Reading
Ezekiel 17:1-10 (NRSV)
Allegory of the vine
The word of the Lord came to me: O mortal, propound a riddle, and speak an allegory to the house of Israel. Say: Thus says the Lord God:
A great eagle, with great wings and long pinions,
rich in plumage of many colors,
came to the Lebanon.
He took the top of the cedar,
broke off its topmost shoot;
He carried it to a land of trade,
set it in a city of merchants.
Then he took a seed from the land,
placed it in fertile soil;
A plant by abundant waters,
he set it like a willow twig.
It sprouted and became a vine
spreading out, but low;
Its branches turned toward him,
its roots remained where it stood.
So it became a vine;
it brought forth branches,
put forth foliage.
There was another great eagle,
with great wings and much plumage.
And see! This vine stretched out
its roots toward him;
It shot out its branches toward him,
so that he might water it.
From the bed where it was planted
it was transplanted
to good soil by abundant waters,
so that it might produce branches
and bear fruit
and become a noble vine.
Say: Thus says the Lord God:
Will it prosper?
Will he not pull up its roots,
cause its fruit to rot and wither,
its fresh sprouting leaves to fade?
No strong arm or mighty army will be needed
to pull it from its roots.
When it is transplanted, will it thrive?
When the east wind strikes it,
will it not utterly wither,
wither on the bed where it grew?
Allegory of the vine
The word of the Lord came to me: O mortal, propound a riddle, and speak an allegory to the house of Israel. Say: Thus says the Lord God:
A great eagle, with great wings and long pinions,
rich in plumage of many colors,
came to the Lebanon.
He took the top of the cedar,
broke off its topmost shoot;
He carried it to a land of trade,
set it in a city of merchants.
Then he took a seed from the land,
placed it in fertile soil;
A plant by abundant waters,
he set it like a willow twig.
It sprouted and became a vine
spreading out, but low;
Its branches turned toward him,
its roots remained where it stood.
So it became a vine;
it brought forth branches,
put forth foliage.
There was another great eagle,
with great wings and much plumage.
And see! This vine stretched out
its roots toward him;
It shot out its branches toward him,
so that he might water it.
From the bed where it was planted
it was transplanted
to good soil by abundant waters,
so that it might produce branches
and bear fruit
and become a noble vine.
Say: Thus says the Lord God:
Will it prosper?
Will he not pull up its roots,
cause its fruit to rot and wither,
its fresh sprouting leaves to fade?
No strong arm or mighty army will be needed
to pull it from its roots.
When it is transplanted, will it thrive?
When the east wind strikes it,
will it not utterly wither,
wither on the bed where it grew?
Reflection
Riddles that perplex from the Word. Sometimes we see riddles. Riddles that have great meaning for the people of the day. Riddles that guide and lead to action. Riddles about actions taken while in exile.
But at times we are all in exile. We are all transplanted to another place and time. We are all out of the norm, where we belong.
Can we still grown while in exile? Sure! God will be with us if we are home or away. Our focus and center must be on God even while away. We may feel as if we are in exile, but to God we are always with God. God is by our side, at home or away. We can grow with good roots anywhere. Root yourself in our God and Savior.
Prayer
Lord, keep my roots strong and may I feed from the the love you freely give...no matter where I may grow. --- Amen
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