Ezekiel 15:1-8: a reflection

1The LORD’s word came to me, saying, 2“Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest? 3Will wood be taken of it to make anything? Will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel on it? 4Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire has devoured both its ends, and the middle of it is burned. Is it profitable for any work? 5Behold, when it was whole, it was suitable for no work. How much less, when the fire has devoured it, and it has been burned, will it yet be suitable for any work?” 6Therefore the Lord GOD says: “As the vine wood among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 7I will set my face against them. They will go out from the fire, but the fire will still devour them. Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them. 8I will make the land desolate, because they have acted unfaithfully,” says the Lord GOD.

God gives Ezekiel a pointed question about the vine. What is the wood of a vine good for? Unlike other trees, its wood is useless for building or making anything; you cannot even make a peg from it to hang a vessel on. A vine is valuable for one thing only: its fruit. Apart from fruit, its wood is fit for nothing but the fire. And so, God says, is a people meant to bear fruit for him but bearing none.

Notice the point of the image: a vine exists to bear fruit, and a fruitless vine has lost its purpose. The vine is not prized for its wood, its size, or its appearance, but for its fruit; a vine that bears no fruit is good for nothing, useful only as fuel. God's people, like a vine, are meant to bear fruit for him; and a life that bears no fruit, for all its outward appearance, has failed its purpose, as a fruitless vine has failed its.

That is a sobering call to bear fruit. We are meant to bear fruit for God, the fruit of a changed life, of good works, of love and righteousness; and a life that bears no such fruit, however impressive in other ways, fails its true purpose. But there is good news alongside the warning: Jesus said, I am the true vine, and you are the branches; whoever remains in me bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. The way to bear fruit is to remain in Christ, drawing our life from him. Do not be a fruitless vine, impressive perhaps in appearance but bearing nothing. Remain in Christ, the true vine, that you may bear the fruit God looks for; for we are meant to bear fruit, and the fruitful life is found in remaining in him.

Lord, you gave Ezekiel a pointed image: the wood of a vine is useless for anything but bearing fruit; a fruitless vine is good for nothing but the fire. Sober me with the point of it. A vine exists to bear fruit, and a fruitless vine has lost its purpose; and your people, like a vine, are meant to bear fruit for you. A life that bears no fruit, for all its outward appearance, fails its true purpose. I am meant to bear fruit for you, the fruit of a changed life, of good works, of love and righteousness. And thank you for the good news alongside the warning: that Jesus said, I am the true vine, and whoever remains in me bears much fruit, for apart from him I can do nothing. Keep me from being a fruitless vine, impressive perhaps in appearance but bearing nothing. Help me remain in Christ, the true vine, drawing my life from him, that I may bear the fruit you look for. I am meant to bear fruit; help me find the fruitful life in remaining in him.