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John 15:5-6a - [Jesus said] "I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me he is thrown away like a branch and withers ...."
This devotion pairs with this weekend's Lutheran Hour sermon, which can be found at lhm.org.
Robert Frost once defined "home" as "the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in." It comes from his poem, "The Death of the Hired Man," which tells the story of Silas, a deadbeat farmhand who comes and goes as it suits him, works long enough to buy cigarettes, then splits without notice, and without concern for the farmer who was depending on him. But now that Silas is dying, he drags his sorry carcass back to the farm hoping to find safe harbor. The farmer isn't happy, but his wife feels sorry for Silas. She says that Silas has finally come home. The farmer is disturbed at this loose definition of "home"—now slackened enough even to include Silas, the old slacker. He spits out the bland definition with a tinge of disgust—well, I suppose he is "home" if that's the place, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.
Jesus calls us to make our home in Him—to abide in Him. At the same time, He speaks the truth to us: if we do not abide in Him, we will be cut off, thrown away like a dead branch, and burned in the fire. Jesus offers Himself to us as the truth—the truth who will take us in. The farmer in the poem speaks the truth. In this world, actions have consequences. You have to earn your keep. If you flake out on people, if you live only for yourself, then you deserve to be cut off and alone. That's the truth, but Silas doesn't want the truth. He just wants them to take him in and pretend like nothing happened. Some people only want the truth. Others just want to be taken in. But Jesus gives us both.
If we wanted Jesus to take us in without the truth, we'd be trying to use Him like a rich uncle. But the truth is we were created to live on a life-giving conversation with Him, to live on His Word, not just His handouts. Without hearing God's Word and responding in prayer, we dry up and die. God knows this about us. And so He sent His Word to become human for us, to be crucified and raised for us. Jesus is that Word from God. And even though we flake out on Him, He's still the truth who takes us in, not like temporary housing, but a life-giving dialogue. Even though we don't deserve it, He keeps inviting us back into the conversation.
In Robert Frost's poem, the truth about home emerges through the conversation. The farmer resists being used like a short-term housing service. So, his wife amends the definition. Maybe home sometimes appears as our last resort only because it can't be earned. She says that home is "something you somehow haven't to deserve."
WE PRAY: Lord Jesus, Word of the Living God, abide in us so that we may abide in You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker for The Lutheran Hour.
Reflection Questions:
1. Left to yourself, which are you likely to prefer—grace without truth, or truth without grace?
2. What helps you daily abide in God's Word of grace and truth?
3. How can you invite others into this life-giving dialogue with Jesus?
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