Word to the Wise
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 - 5th Week of Easter - Wed
[Acts 15:1-6 and John 15:1-8]Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing..... If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
The daily cycle of scriptures, which has its own schedule, brings us to a passage that we encountered this past Sunday. It is useful to recall that the Farewell Discourse is made up of various "patches" of material that the evangelist wove together. The image of the Vine and the Branches seems to stand on its own. Like the image of the shepherd, sheep, gatekeeper and sheepfold, this image offers a way of understanding the relationship between Jesus and his Father and between the individual and Jesus. I spoke to this in my Sunday reflection, but there is one aspect that today's re-visit offers that I want to call to attention. Notice the verb that Jesus continually uses in his series of statements: REMAIN.
Scripture scholars tell us that this word has as many as seven different uses in this gospel, but the one that is most important here is the meaning of intimacy. Jesus is offering to the individual the same intimacy that he has with his Father! Jesus "remains" in his Father and he will "remain" in us. The alternative to this intimacy is to become a dead branch. The word, "remain," also implies an effort on our part to keep up the relationship - to bear fruit! The powerful intimacy of the image may make some folks uncomfortable. Some would prefer to be on the margins! However, the aim of human life is to be with God. Jesus is not ignoring our imperfections. He calls us to come as we are, but our response will mean putting aside the impediments and being more closely united as the branch to the vine. This is what I would call a truly "intentional" faith. Baptism is not simply the beginning of our life with Christ, it is the continual presence (the "remaining") of Christ in us and we in Christ. AMEN