Fruit of the Vine

I was struck this morning in listening to the reading from Mark's gospel when Jesus is instituting the eucharist and says, "I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day I will drink it new in the kingdom of God."

The reference is to the common cup shared at the Passover meal. And it is a foreshadowing of his death, in which his blood will be poured out for many for the purposes of cleansing us of our sins. And, if you Google the phrase 'fruit of the vine', there's an endless debate over whether what was in the cup was "fermented" or not. Such arguments aside, this is another big moment in the Christian story where Jesus is laying down a new thing, giving a new commandment to love one another as he has loved. And he is giving these instructions during this calm before the impending storm.

Now, in my somewhat sleep deprived state, I started mulling over this idea of the "fruit of the vine". Prior to this moment in Mark's story, Jesus imparted another parable, the one about the vineyard that the landowner entrusted to the tenants, who spend more time killing the slaves sent by the man who planted the vineyard, then actually tending the branches. Having spent enough time listening and learning about this particular parable, I understand the vineyard to be representative of the people of Israel, the chosen ones, who were planted by God to produce fruit, but have been living with these tenants holding the lease contract who kill every messenger that God sends... including God's son.

With that in mind, I considered the "fruit of the vine". Yes, it is wine. Yes, it is representational of Christ's blood. And my early morning musings led me to thinking that this is a metaphor for the harvest of God's people. And that when Jesus finishes the phrase, he talks about drinking it new in the "kingdom of God". "Kingdom of God" meaning when God is recoginized as King, or sovereign.

I think that kind of recognition of God as the centerpoint and the leader of us all (and I do mean ALL) is when we will fully have this world be the kingdom of God "on earth as it is in heaven". And when you look around, do you get the sense that the kingdom has come? I know I don't! I think it's there, I think it's always been there. I think if I do my best to live as one known fully by God, I can get tastes of that kingdom. I just don't think we, as a species, are trusting in that reality. Maybe because it's a little freaky weird or something, to put your trust in this invisible God rather than in something concrete, like money. (Like money's concrete! Ask the people suckered by Bernie Madoff!)

So, where this left me is back to the "fruit of the vine." What fruit is ready for picking from my branch to be made into the wine to be shared with others? Are there some grapes that are wilted and belong in the compost heap instead?