30^th June 2013

Rev Dr Max Champion at St John's UCA Mt Waverley Sunday 23 June 2013

Lessons - Isaiah 5:1-7; John 15:1-12

Jesus said, 'I am the vine, you are the branches. (Those) who abide
in me, and I in (them), bear much fruit, for apart from me you can do
nothing.' (John 15:5)

Using the lush image of the vine, Jesus speaks about the Church's mission.

In the Old Testament, Israel is often likened to a vine or vineyard. To be true to God meant being a 'fruitful vine'; infidelity meant being 'fruitless'. Jews often thought of themselves as a vine 'uprooted' from slavery in Egypt and 'transplanted' in a new land (Psalm 80:8). Prophets bemoaned the failure of the people to 'cultivate' their life in response to the goodness and mercy of God (Jeremiah 2:21). They knew themselves to be a people 'planted' by God to bring forth 'good fruit' who, shamefully, often proved to be so 'fruitless'.

So, when Jesus uses this image, we might have expected him to distinguish the old vine that failed to 'bear fruit' (Israel) and the new vine that is 'fruitful' (Church). It is very common for reformers to criticise their forebears and promote their own superiority. But he does not describe the disciples as the 'true vine'. Instead, he says, 'I am the true vine.
(15:1)' By applying this image to Jesus, John invites us to see that Jesus is the one who embodies the purposes of God the Father, for the world. He truly bears 'good fruit'.

The importance of this must not be underestimated. The Christian community has no basis to think that it is superior to the Jews or any other group!
Disciples depend on the goodness and mercy of Jesus for their life and mission. They are 'branches' of the 'true vine' which remain 'fruitful'
only while they receive nourishment from the life-giving trunk which is set firmly in the earth.

There is no reason to be smug. The Church does not exist to draw attention to herself. She should be content to be nourished by the love of God - to draw strength, vitality and courage from Christ on whom she constantly depends. Branches are dependent on the trunk for life. That is what is meant by 'abiding in Jesus'.

This archaic and abstract language actually describes the profound relationships in which the love of Christ (true vine) and the Father (planter and cultivator) for the world is shared by the Church (branches).
Being dependent means sharing in the costly and triumphant love of God for the world. It means experiencing grace in communion with God. And, like all deep relationships, it must be nurtured. Branches must not forget the source from which life springs.

The Church is not to become complacent about God's gracious nourishment of her life and mission. Nor is she to think that success depends on her efforts. Nothing is said about increased numbers, success or popularity.
We are simply called to grow into union with Christ by relying on God's goodness and grace.

Bishop Lesslie Newbigin tells a story about his time in India which serves as a warning to all who want the Church to be popular. 'When I was a bishop in Madras I used to get letters about once a month, usually from Texas, saying: "Dear Bishop, if you will kindly arrange for me to hold a series of revival meetings in your diocese I will guarantee to revive your church within a fortnight." One is tempted to say: "What a pity that Jesus did not have some professionally qualified experts in public relations to help him! He could have avoided crucifixion."' (Mission in Christ's Way,
p13.)

This way of thinking emphasises what we must do to achieve success, not what God has done for us. Jesus says nothing about this. What is said is that we shall 'bear fruit' when we acknowledge, with gratitude for grace so freely given and so utterly undeserved, that our life in the world is 'nourished' only when it is joined to, and united with, the 'true vine'.

In other words, our mission is to be marked by a 'love for others that flows from and shares in the love between 'Father' and 'Son'. This is infinitely more demanding and liberating than looking for techniques to ensure that the Church has a popular image in the community.

One sure way to attract approval in our multi-faith society is now being trialled in our churches. Many are embarrassed by the claim that 'Jesus is the vine' who nourishes the church's life by his crucified and risen life, and is the hope for our broken world.

They offer an interpretation of the vine in line with Hindu thinker Dr Radhakrishnan (1940) who expressed the hope that 'Muslim and Christian, Buddhist and Hindu shall stand together bound by a common devotion . . .
to a great dream of a world society with a universal religion of which the historical faiths are but branches.' (Quoted by W Visser 't Hooft, No Other Name, p40.)

On this view, the vine represents the 'spiritual unity of humanity' which is extracted from particular faiths. The branches represent particular forms of a 'universal human religion' - including Christianity. (This is very attractive, as I found when visiting my general practitioner
recently.)

The importance of understanding other beliefs is not helped by trying to find the lowest common denominator with which all can agree. In fact, it is demeaning to all to claim that we really believe the same thing.

In particular, this view overlooks important differences, not least that, in the Person of Christ, the Creator of all things has embedded himself in our humanity, suffered rejection, humiliation and crucifixion at our hands and yet triumphed over the evil that we humans have done. This is an act of self-giving love that has no parallel elsewhere in history. The vine to whom the branches are attached, and from which they are nourished, cannot be compared with other vines and branches!

As we mark the 36th anniversary of the Uniting Church in Australia, it is our prayer that the church will rediscover the unique bond of love between Christ and the Father which, by grace, unites us in a holy communion of love and enables us to bear good fruit. It would be a shame if our fascination with other vines meant that, notwithstanding the patience of God, our 'withered branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned'
(v6).

We are not called to make that judgment. However, we are faced with the importance of being called to 'abide in the love of the Father and the Son'. Our calling is to love one another and bear fruits of love in the world. When we are deeply disappointed about the church's failure to live out this calling, we can take heart from the promise that, though many branches may drop off, become sick or wither, the vine itself will not be uprooted or burned. The abiding love of Jesus Christ remains the hope of our broken and strife-torn world.

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Rev Dr Max Champion is minister in the St John's Uniting Church, Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia. Dr Champion is Chair of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations within the UCA.