The Vine of God, the Vine of Love

John 15:1-12 -
Pastor Alcenir Oliveira
February 15, 2009.
Jesus uses metaphors according to the culture of the time to make his
teachings easy to understand. Sometimes he used parables or rhetoric exhortation
(paranaisis). He used lots of images so that the message could fit in the context of their
daily life – economic deeds, politics and most of the time he was dealing with social
relations, the life in the community.
Some of the most famous expressions are “I’ll make you fishers of men”. Jesus
was talking with fishers, so their daily language was related to what they were doing most
of the time, and what they knew how to do better.
He talked about water – We all know the importance of water in our lives, but
some places in the world it is more precious because it harder to find and harder to keep.
The Jesus talk about the living water. It is somehow redundant because if water vanishes
from the face of the earth, we die. The same is valid for bread (food). And Jesus says I am
the bread of life.
Also water have a great meaning for the Jews, it meant purification and purity.
When Jesus talks about nurturing, food, eating to survive, he reminds us of
fruits of the field that gives us bread and wine comes to our mind the image of the
farmer. On one moment he says I am the Bread of Life, on the other he says I am the
vine.
The vine. Today we are going to talk about the vine. Grape and its products
were very important in the life of people living in the Middle East, not only because of
their nurturing value, but also because the vine was a kind of agriculture that grew very
well in the farmlands of the region.
Therefore, bread and wine became two of the most important symbols of
Christianity, because they are indispensable to their lives at that time.
The grape tree or the vine requires very special care, special attention so that it
can produce with excellence. It is required to prune the trees in the right time, so that the
bad branches do not jeopardize the production of the good branches.
The reason is that the bad branches are going to waste the nutrients that could
be nurturing the good branches to produce better fruits.
Vine bad branches is an image of evil people among righteous – In the
community, as we know, there those who works hard for the well being of the community
and those who are like a bad branch in the vine.

The true vineyard: Jesus

a. The Old Vine - Israel
Jesus says that he is the true Vine. Why is he saying this?
In the OT Israel is considered the vineyard of God. Isaiah. 5:7 say “For the vineyard of
the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant
planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!”
Jesus is introducing the new Vineyard of God which will grow out of Him.
The people of Israel, the old vineyard of the Lord, had only worthless branches. Many
didn’t bring fruits and others brought worthless fruits, not what the Lord expected from
them.
A new tree – Here is point to a new tree. The old tree is Jacob, Israel. The tribes
of Israel didn’t practice the justice of God, hospitality, loving the neighbor, they exploited
the foreigners. Jesus turns to those who represented the OT church, the Old Vineyard and
say you are the branches which raised no fruits. Therefore, you’ll be cut off the vineyard.
But not just to be cut off, you will be thrown in the fire.
It is said that the wood of Vine has no use. Cooking and heating depended on
wood in those days. Vine wood has to be burned outside, it is not good for domestic use.
b. The New Vineyard: the Chruch of Christ
Jesus turn to the disciples and says I am the Vineyard and you are the branches. A new
people, a new tree is raising now.
And pay attention to this. Those branches of this tree which grow fruit will remain
in me. However, those which do not grow fruit will be cut off and burned.
Jesus now was not talking about the Old Israel that was rejected by God, but was
talking about the church, his branches.
c. The Vine Grower, God Father
The Ploughman or Tiller. The workers of the field knows the behavior of the
plants they grow. The know what are their needs, what is the better soil, the volume of
water from rain or irrigation.
One of the most pleasant things is to walk amid the farming field and see how
healthy the plants are. On the other hand it is sad when we see that for some reason the
agriculture is not growing well.
Jesus Send a Message to the Jewish. You will be cut off, Jacob is not the
Vineyard anymore, I am the new one, the true Vineyard.
A Great Punishment. The Psychology says there is no worse thing than losing
identity; losing one’s meaning for life, for the community, the social and economic
significance for the society. It is painful to find out that we are not contributing, that you
are not loved and accepted in the community, that you are missed.
When all human values are lost, when individuality and self identity are lost, it
looks like being dead without dying. I’ve learned that in Jordan, one of the penalties for
some kind of crimes is to erase all civil rights and all identity files of the individual as a
citizen.
In the United States the person who does not work hard, go to college, doesn’t
become a successful worker, doesn’t raise a respectable family, this person is called
“loser”. This is how the branch of the new Vineyard cut off is going to be like.
d. The Justice of God and the Justice of Man
God will cut off those branches that choose the justice of man. God is the farmer
and Christ, the Church, is the Vineyard. Those who are in the church but do not grow
fruits will be cut off and burned.
But God is just and justice. God takes care of those who bear good fruits so that
they bear yet more.
This is a great Strategic Attitude. It means to assume the identity of the church.
He is teaching us that this attitude means that each of us, with our abilities, skills,
knowledge, experience, added with the Spiritual Gifts become conscious of the Purposes
the church is willing to achieve.
 We assume our position of branches of the Vineyard, empowered to bear fruits. As
leaders, teachers, pastors, ministers in every field our role is very important to the church
as a whole.
Evangelism. We are challenged to evangelize. Some people are confronted in the
church because they do not evangelize. Therefore, those who have not the gift become
humiliated and guilty.
We have to understand Evangelism, a person to person conversation about the
Gospel of Jesus, as a gift. All of us are a living witness of the Lord Jesus Christ, but not
all have the gift of evangelism. However, it doesn’t mean that we don’t evangelize, for
we witness not just with words, but also we act and attitude. Thus, we have to evangelize
all the time. When necessary, we shall use words, as St. Francis said.
Paul advises us to be fruitful in Ephesians 6:13-17. He Says: “13Even the
circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that
they may boast about your flesh. 14May I never boast of anything except the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, by which* the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
15
For* neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is
everything! 16As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and
upon the Israel of God. 17 From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the
marks of Jesus branded on my body”.
Wrong interpretation of the Justice of God: The people of Israel understood
that by fulfilling the Law, they were practicing the Justice of God. However, this is why
they made a big mistake and were thrown out of their Kingdom.
The Justice of God should be fulfilled with the heart, instead of simply fulfilling
the Law. The Justice of God in the heart means the practice of love, generosity, mercy,
forgiveness and hospitality. That is the real meaning of growing fruits in the Vineyard as
its branch.

We learn three important lessons here to be fruitful:

First: Jesus says “remain in me and obey my commandments”.
At the same time he tells us what we accomplish by doing this: everthing we ask
for will be given to us. That is a great reward. He goes on saying that the real disciples,
those who remain in him, and bear much fruit, bring great glory to our Father.
Second, Jesus said that if we keep his commandments, we are going to live in his
love, as well as to obey the Father and live in His love. There is nothing greater, no
greater privilege than living in the love of God.
Third, Jesus tell us to be aware that our salvation, our inclusion in the Family of
God is not by our work, through our action. It is otherwise because he has chosen us and
sent us to go and bear fruits. However, it should be in such a way that the Father will give
everything we ask for in the name of Christ.
Fourth and last teaching is Jesus Commandments to “love each other”.
The Scribes and Pharisees, Masters of the Law, radically observes the Law in
such a way that they denied healing the sick on Saturday. That is hypocrisy, a hypocrite
way of practicing the law. They were undressed of mercy, hospitality, forgiveness,
solidarity, fellowship, and practice of peace.
 The people of Israel went to exile because of hypocrisy. They practiced the law
very strictly for the profit of their own, by exploiting the poor, the slaves, the foreigner
and the widows.
To be born again is attitude changing. We fulfill the Law not because we must,
but because the love drives us to do that. Confronting the rich young man, Jesus points to
the greatest of all commandments which is to Love God above all things, to love yourself
and to love your neighbor as yourself.
This is what I call tri-dimensional love. This is the mark of Christ. It forms a
triangle of love: Love God, Love yourself and Love your neighbor.
Our church is committed to the commandment of Jesus Christ. We love ourselves
and each other; we love our neighbor as we love ourselves. And we love God above all
things.

Amen