Devotion:
Read John 15:1-5.
Jesus taught his first disciples deeply theological concepts and truths. Yet he taught in terms and language they could readily understand. In this passage, he draws on the familiar image of grapes, ripening on healthy branches of strong vines, to teach them and us about staying connected to him.
As a teenager, I mowed an elderly neighbor’s lawn every week, carefully trimming around his huge grape arbor. The trunks (vines) were 3 or 4 inches in diameter at the ground and then forked into smaller branches that wound around the arbor frame. By early fall, the branches were hanging with huge clusters of ripe, sweet grapes. The branches had produced their fruit only because they were connected to and receiving their life giving water and sustenance from the vines. This is exactly how Jesus urges us to bear fruit by staying connected to him and his life giving teaching and power.
Personal Worship Option:
Reflect on how well you are staying connected to Christ through reading and studying the Bible, prayer, and regular attendance in worship. Know that we cannot bear fruit on our own, and draw deeply from the vine of Christ!
No comments:
Post a Comment