“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” – John 15:4 NLT
There are at least four of us at church who tap maple trees to make syrup. We are keeping our eyes open now to observe when the sap will begin to flow. As winter begins to give way to spring, the constant freeze/thaw cycle pumps the sap through the tree. The sugar-rich sap is the lifeblood of the tree, and of course it’s what makes delicious maple syrup.
It’s easy to tell when the sap has begun to flow by breaking off the tip of a small branch. If a drop begins to form and the branch starts dripping, you know the sap is flowing through the entire tree. It’s time to get out the buckets and start collecting. This does not hurt the tree. It produces more than enough sap to share with us.
The Holy Land is known more for its grape vines than its maple trees. But life-giving sap flows in the vine as well. Every branch that is connected to the vine receives the water and nutrients it needs to thrive and bear fruit. A branch that is not connected to the vine does not receive this. It withers and dies.
Jesus compares himself to the vine that brings life to the branches. “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.” (John 15:5) The foundation of a fruitful life is to stay connected to Jesus. When we don’t stay connected to Christ, we wither.
We may have to wait a few more days before the sap is running in the maple trees, but the life that Jesus provides flows year-round. Do what it takes to stay connected to him.
Blessings this week.
Pastor Mark