Acts 9:26-31
1 John 3:18-24
John 15:1-8
Bishop Untener’s Homily
"Remain in me..."
In this Gospel passage, Jesus is talking about our relationship with him, and his relationship with us. He uses the graphic image of a live branch growing on a vine, and he says: "Remain in me, as I remain in you."
I'm not really happy with that word "remain". The Gospels were written in Greek, and "remain" is an attempt to translate a Greek word that means to "stay with". That word is used eight times in today's passage, so it's an important one. Translators struggle to find the English word that best catches its meaning. I looked up a couple of different translations. One says, "abide in me as I abide in you." Another says, "dwell in me as I dwell in you." Our translation says, "remain in me as I remain in you."
In my opinion, a good way to translate it, in a way that would truly catch its meaning, would be to say something like: "Settle in for a while and relax."
It can help to appreciate the beauty of this passage by thinking of someone you enjoy being with. There are people that you're happy to be with, but there are some - probably not too many - that you're completely "at home" with. You're glad to see them and be with them. You "settle in" and relax with them.
When you settle in with someone, you don't have to be talking all the time. It's just plain good to be together. You're at ease, at home with them. You don't have to prove anything, show off. We're together and all is well.
But if we do talk, we can talk about anything. And sometimes we do. There aren't many people with whom we can settle in that way. Maybe just one. Well, in today's Gospel passage, that's how the Lord describes our relationship.
Earlier in John's Gospel
There's an interesting passageway back in the first chapter of John's Gospel. John the Baptist was with two of his disciples. One of them was Andrew (we don't know who the other one was.) Here's what happens:
As John watched Jesus walk by he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God." The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" [Now the word "stay" in this passage is the same word used in today's Gospel passage where it is translated "remain".] Jesus said to them, "Come and see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day."
That was the beginning of a relationship with Jesus that would last for the rest of their lives. But there still were times when they were not with Jesus because they were separated. Prior to his dying and rising, Jesus was limited by time and space. If he was "here" he couldn't be "there". So, for example, when Jesus sent the disciples out on mission, he couldn't be with them because they went off in all directions.
But, after Jesus died and went through death to the other side, he was no longer limited by time and space. He is now able, through the Spirit, to be with us every minute of every day.
Do I Settle in with the Lord?
What I have to think about is this: In my day-to-day life, do I settle in with the Lord? I'd like to do that. Who wouldn't? But do I do it?
I have to be careful not to answer that question too quickly. I believe in the Lord. I love the Lord. I reverence the Lord. I depend on the Lord. But do I settle in with the Lord? Do I go into the things I do during the day with a sense that, "Lord, we're doing this together"? If I caught hold of and really believed what Jesus says in today's Gospel, I would do that: "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing."
Does the Lord Settle in with Me?
Let's look at it from the other side, from the Lord's side. Does the Lord settle in with me?
That one isn't hard to answer, although we might not think about it very often. The Lord says, "remain in me as I remain in you." He's answered that question very clearly, and the answer is "yes". The Lord does indeed settle in with us. When? All the time. Where? Everywhere. Why? Because he loves us.
This is something we never have to earn. No branch ever "earned its way" onto the vine. No child ever "earned its way" into a family. No human being ever "earns his or her way" into the heart of Jesus.
Scripture scholars have pointed out that the image of the vine and the branches is the strongest, most graphic statement in the entire New Testament of the closeness of our relationship with Jesus. It has also been said that this one sentence - "I am the vine, you are the branches" - is the most beautiful sentence in all the Gospels.
Think about it now and then, wherever you are. Enjoy it. And get in the habit, especially when you're going into something that's difficult, or something that you're not sure about... get in the habit of saying something like: "Here we go, Lord. You and I. Together. I'll do my best, but remember I'm depending on your help. You are the vine... I'm the branch."
It could make quite a difference.
Originally given on May 18, 2003