Daily Reflection – 9/6/2024
Sacred Scripture
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 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. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 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. “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. 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. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.( John 15:1-8)
Reflection
We cannot adequately describe God. God is greater than us and different from us. God cannot be seen or examined. Therefore, the only way we can speak of God is by using images. We take something we know from our own experience and apply it to God, saying God is like this. The Bible does this all the time. The Bible says God is “my rock.” Well of course God is not a rock, but our experience of rock allows us to say something about God’s strengths and endurance. The Bible says God is “father.” God is unlike any father that we know, but our experience of father allows us to say something about God’s protection and love.
We also depend upon images to understand God. This is why it is important not to overlook the image of God that Jesus gives us in today’s scripture. Jesus says he is the vine and we are the branches. But then he adds that his Father is the vine grower. What an interesting image of God. Jesus does not say that God is the vineyard owner. He says that God is the vinedresser. The humble worker that goes out each day into the fields to care for the vines.
So, what does this image of vinedresser tell us about God? It tells us that God knows each one of us as individuals. God knows our strengths and our blessings. God knows our weakness and our challenges. You see, vines can produce grapes for decades, and so an experienced vinedresser would work with the same vines for thirty or forty years. The vinedresser would know each vine. He would know the vines that are planted in good ground with sufficient sunlight and water. He would know the vines that are planted in rocky ground or on a slope where there is a danger of the soil being washed away. The vinedresser then would go out every day to care for each vine according to its needs.
The image of God as the vinedresser tells us that God knows where we are planted. God knows if we are planted in rich soil with good relationships, multiple abilities, and a secure income. When this is the case, God comes every day to encourage our growth and to rejoice in our productivity. But God also knows if we are planted in dry ground searching for water because of rejection, misunderstanding, or failure. God sees the dryness in our life and works to bring moisture so that we can live. God sees if the soil around our roots has been washed away by addiction, divorce, or abuse, and how we are clinging at rocks to survive. When this is the case, God works to bring new soil into our life so that we can grow again.
The image of God as the vinedresser tells us that God knows where we are planted. And God not only loves us, but God also works to see that we grow and live. God’s intention is to make us healthy and productive. That is why it is true wisdom to trust the vinedresser, to put ourselves into God’s hands.
Prayer of The Day
“Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit, that I may grow in the knowledge of your great love and truth. Help me to seek you earnestly in prayer and fasting that I may turn away from sin and willfulness and conform my life more fully to your will. May I always find joy in knowing, loving, and serving you.”
Daily Note
The only way to accept the good news of the Kingdom and the daily gifts that God gives us is to be a new wineskin. We must be people who are flexible and hopeful. Let us today choose to be people who are open to life. Let us be wineskins that are capable of carrying the good news, the new wine of Christ’s kingdom.
