Grace Lutheran Church Fifth Sunday of Easter, May 14, 2006

The Rev. Evan Gaertner

5^th Sunday of Easter "Connected to Jesus"

May 14, 2006 John 15:1-8

I read a story about a farmer from Illinois that recently moved to Colorado to begin managing farm land that he had received in an inheritance. One of the first things he did at the new farm in Colorado was examine the expense sheet. He was alarmed that his biggest expense was irrigation. He was frustrated that his water budget was such a large part of his budget that he immediately called the Water Board and told them to shut of his water. Several months later this farmer looked out at his devastated fields that had become dustbowls with nothing growing on them.

He had been familiar with Illinois were rainwater was the primary source of water for his fields and would not adapt to the different needs of the Colorado. In Colorado, irrigation from canals flowing with snow melt from the Rockies is essential to any successful farm.

In today's gospel lesson from St. John the evangelist we find Jesus using the imagery of a vineyard to describe our relationship to our Lord. Jesus declares, "I am the vine and you are the branches." If we remain connected to him we will bear much fruit but any branch that is not connected to the vine will bear no good fruit at all.

The good fruit that God brings to blossom in our lives is marvelous to taste, touch and see.

There is a Lutheran preschool and early childcare center in Dearborn, Michigan, that focuses on being a source of grace and mercy to a largely Arabic community. "An example of how the Center touches the hearts of these young children can best be shown in the following instance. There was a 2 1/2 year old shy little girl who was having difficulty with her speech. The lead teacher in her classroom was very patient and encouraging to her. The teacher daily spoke of Jesus and how he loves us and takes care of us. The child would listen attentively but still did not talk much and when she did it was difficult to make out was she was trying to communicate.

One spring morning while out on the playground, the girl took a fall and bumped her head. The teacher tended to her and comforted her. More than causing an injury, the girl was scared. While sitting with the teacher in a quiet part of the playground, the child looked beyond the fenced area toward the front of the building. With great clarity the little girl pointed and said, "I see Jesus." The teacher was a little surprised and asked the girl to repeat what she said. Again with intensity she answered, "I see Jesus." For a moment the teacher thought that the bump was harder than she first thought.

The child's face shined with a smile as she rose up from the teacher's lap and ran to the edge of the fenced area. The teacher followed her and again heard the child say, "Look, I see Jesus!"

Beyond the fence on the front of People of the Book Lutheran Outreach's church was a crucifix. The teacher looked at the simple cross and realized that she herself had never noticed it. She had been on that playground every day and failed to see it. The child remained smiling and looking at the cross as if she was seeing Jesus now." (http://www.poblo.org/school.htm)

I want you to know how important it is to remain connected to Jesus in our lives. It does not take great sermons, a loud pipe organ or any certain words, but trust that the Holy Spirit works in our lives as we share Jesus with others. When we share Jesus we help lead even our youngest children to know Jesus and His Love.

It can be difficult at times. Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my father is the vinedresser. 2Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." We may not always want to recognize our need for pruning. Our ego, our pride can get in the way of humbly kneeling before our Lord repentant of our sinfulness. But I trust that as our heavenly Father prunes away sin in our lives he does so out of love and care for our eternal well-being.

It is the work of God to cleanse our lives of all the obstacles that get in the way of receiving the light of his grace. The Law of God works mightily to show us our sin, our weaknesses, our frailty, our need for God. And as we experience thorns and pruning in our lives we discover how we rely not on our own strength but on the sufficient grace of God. Jesus Christ is the vine we are the branches. We succeed and thrive individually and as a congregation insomuch as we are connected to Christ by God's Word and Sacraments.

C.S. Lewis describes the work of education in modern times as irrigating the desert. In terms of the Christian life I think this imagery works as well. The desert landscape needs to be purposely irrigated in order to become an abundant land. I seriously am concerned when people in our congregation do not consistently participate in the Divine Service, group Bible study, and personal devotions. I am concerned because I look out at this world of ours and believe that we need to purposely water our lives with the Word of God otherwise we are starving the work of the Spirit in our lives.

Through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives we are connected to Jesus Christ. I am reminded of Luke Skywalker receiving Jedi training in the Empire Strikes Back when Yoda says, "Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere. Yes, even between the land and the ship." (Empire Strikes Back)

Yoda was talking about the fictional force that is the divine power in the make believe world of Star Wars. Today I am talking about the truth of God's Word. Jesus Christ is not a mythical or abstract power, he is not a force of mitochondria. Jesus Christ is incarnation of the Word of God. Jesus came into the flesh. He lived and died for you. He rose again on the third day. Jesus redeems our frail human flesh and through him we bear the marvelous fruit of God that is wonderful to taste, touch, and see. When you are connected to Jesus you are a participant in his life, death, and resurrection and credited to you is his righteousness.

There is nothing more important in this life then connecting people to Jesus Christ and his righteousness. It is in Jesus Christ that we are victorious over death. When we are connected to Jesus we bear good fruit. It does not matter what kind of soil, irrigation, or weeds in your past that you have surrounded yourself with. Consider Saul, who later becomes known as the apostle St. Paul, he was on the road to Damascus under orders from the Jewish Council to arrest and persecute all the Christians that he found. But while on that road for his devilish purposes, Jesus called out to him and connected Saul to the purposes of God.

Recently I learned a modern Saul on the road to Damascus story. A man who had been a member of Hamas had trained to become an assassin. While attending the American University in Lebanon he befriended Christians so that he could better know who to target in his killing. But along the way the Christians that he befriended shared with him the Bible. He read Jesus say, "Blessed are the peacemakers." He was confronted with how truly devilish his life and purposes were. The Holy Spirit worked through the Scriptures and connected this man to Jesus Christ. He now works as a servant in the kingdom of God sharing Jesus with others.

How marvelous the fruit that we bear through Jesus is. Please connect your lives and the lives of your children to the promises of Jesus Christ by irrigating the desert of your life with the life giving Holy Scriptures.

Soli Deo Gloria

Grace Lutheran Church

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