I Heard It Through The Grape Vine

I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Illus. By Sermon Central

On a certain isolated Pacific island, when a young man proposed marriage, it was customary to announce it to the entire village. Then he and the whole community would go to the young woman’s home. Her father would come outside and then – in front of the community – the father and suitor would barter.

Obviously, they didn’t view themselves as doing anything chauvinistic, even though we might view it that way somewhat.

The main item of value on this island was the cow. Therefore, the suitor would offer the father a certain number of cows for his daughter. The average bride was worth two cows, perhaps three if she was unusually bright or attractive. The all-time record was four cows.

The most eligible bachelor on the island was Johnny Lingo. He was handsome and wealthy. Imagine all of the excitement among the women of the island when Johnny announced one day that he had selected a wife.

But then he shocked everyone by announcing that his choice was a girl named Lisa. Lisa was not even in the top ten. She was regarded as rather plain and frightfully shy. Some of the jokers in the crowd even suggested that Lisa’s father might have to pay Johnny a cow or two.

The community gathered at Lisa’s house for the bartering. Then came an even greater shock. Johnny’s opening bid for Lisa was eight cows Her father almost fainted, but he managed to say yes. That very evening Johnny and Lisa were married.

They departed for their home on an adjacent island. For a full year no one saw Johnny or Lisa. Then on their first anniversary they returned to visit their parents.

From the moment they arrived at the dock, the Community grapevine went ballistic with gossip. Everybody said, “Come and see Johnny and Lisa You won’t believe it” Everybody came, but nobody noticed Johnny. All eyes were on Lisa.

She had been transformed, she was a vision of loveliness. She was poised, warm, friendly, and confident.

At the end of the day as Johnny and Lisa were preparing to return to their home, one of Johnny’s long-time friends pulled him aside and said, “I want to know the secret of this amazing transformation in Lisa. How did it happen?”

Johnny said, “I will tell you. From the time Lisa was born, she had been treated as though she was not worthy of very much. She had begun to believe what everyone said about herself. But I announced to the community that she was an 8-cow wife, and I have treated her just that way. She has become the vision of herself that she sees every day in my eyes.”

The accuser, with the worlds help (the grapevine) tries repeatedly to do to all God’s children, what the crowd had done for years to Lisa, the girl Johnny chose to marry.

The accuser says repeatedly there’s no value here, but God says differently in the word and throughout all of scripture.

* Oh he’s just a shepherd boy, no he’s a soon to be King.

* Oh she’s just a widowed childless woman, no she’s going to be the grandmother of David a man after my own heart.

* Oh she’s just a young girl, no she’s going to be the queen of the nation and will save the entire nation of Israel.

*Oh she’s just a prostitute, no that woman will be in the lineage of Jesus the Savior of the world!

In the English language there are usually at least two definitions for every word, that’s part of the reason English is so hard to learn. The word grapevine is no different.

: a climbing plant on which grapes grow

: an informal way of spreading information or rumors through conversation

Illus. By Alistair Wearing

OLDEST LIVING VINE

In Hampton Court, there is a grapevine that is reported to be the oldest living vine. It is over 230 years old. This grapevine has one root which is 3.6 metres (12 foot) round, and some of the branches are over 36.5 metres (120 foot) long. Despite its age the vine still produces 500 to 700 bunches (weighing 220 – 320 kg / 485 - 705 lb) of grapes each year.

Although some of the branches are 120 feet from the main root, they still bear the sweet and delicious fruit because they are connected to the vine. Each branch is connected directly to the stem and draws nourishment from it.

Although some of those branches are over 100 feet long, and no doubt hundreds of years old, they are still healthy and they still produce fruit as long as they’re connected to the vine.

Jesus said in John 15:5-8 NKJ