Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Ecumenical Sunday - Called to Unity
John 15:1-12
Vs 5 “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.”
Love is the essence and the crux of the Gospel. If not for love, salvation would never stand. The earthly ministry of Jesus Christ was also enriched with the love and compassion that he had for the human life. He was engrossed in sharing that love in all occasions that he could. Miracles, though having been considered as super natural, was only an expression of God’s love for those in need.
 
  1. The love of the Father seeking fruitfulness in us:
Being efficient and effective is the norm of the world. Everything we do and every challenge we face is evaluated in the outcome or the fruit that we bear out of it. Christian life is a call for stewardship. Stewardship is very essential in the life of a believer and it is our mandate to be faithful in it. Christ reminds us in this passage that we will be able to achieve this only when we depend on him and remain in him, and without him we will not be fruitful. We are reminded that as a redeemed person in Christ our power is the strength of the Holy Spirit which will flow into us through Christ himself.
 
  1. The fruit of the vine is not uniform but of the same essence:
We often confuse unity with uniformity. Uniformity can be precisely achieved only in objects which are either lifeless or have been compromised with its creative power. Christian unity which Christ seeks is not about a hybrid version of a Vine where all fruits will look the same and taste the same. Rather the beauty and the tastiness become multifold when can appreciate the fruits of the vine, its diverse sizes, taste and texture. Even when Paul teaches us about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, he assures us that every believer has a unique place in the church with varied gifts and we are to be faithful to that calling of using the gifts for the glory of God.
 
  1. When we remain in Him, the Father is glorified:
Jesus was seeking the glory for the father even when he was teaching his disciples about abiding in him the “true vine”. The Vine dresser is the person who evaluates the fruits and also the one who can distinguish between the fruit bearing and the fruitless branches in the Vine. The life of a Christian is ultimately evaluated by the eyes of the Father himself and we cannot try gimmicks to pass through. But we are assured that the Vine dresser is seeking not to destroy but to love and to prune us so that we will bear much fruit. This we know because “he first loved us”.
PRAYER
Our Lord the true Vine, help us to abide in you so that our fruits will be multiplied and we will be a blessing to the people around us and a glory to our Father. Amen
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
“He became the true Vine, that we might be true branches. Both in regard to Christ and ourselves the words teach us the two lessons of absolute dependence and perfect confidence.”
-Andrew Murray, The True Vine

Rev. Thomas K. Mathew, Youth Chaplain – Philadelphia region
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

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