Kingdom Building

August 12, 2019

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 5:1-7

Let me sing for my beloved
   my love-song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
   on a very fertile hill.
He dug it and cleared it of stones,
   and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watch-tower in the midst of it,
   and hewed out a wine vat in it;
he expected it to yield grapes,
   but it yielded wild grapes. –Isaiah 5:2-3

Wild grapevines are a perennial high-climbing vine, growing to 100 feet and clinging to whatever is available as they grow. Commonly found growing up into the forest canopy, wild grapevines attach themselves to tall trees with thin tendrils, or narrow, curling branches that wind around tree branches for support*.

Wild grapes grew wild (amazing as that may seem) on my family’s farm when I was a child. Preferring a little tartness in my sweets, I like wild grape jelly. Wild grapes are not a dependable fruit source like our pear tree was. Some seasons Mom could make a few jars of jelly from the wild grapes we harvested; other years there were none at all or only a few scraggly ones hanging from a tree. I thought for a long time they grew on the trees. Later I learned they were a separate plant just using the trees.

I fear our society is clinging to anything that meets our immediate desires regardless of the consequences of worshipping such lesser gods without thought for our wellbeing or the wellbeing of others. Lesser gods are more concerned with what they get from our relationship with them. The One True God the God of love always loves first and forever and always cares about all creation even each of us.

Perhaps Isaiah in our scripture today is using this illustration to caution the people of his day and us regarding our tendencies to cling to whatever is available* chasing after whatever entices our attention rather than reaping the harvest of God’s love in our lives. It takes a lot of work to care for a vineyard, weeding and pruning and harvesting. It takes intentionality of effort to grow a world ruled by love. We are all called to be a part of the effort, which will only reach full fruition if we strive for the oneness to which Christ calls us where he is the vine and we are the branches.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for loving us just as we are and for nurturing us when, we let you, to grow in spirit and in truth. Help us become conduits of your love. Amen.

*https://homeguides.sfgate.com/differences-between-wild-grape-vines-domesticated-vines-29825.html

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.