A Lesson from a Grape

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. 
No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. 
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
John 15:4

Today I have been contemplating grapes.   There is a cluster of them on my kitchen counter.

But they don’t look like they did a week ago.  They still look like grapes, but not quite as plump as they looked the day I put them on my counter.   They are still attached to their vine.  I pulled one off and popped it in my mouth.  It still tasted good, but it wasn’t nearly as juicy and yummy as the cluster of grapes tasted fresh from the market last week.  

It got me thinking…

The cluster of grapes were still on the branch, but the fruit  was no longer attached to the vine upon which it had grown.  It had been separated from the vine when it had been ripe enough to be sent to the market.  Now, on my counter, the small cluster of grapes, though still attached to their original little branch,  were losing their plumpness.  The little segment of vine had become brittle as its fruit had used up all that the little vine branch had provided for the grapes.   Though separated from the vine, their little, dried up branch to which the grapes still clung had used up all the “life”  it had stored up while attached to  the vine.  

Jesus is the Vine to whom we, His followers, are attached.  We are the “Fruit”  . . . the result of having begun our lives from the Vine.  Remaining firmly attached to our Vine, we grow, ripen, and become a source of delight to our world.  We provide nourishment, drink of refreshment, a pop of flavor, and, even when we reach the stage of “drying up” . . . becoming a sweet little raisin treat that young and old alike can enjoy . . .  even if a little “shriveled.”

Unlike the natural vines in our world, our Vine will never shrivel.  Never Die.  Whatever “branch” to which we were originally attached, our Tree of Life has provided the on-going nourishment to sustain our lives and grow . . . and produce the Fruit of our Tree from which we grew.   The Fruit of our lives is intended for the nourishment, enjoyment, pop of flavor, and a sweet refreshment  for our world.  Enjoy being a grape!

Check out Janet’s book: Not Forgotten on Amazon