Psalm 80
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou who leadest Joseph like a flock! Thou who art enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before E′phraim and Benjamin and Manas′seh!
Stir up thy might, and come to save us! Restore us, O God; let thy face shine, that we may be saved!
O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry with thy people’s prayers? Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.
Thou dost make us the scorn of our neighbors; and our enemies laugh among themselves.
Restore us, O God of hosts; let thy face shine, that we may be saved!
Thou didst bring a vine out of Egypt; thou didst drive out the nations and plant it. Thou didst clear the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. the mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches; it sent out its branches to the sea, and its shoots to the River.
Why then hast thou broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it.
Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, the stock which thy right hand planted.
They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance! But let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, the son of man whom thou hast made strong for thyself! Then we will never turn back from thee; give us life, and we will call on thy name!
Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! let thy face shine, that we may be saved!
John 15:1-11
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."
Here is a poem, attributed to various Church Fathers with no clear concensus on who the actual author was. Regardless, it speaks to the image of the cross as the life giving tree.
There is a place, we believe, at the centre of the world, Called Golgotha by the Jews in their native tongue. Here was planted a tree cut from a barren stump:
This tree, I remember hearing, produced wholesome fruits, But it did not bear these fruits for those who had settled there: It was foreigners who picked these lovely fruits.
This is what the tree looked like: it rose from a single stem And then extended its arms into two branches Just like the heavy yardarms on which billowing sails are stretched Or like the yoke beneath which two oxen are put to the plough.
The shoot that sprung from the first ripe seed Germinated in the earth and then, miraculously, On the third day it produced a branch once more, Terrifying to the earth and to those above, but rich in life-giving fruit.
But over the next forty days it increased in strength, Growing into a huge tree which touched the heavens With its topmost branches and then hid its saccred head on high.
In the meantime it produced twelve branches of enormous Weight and stretched forth, spreading them over the whole world: They were to bring nourishment and eternal life to all The nations and to teach them that death can die.
And then after a further fifty days had passed From its top the tree caused a draught of divine nectar To flow into its branches, a breeze of the heavenly spirit.
All over the tree the leaves were dripping with sweet dew. And look! Beneath the branches shady cover There was a spring, with waters bright and clear For there was nothing there to disturb the calm. Around it in the grass A variety of flowers shone forth in bright colors.
Around this spring countless races and peoples gathered, Of different stock, sex, age and rank, Married and unmarried, widows, young married women, Babies, children and men, both young and old.
When they saw the branches here bending down, under the weight Of many sorts of fruit, they gleefully reached out with greedy hands To touch the fruits dripping with heavenly nectar.
But they could not pick them with their eager hands Until they had wiped off the dirt and filthy traces Of their former life, washing their bodies in the holy spring. And so they strolled around on the soft grass for some time And looked up at the fruits hanging from the tall tree.
If they ate the shells that fell from those branches And the sweet greenery dripping with plenty of nectar, Then they were overcome with a desire to pick the real fruit. And when their mouths first experienced the heavenly taste, Their minds were transformed and their greedy impulses Began to disappear; by the sweet taste they knew the man.
We have seen that an unusual taste or the poison of gall Mixed with honey causes annoyance in many: They rejected what tasted good because they were confused And did not like what they had eagerly grabbed at, Finally spitting out the taste of what they had for long drunk unwisely.
But it often happens that many, once their thoughts are set to rights, Find their sick minds restored and achieve what they denied Was possible and so obtain the fruits of their labours.
Many, too, having dared to touch the sacred waters, Have suddenly departed, slipping back again To roll around in the same mixture of mud and filth.
But others, faithfully carrying the truth within them, receive it With their whole soul and store it deep in their hearts. And so the seventh day sets those who can approach The sacred spring beside the waters they longed for, And they dip their bodies that have been fasting.
Only so do they rid themselves of the filth of their thoughts And the stains of their former life, bringing back from death Souls that are pure and shining, destined for heaven’s light.
