The Fallen Branches

 

This week we are treated to the beautiful symbolic language of John’s Gospel.  Jesus uses the term I AM.  Here he says, “I AM the vine, you are the branches.”  The use of the words I AM brings us back to the encounter Moses had with God at the burning bush, “Tell them I AM sent you.”  The term I AM reminds us that God, now revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, is everything.  We also hear him say, “I AM the way, the truth, and the life.”  And how great is it that he calls each of us, in fact, he calls every human being, to remain connected to him.  How beautiful an image that each of us has the opportunity to be connected to all that is, to the very source and sustainer of everything.

But not every branch remains connected.  Not every branch winds up having life in it.  Let’s just think for a moment of a withered branch, or at least a fallen branch, a branch not connected to the tree or the vine.  We might be walking along, and suddenly, in our path, is a fallen branch.  We can step over that branch.  We can kick the branch, either accidently or on purpose, to get it out of our way.  Chances our we will probably just ignore the branch all together and keep on our way.  Our first instinct is to not bother.  Our first thought is that the branch is done and has no life in it and has no use.  We will likely feel that as long as we are connected to the vine, as long as we have life in us, then we are okay, and all other branches are on their own.

I’m no expert, but I get the impression, that if we look at a bunch of trees or a bunch of vines, the ones with all or most their branches intact are likely the healthiest. It seems like the healthy branches feed off other healthy branches.  If we see a tree or vine with branches missing or branches ready to fall off, we get the impression that all the branches might be in danger.

Now it is very unlikely that a fallen branch can be reattached to a tree.  Apparently, there are scientific ways to do this, but there is only a remote chance that a dead branch can be brought to life.  That is where the analogy of the vine and the branches falls short.  For the branches that fall off the true vine that is Jesus are never left for dead.  The Lord is ready to restore them to life, to reattach them to the vine.  But he is counting on all the branches to look out for each other.

So often we dismiss others who we think are not attached to the vine.  If they don’t agree with us, if they don’t understand things the way we do, we leave them like fallen branches on the path.  We either step over them or kick them aside.  Our mission should be to gently bring those branches back closer to the vine, to awaken in them the desire to be restored to the vine.  God will then do what God does, he will bring life from death.  He will unite that which is divided.  In that restoration all the branches will benefit, the vine will flourish. How beautiful that will be.

-The Servant

 

 

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

The Fourth Sunday of Easter

John 10:  11-18

 

          As we know Jesus often spoke in parables, as he does in this Sunday’s gospel, in order to communicate his message in a way that people could easily understand.  He chose subjects from their everyday, common experiences, as he does so, here, with the Good Shepherd. 

          While we, centuries later, still understand the analogy between God’s love and a good shepherd, the fact of the matter is that the subject – a shepherd – is something outdated for us.  When was the last time you met a shepherd?

          This leads me to ponder what subject Jesus might choose if he walked among us here and now, in our time.  With no shepherds here on Long Island what would he find that would resonate with us and communicate in a very real way the profound love that God has for each of us?

         I stayed with this for a long while, and, eventually an image began to appear inwardly.  An image we have become all too familiar with.  The image of a nurse.  An overworked, tired nurse in a crowded, noisy hospital, standing by a bed which was surrounded with machines from which tubes and wires sprung.  A nurse, physically and emotionally exhausted, garbed in a gown, gloves, mask and face shield.  Taking the time in all that turmoil to stand still and speak softly while holding a cell phone so that the dying patient could spend his or her last moments with family on that small screen.  Or simply holding the patient’s hand so that the patient would not be alone in his or her final moments.  The nurse, shepherding this stranger to the next life.

          These nurses do not do this for mere pay.  These nurses do not do this because they are ordered to.  There is something inside each and every one of them that loves the patient, though the patient may be a stranger.  Something that tells them that though there may be 99 other patients that need their professional care, there is nothing more important at this moment than to go to THIS patient.  To make sure that THIS patient will not be lost. Will not be alone.

          The Good Nurse.  A parable for our time.

 

“Call Me Ishmael”

 

Relating to the Lord.

In this weeks gospel  Luke 24:35-48  Jesus appears to the disciples, giving them more proof that he is the risen Christ. As they were walking, he appeared to them and their reaction was probably no different  than how you or I would have reacted. They were shocked, scared and unsure if Jesus was real.  Some thought maybe  he was ghost. They knew of Jesus’s resurrection but, seeing him in the flesh was over the top. Jesus knew they were scared and confused so  he made it very clear for them.   He reminded them that the he is the true and living God. He spoke of all the prophecies that were written during the time of Moses.. He  also had them look at his hands and feet so they can be sure it was really him. No, He was not  a ghost. It was truly the Risen Christ.  

Life as a follower of Christ is filled with these moments. Moments of fear and confusion.  We have all had them.  As a matter of fact, with all of the turmoil in today’s world some of us may be living  lives filled with fear and confusion right now. I wonder if the Bible gives us all of these details so that we can be comforted knowing the disciples also had moments of fear and confusion just like the rest of us. They had direct contact  with Jesus yet, still had moments where they doubted how real he was. I’m sure they are no different than us on our doubtful days.  Jesus  knew exactly what they needed.   They needed a shot of faith. He made it 100 percent clear that he was who he said he was. Have you ever needed a shot of faith like that? Have you ever doubted if Jesus was real and with you?  I know I have had my doubts  and just like with the disciples Jesus knows what I need.  

We as followers are allowed to have doubts and fears. That’s part of being a Christian. The way through those fears is simply faith. Faith that Jesus is who he said he was.  I’m not talking about lukewarm  faith. I’m speaking more about Faith that encompasses your entire being.   I’m talking about the type of Faith that helps you see in the darkness. There are times when my faith is just not as strong as I need it to be. Sometimes I can come up a little short in how I  believe. Just like the disciples, most of us understand and know that Jesus came, died and rose again for our salvation.  We know this mentally. In our minds we get it.  Now, our hearts is where the breakdown happens.   In our hearts is where we must do the work.  Better yet, in our heart is where we allow Jesus to do his work.  Is your heart open to Jesus?  Does Jesus have a special place  in your heart?  What I’m asking is, do you have a relationship with Jesus or do you simply know about him?  Just like disciples in the gospel , knowing about the resurrection isn’t enough. They needed to understand that he was real.  I firmly believe that if you want Jesus to be real to you there is  a way.  That way is through a relationship with a lord. That’s what makes Jesus real to you.  A relationship with the lord allows Jesus to enter your heart and give you peace that  you can’t always get in your mind.  Where your mind begins to worry, doubt and fall apart, your heart picks up the slack. Jesus is always available to give us that extra shot of faith right when we need it most and it begins with relationship.

Brave Thomas

    This coming Sunday’s Gospel entry is the well-known story of “Doubting Thomas”.  But let’s see if we can’t help out old Thomas and show that he was actually "Brave Thomas".

    OK, so the Gospel story is that soon after Jesus killed, the Apostles are hiding out, and “the doors were locked” for fear of themselves being attacked for having been associated with Jesus.  At that point, while they’re all locked up, Jesus comes to the Apostles and speaks with them.   

    But for some unknown reason, Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus visited that first time.  And Thomas would not believe that it had been Jesus who had visited until Jesus came a second time and Thomas got to put his fingers in Jesus’ wounds.  So, for millennia, our friend Thomas has been called “Doubting Thomas”.  I get it.  Even Jesus kind of reads Thomas the riot act (gently) over this.

    But when my son was about 10 or so, he had a different take on Thomas.  My son observed, “Sounds like Thomas was the brave one, the only one willing to go out when the others were all locked up and scared.”  Out of the mouths of babes. 

    So what do I say? I say any time you hear someone say “Doubting Thomas”, you say, “Oh, you mean Brave Thomas?”  

    What’s the point?  How often have we judged others wrongly because we didn’t look at the larger picture of what they had done?  How often are we quick to judge because we only look at one part of how a person has acted? 

    So let’s do our best to look at the entirety of other people’s actions, and not just pick one aspect of what they have done.  Let’s see who else in our lives is actually a “Brave Thomas”.

- The Older Brother