seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 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. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 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.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
Back in the early 2000's, I had a rose tree. It was a rose tree, rather than a rose bush. A small tree trunk, about an inch thick along with its roots, was planted in a nice big pot. I could barely move the pot; it was so big. In the top of the trunk there was the remnants of what appeared to be a little tree, about six branches. These branches had been cut off. Someone cut off the branches and, in the base, where the branch had been attached, there was a slit. In that slit, someone planted the stem of a rose bush. The stem of the rose bush became the branch or the rose tree. It was quite pretty. I enjoyed the uniqueness of it.That's what I think of now, when I read these verses about "the vine". Jesus is the trunk. He has changed the ten commandments into the trunk, and He has transplanted Salvation branches. As long as those branches stay attached to the trunk, they will survive and produce pretty roses. If they fall out before they take root in the trunk, they will die.
The eleven men who were listening to Jesus, along with the women who were no doubt serving the men, and cleaning up afterward, were good Jews. They had been raised in the Jewish Traditions and they knew the commandments. Jesus had been teaching them for about three years. Jesus even made it easier for them. He turned the Ten Commandments into Two. Then He emphasized the second commandment, because Loving One Another is a cornerstone of the Christian Salvation.
Jesus knew these humans surrounding Him, would face persecution. He knew they would be murdered because of their faith in Him and His Mission. Jesus knew the repercussions of being His Follower. He warned them. He showed them, though, that people's lives would be changed for the better if they just Believed.
A lot of people heard Jesus when He taught on the hillsides. Thousands flocked to see Him and hear Him. Not all of those who saw Him or heard Him, Believed Him. Not all of those who ate the loaves, and the fish, were Believers. Some were just there for the show. After all, don't you think the man who had been blind since birth, made a few faces or showed real love and fear over what he was seeing for the first time! Maybe his wife really had an ugly wart on the end of her nose, that he saw for the first time. How about that guy who had been paralyzed for so long, was he able to just get up and walk, or did he teeter and totter and make those around him snicker. That had to be a show! And let's not forget the Zombie show Lazarus and Jesus put on at the tomb.
Some people heard His teachings, but it didn't compute. The graft didn't work. They fell back to the Jewish Traditions. Some heard Him but didn't listen. Some were never going to be true Believers. Judas Iscariot walked with Jesus right alongside the others for about three years, and then Satan used him.
Some people go to church every time the doors are open. Some only go to church on Easter Sunday. Some know the scriptures. Some have memorized verses, but don't know the meaning because they weren't listening. Some know the protocol of the traditions, but still don't Believe that Jesus will be back. Some go to church because they are the driver and there's nothing better to do while they wait. Some go to church because they want to do business with those in the flock. If they appear to be all for "agape" then people will trust them and do business with them. Some go to church because it's a quiet place to nap, and they have learned the art of sleeping with their eyes wide open. All these are like the branches that don't take the graft. They are good firewood.... oh geeze... great fodder for hellfire!
How do your roses bloom?
