I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:5)
Because Amherst, Ohio is an older community with a lot of trees, every once in awhile lightening will strike one of those trees. When it does, it brings down a large branch or two, maybe even the whole tree, which in turn hits a power line which in turn knocks out the power for a time.
Jesus used the analogy of branches in John chapter 15 when speaking about our spiritual growth. One of the points he made was that “a branch cannot produce fruit when severed from the vine” (verse 4). Once a branch has been broken off a tree, it can still have the appearance of life on the outside, but the inside begins to become dry and wither away.
In Israel there once were a people who sought to be holy, so they separated themselves, and called themselves the Perushim, because Perushim means “Separated Ones.” But, as they focused more and more on themselves, they grew increasingly self-righteous and proud. They flaunted their outward godliness before others, as their hearts became hardened to the things of God. Eventually the “Separated Ones” ended up separating themselves from God. And just like a branch that is cut off from a tree, they dried up and began to wither spiritually. Outwardly they still had some leaves that looked good, and a few lingering blossoms. But inwardly, they were dying spiritually. So, God himself came to them and preached the truth into their ears. But what did they do? They killed him, for their dried-up and dying branches did not want to hear what God had to say.
Who exactly were these self-righteous, waning branches? Though their original name was the Perushim, they later became known as the Pharisees. The hypocritical, pious, religious imposters who nailed Jesus Christ to the cross.
Never forget the warning from the Perushim. It is easy for our human nature to transform our righteousness into self-righteousness. It is easy for us to break from the Vine and become a withering branch.
How can we avoid being modern day Pharisees? Always focus on the condition of your heart and not your appearance. Always be open to learning and receiving from God. Never rest on what you have known or done. Keep your heart connected to the heart of Christ, receiving from the Vine everything you need to live a life of true separation.
“Don’t follow the example or the Pharisees. For they don’t practice what they teach.”
(Matthew 23:3)
Darlene