“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.” John 15:5 NIV
The two bushes pictured above were “rescue bushes” saved from the woodchipper when our small neighborhood relandscaped the common areas. It was a traumatic relocation for both, and we feared for their survival since Russ nor I garden or grow things of any sort. Russ was sure the bushes wouldn’t make it through the fast-approaching winter. I had unrealistically high hopes based on nothing except my desire to see the flaming red leaves that these bushes would show off in the fall – if they survived.
Both plants struggled to grow for several seasons, but they survived. During those years, some leaves eventually turned reddish in the fall, but the attempt was feeble. Then, last year, one bush became a gorgeous flame while the other faded from pale green to a splotchy greenish-pinkish-orangey-red weeks later – a half-hearted effort.
This Spring, the bush that flamed in the fall exploded with new growth and lush foliage.
It’s now the second week of May, and as you can see, the other bush is a spindly skeleton that is mostly (possibly totally) dead.
Mostly dead. That reminds me of a line from The Princess Bride, spoken by Fezzik, the gentle giant warrior, to Westley (aka the Dread Pirate Roberts, The Man in Black, and the story’s hero):
“You’ve been mostly dead all day.“
Later in the movie, Miracle Max (played by Billy Crystal) explains Westley’s post-torture condition,
“There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. — Now, mostly dead is slightly alive.”
So, you may ask, what do “rescue bushes” and a 1987 classic movie portrayal of “The Princess Bride” novel by William Goldman have to do with a verse from the Gospel of John? Keep reading, friend.
The Bushes. In the beginning, they looked very much alike. They were healthy bushes traumatized by relocation. Soil condition and nutrients were the same as they sat within feet of each other. Sunlight, water, and temperature were consistent for both. All conditions appeared equal. Yet, one is flourishing, and the other is mostly dead – possibly totally dead.
I don’t know enough about gardening and bushes to understand how two seemingly healthy plants can develop so differently. Initially, the bushes seemed on equal footing – healthy plants injured by a transplant. Over time, the disparity in growth became more apparent, so now the difference is stark.
The flourishing bush is taking full advantage of all the nutrients the soil has to offer. It is basking in the sunshine and drinking in the rainwater.
Even though the nourishment is available, the bare bush appears to be on a self-inflicted starvation diet that will kill it – if it hasn’t already.
One is alive, the other, arguably dead.
Mostly dead, maybe slightly alive.
John 15:1-11. Jesus and His Disciples (minus Judas) had concluded their last Passover celebration together. The conversation continued as they walked through the dark night towards the Mount of Olives to pray.
As He spoke, Jesus used a familiar Old Testament symbol for Israel: a vineyard.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
John 15:1-2
Jesus told the disciples that the branch cannot be productive and bear fruit if it does not take nourishment from the vine. Then He said:
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
John 15:5
Jesus is our nourishment. He is our sustenance. He is everything we need to flourish in our walk with God – if we abide in Him.
A little word with enormous implications! Abide. The Greek word translated “abide” means to take up permanent residence, to dwell, to make your home, endure – stay to the end, remain. It is only in abiding that we become fruitful believers.
Here is the best part: not only are we to abide in Jesus, but He is abiding in us. As believers in Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit is in us and with us. If we choose to “abide,” God’s indwelling Holy Spirit will enable us to do just that. And in abiding, we become faithful, useful servants for Kingdom-building work.
When we abide in Jesus, we take advantage of all God offers. All the nourishment we need to grow in our faith, to stand firm in times of testing and trials, to endure in the spiritual battles of life, and to produce the fruit of the Spirit that enriches our lives and the lives of those we touch. It is all there for the taking if we abide in Jesus.
Like the “mostly dead” bush, Jesus talked about the branches that bore no fruit and hung lifeless from the vine until they withered and fell off. The fate of the worthless, dried-up vines was to become kindling.
The secret to living a flourishing, fruitful Christian life is no secret.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:10, 11
John 15:10-11