uses a parable to illustrate how we should be living during difficult times. Jesus uses the idea of a vineyard, and He calls himself the "true" grapevine to show us how to survive and thrive in hardship.
"I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me" (John 15:1-4, New Living Translation).
I love this parable because it has so much meaning and power beyond the cursory reading of the Biblical text. In the Old Testament, the imagery of a vineyard was used to describe the people of Israel. However, it was always used to illustrate the nation's shortcomings and disobedience. God often used the vine and grapes to remind the people to be faithful. In fact, there was a "golden vine (that) decorated the entrance to Herod's Temple, and figures of the leaves of the vine or of clusters of grapes were displayed on coins and architecture. The Jews depended upon their connection with the vine of Israel for their salvation" (Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 5).
Jesus takes this imagery to the next level by calling Himself the "true" grapevine. The disciples were very familiar with this imagery, but then Jesus tells them that He is the true and authentic one. As Jesus expands this idea, He explained to the disciples that God the Father is the gardener. Jesus is our source for growth, and the Father, as the gardener, prunes out the unhealthy elements that keep fruit from producing.
Often, when conversations develop about the "End Time," there are warnings given about what you need to give up. We are given fiery lessons that we need to "turn or burn." I use this expression because, later on in this chapter, Jesus talks about branches being burned and destroyed. The problem with the fiery messages that tell us what we need to give up is that these messages are not Biblical.
Jesus tells us two things. First, we need to remain in Him; as we stay connected with Jesus and focus on Him, we will have life. The second element of this teaching is that God, the Father, is the one that does the pruning. There is an element of growth that needs to occur in us, and we all have aspects within us that are holding us back. The challenge is that we want to do work that doesn't correspond to us.
We need to let the Father take care of the pruning.
Our job is to remain in Jesus.
As we remain in Jesus, the source of life, the Father will begin to grow us. Several times within this passage, we are told that those that bear fruit will be pruned so that they can produce more fruit. The Father will also remove those that are not bearing fruit. When churches talk about fruit, the temptation is to talk about church growth through baptisms and an increase in giving (i.e., tithe and offerings).
The Apostle Paul, in the letter to the Galatians, tells us what bearing fruit looks like and what it doesn't look like in a disciple of Jesus. Paul wrote:
"When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" (Galatians 5:19-23, New Living Translation).
As we compare and contrast this list, we do not see elements of church growth that pertain to increased baptisms, more attendance, increased giving in the offering plates. When Paul talks about bearing fruit, this list deals with matters of the heart. Jesus tells us that God is the gardener that prunes us for more significant growth, and Paul teaches that the Holy Spirit is the one that produces the fruit.
As I look at the two lists, I can see my sinful shortcomings, and I can also see what areas I need God to prune and the Spirit to produce fruit.
I have attended multiple weeks of prayer, revival seminars, evangelistic series, Bible studies where I was told that I needed to give up my sins. On numerous occasions, as was the habit in the 1990s and early 2000s, I remember being encouraged to destroy my tapes (then CDs) and my VHS (later DVDs). The idea that was always conveyed was that I needed to give these things up so that I could be worthy of heaven. If I am honest with you, I destroyed or threw away my movies and music several times. Yet, I always went back out and purchased it all again.
My actions were never long-lasting. Over the years, God has pruned away several of my shortcomings, and the Spirit has produced fruit in me. Sometimes, these were painful growing experiences, and at other times, I didn't even notice the work that was being done in me. We are not supposed to be doing the pruning. Our job is to remain in Jesus.
So, we have to ask. How do we remain in Jesus?
I love the wisdom that Ellen White shares with us early in The Desire of Ages when she says,
"It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit. If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross" (p. 83).
May we remain in Jesus, proclaiming Him as our Savior, examining His life, and living like Him. And as we do, may we tap into the true vine, allowing the Father to prune us, and the Spirit to produce fruit in our lives. May we trust God to do the work during this time of uncertainty.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Geraldo
Discussion Questions:
How do you feel connected to Jesus? When do you feel most connected to Jesus? What can you do today to connect with our Savior?
Have you noticed God pruning away some aspects of your life? Was it painful? Did you notice the pruning?
What are the fruits that you need to grow in? What elements of the sinful nature do you struggle with? Have you asked God to prune them away?