Abiding Vines

Isaiah and John are arguable two of the greatest canonical books for imagery and analogy.  One of the images that the authors used consistently to describe right relationship with Almighty consistent with the overwhelming presence of vines and grapes here in the chosen land of Israel is that of the vineyard owner to his grapes. 

Isaiah’s imagery is beautiful, especially in Isaiah 5:1-2:

“Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.  He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.”

I just love the fact that the Beloved took the time to prepare the soil for His upcoming harvest; with care and concern, He digs, clears, plants, and protects the vines that are called to yield good fruit that represents and reflects the expertise of the vineyard owner.  But what happens? Despite this first-rate care, the field bears wild grapes.  Did not the vineyard owner do everything in his power to provide the perfect conditions for His precious crop? Verse 4 shows the Vineyard owner's frustration and confusion:

“What more was there for me to do for my vineyard that I have not done for it?  When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?”

In ancient Israeli culture, when a vineyard harvest turned bad, there was only one thing left to do: tear down the walls that protect the crop to let the wild animals come and devour.  Nothing can be salvaged and the vineyard keeper’s attention is better spent elsewhere. 

“And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard.  I will remove its hedge and it shall be devoured, I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.  I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.  For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant planting; and He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry.”

It’s all rather sobering, huh?  Even though Gentiles don’t represent the house of Israel, each and every one of us has done exactly what this chosen nation did.  In our humanity and our propensity to sin, left to our own abilities and strengths, we have become those wild grapes… and our only job was to grow into fruit!  Our Beloved granted us the most perfect of conditions, we had in Him the best of vinedressers, and yet we fell astray, failing to produce the fruit representative of the glory of our God.

How much more important and valuable, then, do the words of Jesus in John 15 become?

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit, He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.  ABIDE IN ME, AND I IN YOU.  AS THE BRANCH CANNOT BEAR FUIT BY ITSELF, UNLESS IT ABIDES IN THE VINE, NEITHER CAN YOU, UNLESS YOU ABIDE IN ME.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, FOR APART FROM ME, YOU CAN DO NOTHING.”

Before the person and work of Christ, all of humanity was left to bear good fruit in and of themselves, yet due to the nature and gravity of our depravity, we could not.   Through Christ, representative of the perfect vine, we can be what the Beloved calls us to be.  This comes by ABIDING in Him, for apart from Him, we can do nothing.  And when He says nothing, He means nothing; we can’t even do that which we were created to do, bear fruit.  Like I said earlier, sobering, huh?

Application?  Abide, people. 

SDG