Anne Ortlund wrote in her book, Up with Worship, that “Christians can be grouped into two categories — marbles and grapes. Marbles are ‘single units that don’t affect each other in collision.’ Grapes, on the other hand, mingle juices: each one is a ‘part of the fragrance’ of the church body.”
This analogy paints a fairly accurate picture of church life. Marbles hold their space in the bag while rubbing with great pressure against its neighboring marble. Tensions arise in Jesus’ church when members act like marbles. Such people come to church with a bone to pick. They want to be pleased and they want to have their personal agendas fulfilled. And if they are crossed — watch out for the collision!
Grapes, on the other hand, bend and mold themselves to the form of the next and when enough pressure is exerted their juices burst out — mixing and flowing together. When this happens, the individual grape has lost its self and has totally become part of the whole. 1 Corinthians 12:7-12 describes how the Holy Spirit distributes His gifts among the people of God as a means of grace with the purpose of helping the entire church body. Vs 12 even states, "The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ.” Paul says in his letter to the Philippians, “Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.” (Phil. 2:4 NLT). Christians are all about being grapes; mashed and shaped, mixing and mingling, giving and receiving until all have become wholly and completely one.
This one-ness in Christ and mingling in His grace then produces an aroma that no one can miss. To God’s people, it is attractive, but to those who rail against God, it is pungent. 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 (ESV) says, “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing -- to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.” The early church displayed such one-ness and their resounding joy was so attractive to those around them that many outside of the church came to a saving faith. Their one-ness with each other in life brought saving life to many others. Acts 2:46 says, “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
How can we be such an aromatic church? It all starts with all believers being like grapes! Jesus says in John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” As we approach this Thanksgiving season, may we once again remember that the 'first-fruit' of salvation was our Savior Jesus, who like a vulnerable grape, "was pierced for our rebellion, [and] crushed for our sins." (Isaiah 53:5 NLT). This Thanksgiving, may we all in Christ be pressed together like grapes; bursting and mixing together with praise and overflowing with great joy and thanksgiving to the glory of God!
