Source of sustenance
by Charles Bertelsmeier
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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 … This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples (John 15:5,8).
Read John 15:1–8
Jesus used many examples and stories (parables) to help us understand how he wants to live in relationship with us (shepherd/sheep; farmer/produce; vine/branches). All of these rely on a very close connection between us and him. Any of us who have done some gardening will realise how quickly a branch withers and dies when not connected to a source of sustenance. We can maintain life in the cut branch for some time if we place the cut end in water, such as placing cut flowers in a vase. Or we can place a cutting in a special soil mixture to get it to send out its own roots and commence a new plant of its own. And there is the option to graft the cutting into a living plant so that it becomes part of that living plant.
But without that source of sustenance, the cut branch will very quickly die. Jesus uses this example to teach us an important truth about how we remain alive as children of his Father and live out his purpose for us. Since Jesus is the source of all the sustenance we need to stay alive and be productive, we need to maintain that intimate connection with him. We generally know what this means: regular systematic Bible reading, times of intimate prayer, spending time with other Christians. These all help us to focus on God’s will for us, help us find answers to the challenges we face and give us encouragement when we lose energy and focus. But we also get to know God in a very personal way, feel safe and loved in his presence, and excited enough about our relationship with him that others observe his impact on our lives.
When we are feeling ineffectual in our Christian witness or we feel discouraged about the lack of impact our church community is having on the wider community, maybe all we need to do is go back to the source of our sustenance, the Jesus vine, and review how much we are utilising the resources he makes available to us. Are we immersing ourselves in his word? Are we spending intimate time with Jesus and his Father in talking about our life and the issues we face? Are we finding encouragement in worshipping God in the company of other Christians? Are we focusing on all that God has done for us and is continuing to do for us?
Being connected to the Jesus vine and receiving all the sustenance it provides will result in us producing fruit – fruit that others will see as being sourced from God himself, stimulating their curiosity as to the source of this fruit.
Heavenly Father, many of us have been trying to produce fruit for you, relying on our own efforts and ideas, and producing very little. Thank you for reminding us that we can only produce fruit for you if we are connected to the Jesus vine. We surrender our lives to you, for you to achieve your will and purpose in us. Amen.
Charles is a retired engineer who has worked on communications projects for the air force, army and navy. He lives in the outer north-western suburbs of Sydney with his wife, Diane. Together they have four children and eight grandchildren with whom they love spending time. He keeps himself busy with pot plants, a community vegetable garden, researching his family history and volunteering in the community and at LifeWay Lutheran Church.
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