Vineyard Days – Grafted In

For quite some time I have been convinced there is absolutely nothing about one’s life that is not spoken to in Scripture. (This post hits rather close to home, spiritually and physically).

Some things are overtly obvious, while others are of a more mysterious nature meant to be searched out and discovered.

Embedded within the living, breathing Word and displayed around us in our world, our ‎terroir is presided over by a Husbandman whose expertise is horticulture of the heart.

Every branch of the True Vine that remains (abides) in Him and He in them, will bring forth fruit. Life-giving, life-yielding fruit.

I’ve also noted that one of the afflictions of the Christian life is trying to answer that most mysterious of questions: “So how do you abide in the vine?”

Ah, the beauty of the grafting in process that leads to abiding!

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To know Jesus, study the vine points us to the vineyard, as Jesus did with the Eleven in John 15.

I believe Jesus’ portrayal of Himself, His Father, and the Holy Spirit through the tangible example of a vineyard is what afterwards lit Peter’s understanding of Isaiah’s prophecy come to pass in living color.

 “But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities;
the chastisement of our peace was upon Him;
and with His wounds we ourselves are healed.”
(Isaiah 53:5; I Peter 2:24)

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Come with me to the vineyard…

Grafting is a technique whereby tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another plant so that the two sets of vascular tissue may be joined together.

It begins with one plant being selected for its roots. This plant is called the stock.

” For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of parched ground…” (Isaiah 53:2)
And there shall come forth a Shoot out of the stock of Jesse [David’s father],
and a Branch out of his roots shall grow and bear fruit.”
(Isaiah 11:1; Romans 15:12)

The other plant is selected by the husbandman for the type of stems, leaves, flowers, or fruit it will bear. This second plant is called the scion. Contained within it are the desired genes to be duplicated in future production by the scion plant. (Jesus says, “You have not chosen me; I have chosen you.”)

The grafting, achieved by an assortment of techniques (Jesus is so individual with each one of us) is done in such a way that a union forms and the partners continue to grow.

For successful grafting to occur, there must be a continuous cambium.

The cambium is a layer of actively dividing cells of fluid-conducting and food-conducting tissues that is responsible for the secondary growth of stems and roots, resulting in increased thickness (substance).

He who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood has (possesses now) eternal life… (John 6:54)
He who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood dwells continually in Me,
and I [in like manner dwell continually] in him.
Just as the living Father sent Me and I live by (through, because of) the Father,
even so whoever continues to feed on Me [whoever takes Me for his food and is nourished by Me]
shall [in his turn] live through and because of Me. (John 6:56-57)

Simply put, the cambium through which life is given means two open, live wounds are grafted into each other.

What an exquisite picture of moving from underneath His shadow into the reality of His wounds by which we ourselves are (present tense) healed. He is the Healer – of our spirit, our soul, and our body.

When Jesus gave His disciples the botany lesson in the vineyard, He answered the nagging question of “how one abides in The Vine.” Jesus’ own word in John 6 is confirmed by the science of the cambium:

Continuous contact with actively dividing cells of life-giving drink and food through His Spirit’s flow.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword,
it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

We are a people in need of healing and wholeness. How the Bride needs to be permanently bound to her Spouse.

Being grafted in is readily available to those who will be grafted. Many are called, which in the Greek is invitation. Thus, many are invited but Scripture also says few are (will allow themselves to be) chosen.

Regardless your wounds, you cannot heal them yourself. Nor can anyone else heal them for you. Only by bringing your wounds close enough to touch Jesus’ own healing wounds will the abrasion of death receive His life.

You may be thinking it sounds painful and find yourself asking, “Is it worth it?” I think the more accurate question is, “Is He worth it?” Only you can answer that for yourself, but you are not alone.

I am asking Christ’s Holy Spirit who bears witness to the truth to draw and bind your wounded heart against His healing wounds…for a successful, eternal graft.

Gracefully Free

Shammahs Field LLC/Shammah Ministries is the biblical counseling, life coaching, and spiritual growth ministry entrusted to Wayne & Nancy Bentz. You can learn more about the resources they have to offer at www.shammahsfield.com.

Photo Credit: Cortes Decima via Photopin  CC