Today’s scripture: John 15:1-8 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Keith Phillips):
I was raised in a wonderful evangelical church, which was concerned about an individual’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ and with making disciples at home and abroad. Annually I anticipated the week-long Missions Conference, when I would see marvelous National Geographic-like slides of exotic countries around the globe and know that God was at work everywhere, not just where I was.
I distinctly remember hearing this passage as a call to make disciples: “I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). And yes, of course, it was quoted in the King James Version. It put the fear of God in me when I realized that I wasn’t bearing much fruit/winning many converts and I would be taken away to be burned. Maybe that was the intent, but I doubt it.
Although I recognize how “fruit” can be understood as other disciples created by God (the vine) through our influence (the branches), the image much better fits the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, 23:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law.”
Obviously, branches and fruit are different in kind. Plus, at least in The Message, Jesus suggests that fruit are signs of our growth in maturity: “This is how my Father shows who he is — when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples” (John 15:9).
Most importantly to me in understanding fruit in this context as “fruits of the Spirit” (and to the Galatians list I could add the seven classic virtues of Aristotle and the positive values of all cultures and spiritualities) is the shift that can take place with regard to what prayer is all about. “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7, NRSV; see also John 14:13, 14).
I am so tired of my good Christian brothers and sisters using prayer (and I do mean using pejoratively) to seek health and wealth for themselves and/or others. I firmly believe that if we were to spend as much time praying for those specific qualities in our lives where we fall short of Christ-likeness (the fruit we are not yet producing), if we were to seek the life of the Kingdom of God, then all these other things will be added unto us. Not only that, but God will be glorified.
Thought for today: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is how my Father shows who he is — when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.”
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.