Overthinking Branches, Tendrils, Flowers and Clusters… or not?
I feel I need to do a recap of my conclusion in the first and second parts before moving on to this third and hopefully last part of my musings on the vine matters.
Jesus Himself already clearly describes Himself as the True Vine. And He was of course speaking figuratively in spiritual terms. In Scripture, the word true is often used to describe what is eternal, heavenly, and divine. In the Old Testament, Israel was likened to the vine, but the nation’s history made it clear it was an imperfect one, and a mere shadow of the Perfect and True Vine, Jesus Christ. Israel was the type, but Christ is the reality.
Jesus says He is the true vine, and those who “abide” in him (remain connected through faith and obedience), are the branches. Nourished by the vine, the branches produce fruit, which represents the spiritual growth, grace, and power that is evident to all in the form of a transformed lifestyle and good works. They must therefore always depend entirely on Jesus as He Himself emphasizes in (John 15:5): “apart from me you can do nothing“. And to ensure this becomes a permanent and increasing reality in the Christian’s life, God the Father lovingly prunes the branches that bear fruit to help them produce even more. This makes it clear that God’s discipline and guidance in our lives is always for our own good. Jesus Himself, the Author and Finisher of our Faith, taught all this very clearly right from the beginning while He was still on earth. It is very reassuring to know that the Apostles taught the same as did the many true Christian leaders over the centuries.
My next fascination turned then to the tendrils of the vine. My musings on this is highly exploratory and I beg you to bear with me. The worst case scenario is that you will disagree vehemently with me and explore further, which will be good for you, and which I would urge you to share. And of course the best case scenario is that you see some merit in them and you refine my thoughts. Sharing would also be very welcome. So now, why did I become so fascinated? Well, tendrils sprout from the main stalk of the vine just like the branches. And I wondered why Jesus did not mention them specifically in spite of the fact that they were absolutely essential to the branches’ growth and fruit-bearing.
Could it be that since Jesus was speaking to an audience who already knew a lot about vines, He did not bother to go into details? In which case, His use of the word branches could also have applied to the tendrils? And if this was the case, then how come tendrils did not also bear fruit? As you’ve probably already guessed, I just had to dig deeper and my findings were extremely interesting. It turns out that tendrils can, and sometimes also do bear fruit depending on the environment, genetics and other factors I did not quite understand, and therefore thought better not to bring up here.
Some scholars have compared tendrils to the obedience, perseverance, determination and diligence required to follow Jesus. Given their function of helping the branches to reach upwards, others liken tendrils to the spiritual disciplines like prayer, reading of the Bible, and all others that contribute to the believer’s spiritual progress. I initially felt grace and/or faith might be more appropriate but further consideration convinced me that while intangible human behavior or actions are directly connected to the human being, tendrils were not connected to branches. I thereafter played around with the idea of tendrils as angels and even at some point, the Holy Spirit. But then I it occurred to me that angels belonged to a different realm, and were not attached to Christ the True Vine, nor directly dependent on Him, in the same way as the ‘branches’ He was addressing. And in the same vein, comparing tendrils to the Holy Spirit meant that I would be bringing the third person of the Godhead down to the level of a created being, which is heresy!!
I subsequently jettisoned this entire approach when I came to the firm conviction that not only did the tendrils have to be an entity. Furthermore, they had to be of the same substance as branches since, just like branches, they too were also directly dependent on the vine. In other words, tendrils too should only be compared to human believers connected to, and directly dependent on Christ. By this time, it had become obvious that I still had more digging to do. And how glad I am to inform you that science bears me out on this… which brings us to another brief science lesson on the grapevine. Hope you enjoy it.
It would appear that grapevine tendrils and branches both grow on the grapevine stalk even if not from the exact same spot. Grapevine branch shoots emerge from buds (located in the area just above where the leaf connects to the stalk), which can then develop into new branches, leaves, tendrils (note the emphasis), or flower clusters! In other words, both tendrils and branches originate from the same source. So far as I am concerned, this is a clear confirmation that just like the branches, tendrils on vine had to symbolize human followers of Christ. The next question then is to understand why they look so different. And the answer to that is really quite simple: their appearance helps them to perform their crucial and specific function.
It was interesting to note that branches extend from the trunk and bear not only leaves and flower or fruit clusters; they also bear tendrils! And what’s more, occasionally, flower structures which become fruit clusters can be found at the end of a tendril! In other words, a tendril’s role is sometimes interchangeable while the branch’s is never so. This presupposes that while grapevine tendrils and branches have a close functional relationship, they evolve differently. Tendrils typically grow opposite a leaf, and unlike branches, skip every third leaf and whether a grapevine tissue becomes a tendril or a branch or flower is determined by a delicate interplay and balance between environmental factors and the activities of genes and hormones. At this stage, I was inclined to comparing the role of branches that bear the clusters to female believers, and tendrils to male believers especially since grapevines are said to be self-pollinating. Furthermore, the fact that branches provide the space and structure for the tendrils to grow and function, and tendrils help the grapevine to climb seemed to buttress this idea. But what gave me pause was the fact that the two appendages emerge separately. And also the considerable contrast between tendrils’ astronomical lengthwise growth as their slender, wiry stems reach out to wind their way around any available external structure in the direction of the sunlight the vine needs to bear fruit, which was most unlike the intertwined and interdependent branches.
It is said that when one branch is unhealthy, it can affect the entire vine. This relationship between branches has been correctly interpreted by some to suggest how Christians are meant to support and nurture one another in their spiritual journey and the importance of mutual care and accountability within the church. This network is also expected to provide encouragement to ‘abide in Christ’, and practical help in navigating the challenges of life, and we all know this includes both male and female, Jew and Gentile, slave and free, young and old. And though tendrils also contribute to the wellbeing of the vine, they obviously play a more crucial and independent role.
Unlike branches that depend on each other, the highly sensitive tendrils rely more on the support structure that they touch, and coil around it to anchor the vine more tightly. Without tendrils, grapevines will probably not get enough sun, thus limiting the quality and quantity of the fruits they bear are likely to creep and sprawl, similar to what will happen to a church without a leader setting the direction and encouraging and/or inspiring other believers to follow..
This was how I arrived at the more comfortable conclusion that tendrils would best symbolize those with a special calling in the Body of Christ. I refer of course to such leaders as Apostles, Teachers, Prophets, Pastors and Evangelists. Ephesians 4: 11-12 bears all this out when it reminds us that God Himself “… appointed some as apostles [special messengers, representatives], some as prophets [who pass on a message from God to the people], some as evangelists [who spread the good news of salvation], and some as pastors and teachers [to shepherd and guide and instruct], 12 [and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church];
Those who have this gifting in good measure are usually driven by a zeal to pursue their calling. Similar to what tendrils do for grapevines, they usually stand out, by God’s Grace of course, to provide structure and direction for the Church community to grow spiritually and numerically. The passion, zeal and tenacity of outstanding Christian leaders past and present have never ceases to amaze me.
Starting with the most unlikely raggle-taggle group of disciples we have all read about in the Bible who became the Apostles who turned the world upside down. Our Lord called Saul of Tarsus, originally one of the greatest antagonists of Christianity, who became Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, and who led many others to spread the Gospel far and wide. Over two thousand years and counting, this pattern continues till today through relatively contemporary equivalents like Spurgeon, C.S Lewis, Billy Graham, (to mention just a few), most of whom had no pedigree worth mentioning to begin with, but whom God used powerfully in their generation to spread the Gospel far beyond their sphere.
I seize this opportunity to pay tribute to pastor John MacArthur, who does not know me from Adam but has been a great blessing to me, and pastor Olusola Odumosu, who knew me only too well, and still chose to be a blessing to me and many others. They both passed on to glory within the past month and I will be eternally grateful to them. Meanwhile, I closely observe the emerging Christian leaders among the Gen X and Gen Z whom God is already using mightily. Like tendrils, they all seem so focused on their particular calling that it’s sometimes frightening to observe. May they always allow God to lead and continually reduce and He increases, in Jesus’ mighty Name. Amen!
As for what the external support structures represent, Bible scholars over the years have compared them to the spiritual disciplines that guarantee constant connection to Christ. As much as this resonates with me, I much prefer to compare them to the Word of God, the Bible, which is settled in heaven and is settled for ever (Psalm 119: 89). Only by feeding on it, interpreting and teaching correctly, and using it correctly in prayers and practicing what it commands, will the faith community be amenable to and willing to embrace God’s pruning hand for His Glory.
