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“Tightly Grafted”

  There’s an image in John’s gospel that is often read in the weeks after Easter, namely, that of Christ being the vine and we being the branches.  Grafting a branch onto a vine is tricky.  ou need to make an incision in the vine, then insert the end of the branch into the opening. Now comes the most important part: you have to clamp the two together. Keep in mind that two things have to happen. First, there has to be constant tight contact between the connection of the vine and the branch.  If things are loose, what’s inside the branch and the vine won’t mingle together.  They won’t blend. And second, the branch and the vine have to be compatible. I know someone who grafted two different apple branches onto an apple tree, and now he gets three different kinds of apples from one tree. But you can’t graft a grape vine onto a wisteria vine; there’s too much difference. The grafting won’t “take.”

  And now we see the genius of the Lord’s image.  If we’re going to be grafted onto Christ, there has to be constant tight contact. If prayer and Scripture are only part of our lives in a loose, infrequent way, then the grafting won’t “take” and we’ll spiritually wither. Our ability to get through tough times will be weakened.  In addition, we’ll have to review how compatible our worldview is to the Lord’s. For instance, if we’re walking around thinking that it’s too much trouble to be kind to people, or that holding onto grudges is perfectly fine, or that we shouldn’t be helping anyone if they’re not from our country, then being grafted onto Christ won’t “take.”  There’s too much difference.

  Fortunately, every time we come together in prayer, we strengthen the bond of us being grafted onto Christ. This is important. When we come together in prayer, what’s in Christ mingles with what’s in us. On Sunday, we tighten and deepen that connection. Let’s face it; we’re not called to bear good fruit when we’re inside church walls. Rather, it’s out there, in our workplaces, and in our neighborhoods, and in our classrooms, with family members, co-workers, classmates, and people in town we don’t even know.

  It’s all true. He is the vine and we are the branches, called to be grafted onto him in a tight and enduring and compatible way. So let the work of grafting continue and flourish. Not just with our yards, gardens, and orchards, but with our Lord.