Wisdom from the Vineyard by Beth MooreMuestra

Grapes don’t grow solo; they only grow in clusters. Scale the world’s finest hills and forge her fertile valleys, and you’ll find her clusters in all sorts of colors—pink, purple, crimson, green, black, dark blue, yellow, and orange—up to a mind-boggling ten thousand varieties. 

The Hebrew word for “cluster” is eshcol. When the Israelite spies surveyed the Promised Land, one branch with a single cluster of grapes had to be carried by two grown men on a pole between them—that’s some kind of heavy fruit. One horticulturist suggests these grapes were of the Syrian variety known for producing clusters of between twenty and thirty pounds. (1)

Thousands of years later, in that same land, a Vine grew, which from all outward appearances was common. The Vine made a promise to a dozen branches, if only they’d abide. 

Much fruit. Heavy fruit. Weighty fruit. The most profitable fruit in all the world. 

Through Jesus Christ, you are in the bloodline of the Bible’s ancient fruit bearers. Together with the rest of your divinely called cluster, you are called to bear much fruit. Heavy fruit. Weighty fruit. The most profitable fruit in all the world. 

  Behold, how good and pleasant it is

     when brothers dwell in unity!

It is like the precious oil on the head,

     running down on the beard,

on the beard of Aaron,

     running down on the collar of his robes!

It is like the dew of Hermon,

     which falls on the mountains of Zion!

For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,

     life forevermore.

Psalm 133

This is the blessing: life forevermore.

(1) L. H. Bailey in Jeff Cox, From Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your Own Wine (North Adams, MA: Storey, 2015), 14.