LutheranLectionary.org

Reflections on Scripture with Dr. Leins

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:00	[Music]
0:11	hello today let’s talk about hacking
0:16	cutting and defiling with
0:19	manure the text before us is John 15:
0:23	1-8 this is the well-known teaching by
0:26	our lord Jesus in which Jesus declares I
0:30	am the vine you are the
0:34	branches
0:35	introduction whimsicle
0:38	Luther if you read Luther’s commentary
0:41	on this passage you will see a side of
0:43	the great reformer that is often
0:46	overlooked here his teaching is profound
0:50	and yet playful it is both forceful and
0:54	fanciful I picture Luther as a happy
0:57	father teaching his beloved children the
0:59	truth truth of this gospel passage
1:04	Luther prized the fourth gospel and he
1:07	believed that chapters 14- 16 were of
1:11	utmost
1:12	importance it was rather late in his
1:15	life that Luther published his
1:17	commentary on this section of John’s
1:20	gospel he exeed this passage between
1:23	Easter and Pentecost of
1:28	1537 point one
1:30	hacking cutting and defiling with
1:35	manure in John 15 verse one Jesus
1:40	teaches I am the True Vine and my father
1:44	is the vine
1:46	dresser then in verse 5 Jesus says I am
1:50	the vine you are the
1:54	branches Luther gets delightfully
1:57	carried away with his personification
2:00	Jesus is the vine you are the branches
2:03	the reformer suggests a conversation
2:06	between the vine dresser and his Vine
2:08	and his branches Luther playfully
2:13	dramatizes if the vine were able to talk
2:18	and saw the vine dresser coming along
2:20	and chopping about its roots with his
2:23	matto or his hoe and cutting the wood
2:26	from his branches with his Clipper or
2:29	his prun hook the vine would be prompted
2:33	to speak because of what it saw and felt
2:36	oh what are you doing you are tearing
2:39	and pinching me
2:41	everywhere and I will have to stand in
2:43	the ground bare and seared you are
2:47	treating me more Cru than anyone treats
2:50	any tree or plant but the vine dresser
2:54	would reply you are a fool you do not
2:58	understand for even if I do cut a branch
3:01	from you it is a totally useless Branch
3:04	it takes away your strength and your sap
3:07	then the other branches which should
3:09	bear fruit must suffer this is for your
3:12	own good but I do not understand it said
3:17	the branch and I have a very different
3:20	feeling about
3:21	this but I do understand it very well
3:25	said the vine dresser I am doing this
3:28	for your welfare to keep the foreign and
3:31	wild branches from sucking out the
3:33	strength and the sap of the others now
3:36	you will be able to yield more and
3:40	better fruit and produce good
3:43	wine then the vine dresser applies
3:46	manure to the stock of the vine and the
3:50	vine complains again what pray tell is
3:53	this is it not enough that you’re
3:56	hacking and cutting me to pieces now
4:00	this filthy cow manure which is
4:02	intolerable in the barn and elsewhere
4:05	you are defiling my tender branches
4:09	which yield such delicious juice must I
4:12	stand for this
4:14	too clever Luther
4:18	H he reminds us how the True Vine is
4:22	hacked and cut to pieces with the Roman
4:26	Scourge The True Vine is nailed to the
4:29	the Roman cross and pierced with a
4:32	soldier’s
4:33	spear it looks as if the devil is
4:36	winning and that God is unaware or
4:41	uncaring in the savior’s battle with sin
4:44	death and the devil but the very
4:46	opposite is true the devil is God’s tool
4:50	the devil is doing what he does but God
4:52	knows him all too well God is using the
4:56	devil to accomplish God’s Own purposes
5:00	in this way in this hacking and cutting
5:03	and defiling the vine will produce its
5:08	richest fruit and its sweetest wine the
5:12	cross is the devil’s worst but it yields
5:15	Almighty God’s best
5:19	fruit all of this is happening according
5:21	to the vine dresser plan and purpose do
5:24	you
5:25	see point two
5:29	expect some hacking cutting and manure
5:35	yourself you beloved are connected to
5:39	the vine you are his branches receiving
5:43	life because of your connection with him
5:46	Christ gives you the sap of Life his own
5:49	sacred and saving blood Jesus the True
5:53	Vine is connected to you his
5:56	Branch he remains in you and by the Holy
5:59	Spirit you remain in him is this not the
6:02	plan of God your Unity with Christ
6:06	accomplished by the power and the will
6:09	of
6:10	God why then is it so shocking that you
6:14	should suffer in some ways as Jesus
6:17	himself suffered you are after all his
6:20	branches aren’t
6:22	you St Peter writes beloved do not be
6:26	surprised at the fiery ordeal among you
6:29	which comes upon you for your testing as
6:32	though some strange thing were happening
6:34	to you 1 Peter chapter 4 in your
6:38	suffering God’s purpose is being
6:41	accomplished in you in this you are more
6:46	precious than gold even though tested by
6:49	fire so that it may be found to result
6:52	in Praise glory and honor at the
6:54	revelation of Jesus Christ your faith is
6:57	being strengthened and the fruit of your
7:00	faith is being
7:01	enriched all of those who are in Christ
7:04	likewise are hacked and cut and defiled
7:09	across the centuries and around the
7:11	world all of the faithful have
7:15	suffered pastors and spiritual Shepherds
7:19	deaconesses and church workers indeed
7:22	all Christians loving fathers and
7:25	mothers helpless children and
7:26	grandchildren old and young rich and and
7:29	poor all are
7:32	pruned all are hacked and cut and
7:36	defiled the devil Works to slice and
7:39	scrape us
7:40	but the Divine Vine dresser puts
7:44	boundaries on the devil’s
7:47	assault God uses the devil’s work
7:51	branches like you and me do not think of
7:54	ourselves as self-sufficient or too
7:56	powerful or too Grand no our confidence
7:59	is not in ourselves our hope is in the
8:02	Lord
8:03	amen we are
8:06	reminded that he is the True Vine and we
8:09	are just his
8:10	branches he uses our sin and suffering
8:15	and keeps us closely connected to the
8:17	real source of strength the True Vine of
8:20	Life Jesus
8:23	Christ point three bear much fruit Jesus
8:27	said I am the Vine you are the branches
8:31	the one who abides in me and I in him
8:34	Bears much
8:37	fruit but you may think because you are
8:40	aware of your
8:41	sin how can I bear much fruit indeed my
8:46	branches are diseased with spots and rot
8:50	I’ve got mold and mildew pests and
8:52	parasites I would say that I am manure
8:57	except that I don’t think that that I am
8:59	even good enough to make good fertilizer
9:03	no I’m not sure I’m really good at all
9:06	but even in the midst of that I see that
9:08	the True Vine has already addressed my
9:10	concern Jesus the True Vine has
9:13	corrected this false identity he has
9:16	spoken to my stinking
9:19	thinking verse three Jesus said you are
9:23	already clean because of the word that
9:26	I’ve spoken to you do you hear the word
9:29	word of
9:30	Christ Our
9:32	Lord may take a moment to sink in with
9:35	what he’s just
9:37	said little Branch you are already clean
9:41	because the word of
9:43	Jesus confronts those who think too
9:46	highly of themselves but the word of
9:47	Jesus Comforts those who think too lowly
9:50	of themselves the word of Jesus calls
9:52	all to repentance and then completely
9:56	forgives all of our sin
9:59	the word of Jesus has made you
10:03	clean how first his word came to you and
10:07	gave you
10:08	Faith his word created faith in you
10:12	faith comes by hearing and hearing by
10:14	the word of Christ Jesus gave you Faith
10:17	by the power of His word Romans chapter
10:21	10 that is how you were Justified you
10:24	were made righteous by grace through
10:26	faith you are made right through faith
10:29	Christ imputed his righteousness to you
10:32	and you were made clean he did that for
10:37	you along with that Faith came the gifts
10:40	of Salvation and eternal life my
10:43	goodness you are already
10:46	rich but you may ask what about after
10:49	that I must confess about every single
10:52	day I slip and sin I fall and falter but
10:56	Jesus has covered this too because we
11:00	are connected to him he cleanses us each
11:04	and every day in fact when you sin or
11:07	suffer God calls you to Christ the True
11:10	Vine over and over Jesus keeps you
11:13	connected spiritually United to him
11:17	abide in me he says and I in you in him
11:22	you are cleansed and you are restored by
11:25	the power of His word god uses suffering
11:29	and sin in order to prune you he keeps
11:33	you connected to Christ so that Jesus
11:35	abides in you and you abide in him
11:39	therefore abiding in Jesus you bear much
11:44	fruit it is the simple result of being
11:47	in him and him being in you he Bears
11:51	much fruit in
11:52	you what fruit well the fruit of the
11:56	heart of Christ for instance Galatians 5
12:00	tells us the fruit of the spirit is love
12:04	joy peace well that would be enough
12:07	wouldn’t it love joy and peace because
12:11	Christ is in you but because he’s in you
12:13	there’s more patience kindness goodness
12:18	we need those two and he also gives you
12:21	faithfulness gentleness and self-control
12:25	oh couldn’t we need and use faithfulness
12:28	gentleness and self-control these great
12:32	gifts are fruits that result because of
12:35	your life in Jesus the True Vine he’s
12:40	pumping himself into you his precious
12:43	Branch he’s pumping into your heart
12:46	flowing into your spiritual veins the
12:49	Divine sap the spiritual life of God
12:52	himself little branch of God simply by
12:56	being connected to the True Vine by
12:58	being in Christ and Christ in you he
13:02	will bear much fruit in
13:05	you conclusion holy righteous and
13:10	precious you are cleansed connected
13:15	forgiven gifted pruned
13:18	restored and loved all of these are
13:21	given to you through the word of God
13:23	through the love of
13:25	Christ in the preached word in the
13:27	written word in the sacramental Al Word
13:29	of holy baptism Holy Communion and even
13:32	in the mutual conversation and
13:34	consolation of Christians speaking to
13:36	one
13:38	another we dwell in his word and Jesus
13:41	himself dwells in US
13:44	richly you will bear much fruit because
13:48	he is alive and living in you and for
13:51	that reason you have peace wait wait
13:56	wait you may
13:58	say are you saying that I just can be at
14:01	peace with God just living my life
14:04	eating drinking caring for my children
14:06	working whatever that I can be at peace
14:09	with God
14:12	yes but you may say I know unbelievers
14:14	and atheists who live better lives than
14:16	I
14:17	do they’re better parents or more loving
14:20	spouses or more faithful workers they
14:23	even may have more peace than I do they
14:26	may be more kindly in their position
14:29	more selfless in their social action
14:31	they may even know the Bible better than
14:33	I do and they even may be
14:37	atheists why do you say that I will bear
14:40	much fruit and that I can be at peace
14:41	with God here’s the simple answer
14:46	beloved you are a little branch of Jesus
14:50	Christ you have faith in him you believe
14:53	that Jesus the son of God died and rose
14:56	again for the Forgiveness of your sins
14:59	so Jesus is in you and you are in Jesus
15:06	Christ on account of your faith in him
15:08	by grace through that Faith you are
15:11	righteous before God Jesus will not
15:13	leave you or forsake you when you are in
15:16	need or praying or crying for help he
15:18	will never refuse you because he is your
15:22	true vine and you are his precious
15:25	Branch that’s his word and it’s that
15:28	simp
15:29	simple for that
15:32	reason all of your feeble Works your
15:35	weak efforts your little faith your
15:38	pitiful fruit with spots and rots all
15:43	are absolutely holy righteous and
15:45	precious to God because they come from
15:48	you and you are holy righteous and
15:52	precious to God because you are in
15:57	Jesus it is true
15:59	God your heavenly father the vine
16:01	dresser prunes and fertilizes
16:05	you it is also true that God your
16:08	heavenly father the vine dresser accepts
16:12	all of your fruit yes all even with
16:17	spots and
16:19	rots
16:20	why because Jesus is your true vine and
16:25	you are his precious little
16:30	Branch
16:32	amazing amen
16:41	[Music]