Reflection: The Vine

The daily lightshow of a Hong Kong night is best viewed from a 72nd floor window. This night, our last together as a family, the wind and rain pummelled the glass and rivulets fractalled light into a mesmerising kaleidoscope of colour. I guess you could call it sensorially epiphanatic: a sort of blasting beauty. Thing is, goodbyes were on our hearts. These were our last hours together and we just couldn’t do them or the storm justice. Instead, we shuffled cards, laughed at jokes … and went to bed.    

It’s final hours for Jesus with his disciples. This ‘upper room’ is charged. All kinds of epiphanatic sparks are flying while at the same time it’s just food and conversation. Time to go, says Jesus, and they’re off to the garden, a familiar place of prayer. (We all know what comes next … and then next …) But on the way, what essential final conversations need to be had? Here’s one, and it’s not as random as you’d think: 

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.   

(Everyone knew that Israel was a symbolic vine planted by the Lord to flourish in their land. But flourishing it was not. Ravished and burned to the ground … it needed to be replanted.) Jesus is claiming to be that new shoot; the new Israel! Ka-pow!  

And Jesus-followers need to cling to that new life to have true life.  

When I’m gone, keep feeding on the vine for all you’re worth … and flourish. (see John 15:1-11)

Prayer:

What a fresh vision of you and us, Jesus — a flourishing, fruitful, sweet-smelling vine creeping across neighbourhoods, into alleyways, across seas, islands, mountains … But our sobering prayer is that, by your Spirit, we might cling tenaciously to you. And that you place a desperation in the hearts of many that they might seek, find, and be grafted into you.