(REFLECTIONS ON EZEKIEL 15)

The Israelites are God’s chosen people. God chose them and rescued them out of slavery in Egypt, led them through the wilderness, and into the promised land. Being God’s people is a privilege, but also comes with responsibility. As God’s people, the Israelites committed to worshiping the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and no other gods. As God’s people, the Israelites were called to influence the world, but as we see throughout the Old Testament, it was the world that instead influenced them, which led to idol worship, or worshiping other things besides God.

That is why God needed to send prophets, like Ezekiel, to remind Israel of their calling, about their identity in God, and what being God’s chosen people requires. The Old Testament is full of imagery to help us to understand God’s expectations for Israel, including the imagery of a vineyard, which symbolizes spiritual health, growth, and bearing fruit.

In today’s Scripture, we see Jerusalem described as a useless vine. Although as God’s chosen people, they were to bear fruit, they had become useless because they only wanted the privileges of being God’s people, but couldn’t live up to the responsibility of that calling.

That is why the Lord said to Ezekiel,

2 “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest?”

If a vine does not bear fruit, if a grape vineyard isn’t rich and full with grapes, then the wood of that vine is no different than the trees in the forest. Yes, it could be used as fuel for fire, but after it has been burned and charred, the Lord asks, “is it useful for anything?”

This imagery of the vine and the branches may also remind us of Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel of John. Jesus says in John 15,

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Just as the Israelites are God’s chosen people, so we in Christ, are the people of God. This is our identity in Christ, and it is a special relationship we have with God. However, just like the Israelites, this relationship is not only a privilege, but also is a responsibility as well. We also are called as God’s people to produce fruit, to be a blessing to the world, and to share the Love of Christ with the broken world around us.

Do we ever find ourselves like Israel? We know that we should bear fruit, but we often fall short and are more like a useless vine that is only good for being burned as wood, rather than being a blessing and ambassador for Jesus?

Jesus, in the Gospel of John, reminds us however, that it is only in Him that we can bear much fruit. If we rely only on ourselves, we will often find ourselves falling short of Jesus’ heart. Israel as the vine was broken, but Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches.” Jesus is the vine, He is our strength, and we are an extension of Him to produce fruit in this world.

May we be the branches that bear fruit, because our source is the vine, that is Jesus in our life. May we remember that apart from Him we can do nothing, but may we also rejoice that in Him and He in us we can bear much fruit.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to not to try to carry the responsibility of bearing fruit on my own, but may I remember that you are the vine, the source of strength, that in You and You in me, I can be a blessing to the world with Your love.

Pastor Michael Lu