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The Gospel of Matthew Bible Studies
The Gospel of Mark Bible Studies
The Book of Acts Bible Studies
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
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Fifth Sunday in Easter (B) Text: John 15:1-8 May 10, 2009 You know, I didn’t always want to be a pastor. I remember when I, like many young boys, once had my heart set on becoming a professional football player. I loved football back then—as you know I still do—I loved playing with my older brother. I would spend hours memorizing statistics and rules and the jersey numbers of players on my favorite team (Go Broncos!). Oh, and I would practice constantly what my brother taught me, how to “sacrifice your body to catch the ball.” He used to love to make me do that. Yet, I still remember that day (I must have been in the third or fourth grade) when my mother told me the unwelcome news that this dream of mine was… unlikely. Now, don’t get me wrong, my parents were both very supportive of me and my interests. They never told me to “give up.” But in a very caring way, mom brought to my attention the facts, for my consideration. Something that, truth be told, I had been trying to ignore—the inconvenient truth of family genetics. As it turns out, she informed me, professional football players are… how I should put it? Big. Or at least bigger than either of the family lineages that I come from. And I was… how do you say it… not big, and not going to ever be big. Now, what are we supposed to do with a verse like John, Chapter 15 verse 7, which quotes Jesus’ words, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Is this true? Oh, how I wanted this to be true back then. Could I, if only I were truly abiding in Jesus, do anything I wanted to do? Like this, could I fly around this room right now, because, God knows, I really wish I could. No. Brothers and sisters in Christ, sometimes it’s tempting to try to use the Bible like this; to take a line out of context (they call it “Proof texting”)… using biblical passages to try to say or “prove” something that really was never meant by the original author. So don’t be too disappointed when I take Jesus out of the realm of magical potions and genies and put him and his words back into the context of this parable. For, here, in our gospel today, there are really some very good words for us—if we are open to them. Jesus said, “I am the vine and you are the branches, those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit.” The good news is that God made us—each one of us—to bear fruit. Jesus calls (or equates) God with a vine grower, which implies that God planted you in this world in order that you will bear fruit! That’s important for you to know and to hold onto with your heart. Sometimes, however, we get distracted—lost from this notion—so disappointed with who we are and what we can do… or what we cannot do. Sometimes it’s tempting to get frustrated with being just who God planted us to be, because maybe it’s not as glamorous or as exciting as we could have imagined. Or perhaps it’s disheartening at times not to be able to make a “big enough” impact on this world to feel like we really have made a difference. But, this dissatisfaction with ourselves is precisely what makes us like “useless branches” (in this parable). If I, as a child, had chosen to give up; to throw in the towel because God didn’t plant me to be a professional football player, then I would have wasted all my potential. I would have been a branch which stopped bearing fruit—good for nothing. The faith statement here is that God planted me for something. This is about our identity in Christ. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. Part of our faith journey is coming to terms with what God intends for us. From this parable we are being told that we are in the fruit business. Planted by the vine grower, our business is to grow/ produce fruit… but what specifically is the fruit of the Jesus vine? What is it that if we ask for it, God promises it will be given to us? Is it money? Is that what we’re supposed to produce? Is it about having fun all the time? Is that what being part of Jesus’ vine is about? Hmm. Is it always saying pleasing and sweet things? Being nice people? No, mom wasn’t exactly being sweet and/or nice when she told me the truth, was she? No… the fruit of the vine is… love (caring, consideration, respect, service to people who need help). Love. John’s Gospel makes this point again and again. This is the fruit which God longs for so much as to plant it in his vineyard. And love is the fruit that, if we want to produce it, if we want to bring it into the world, if we desire it to change the world with it, there is no limit to the amount of it one person can produce. Love is not a limited resource, because this is God’s vineyard. With most things in this world there is a limited supply, but not with this one. Now, why does there seem to be such a shortage at times? Because, there are some who would rather be something other than a branch on the Jesus vine—a disciple of Jesus. And there are some who don’t believe this promise, who try to hoard their love. They are afraid that they might run out, so they save it up for those most special to them. They won’t share it with the passing stranger (the Ethiopian eunuch like Philip did.) because they don’t believe God’s promises. Believe it Brothers and sisters; God has made you a righteous branch, attached to a holy vine. His name is Jesus Christ—and from him, there is an endless supply of this amazing love. Bloom where you are planted. -------------------- Pastor Joshua W. Magyar 418 W. Main St. Sidney, MT 59270
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