Our Lives are Like a Glass of Wine
Did you know that there are nearly a thousand references to wine or wine-related topics in the Bible? Holy Bourdeaux Batman! One of these scriptures tells us why God gave us wine:
He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
wine that gladdens human hearts,
oil to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains their hearts.
– Psalm 104:14-15
Did you see it? He gave us wine as a gift to gladden our hearts. He is such a good, good, Father, isn’t he? As we peer into these nearly one thousand references, we immediately see that wine shows up at three very important meals in the Bible:
The Passover
The annual meal established in the Old Testament to commemorate the night the angel passed over the homes of the Hebrews who had the blood of the lamb on the doorframes of their houses that saved them from death. In this meal there are four very important glasses of wine served.
The Lord’s Supper
Jesus took the Passover meal and infused it with new meaning. All along he was the Passover Lamb. Central to this meal is a cup of wine that represents the blood he poured out for our redemption.
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
This is the meal yet to come that we who believe will share with Jesus in his kingdom. The prophet Isaiah tells us he will serve up the finest aged wines. (Isaiah 25:6) This harkens us back to Jesus’ first miracle where he turned the water not just into wine, but the best wine.
Within the nearly one thousand references to “Wine in the Word” we also see it used as a metaphor for our lives. My favorite is found in Galatians 5:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
– Galatians 5:22-23
Paul, the author, is not referring to a bowl of fruit. If he were he would have written about the “fruits” of the Spirit. He has a single piece of fruit in mind. That fruit is the fruit of the vine, the grape. The metaphorical variety is LOVE and the other eight virtues describe how LOVE manifests itself in our relationships. Paul does a similar thing in 1 Corinthians 13, the famous love chapter used in weddings, but here he draws on the analogy of wine.
Paul is essentially saying that our lives are like a glass of wine that others taste.
The trained sommelier will hold up a glass at a 45-degree angle in the light and look to see if the wine is clear or cloudy, brightly colored, or dull. He will look for sediment and study the legs dripping down from the top of the glass. Then the sommelier, with hands on the stem of the wine glass, will swirl it and with a nose unbiased by food, perfume, or other smells, takes a long, deep whiff of the wine searching for fruit, mineral, spice, vegetable, earth, wood, and other kinds of aromas. Finally, he will take a sip to confirmed what he smelled.
From this he will also be able to tell the variety, the region, and the age of the wine. “This is a pure Cabernet Sauvignon from the region of Paso Robles from 2012.” Then he will describe the nuances of the wine, “I am picking up hints of cinnamon, blackberry, and even some pencil lead.“
Paul is envisioning the same thing with our lives.
The people who spend time with us see us, swirl us, sniff us and sip us.
From that they can tell us what they taste. The goal is for them to say, “Oh this is a glass of pure LOVE!” The primary characteristic of LOVE as a variety is that it is unconditional and sacrificial. They can taste how mature we are. Good wine gets better with age – we smooth out over time.
Then they describe the “hints” they are picking up from us. “I am picking up hints of joy, peace…and oh yes…faithfulness.” What you want to hear are these eight descriptors:
Joy
This describes a person with inner contentment and a sense of purpose despite their circumstances. Who doesn’t want to spend time with such a person.
Peace
This is not so much a feeling of peace but a person who is at peace with God, other people and even at peace with themselves. It is relational in nature.
Forbearance
This characteristic, also translated “patience”, refers to a person who takes a long time to get angry.
Kindness
This refers to a person who is habitually looking to make positive deposits in people lives. But the word in the Greek refers not just to the outward act but an inward sense of what is truly beneficial for the other person.
Goodness
You can also use the word “integrity” here. A person who truly loves you is willing to tell you the truth when no one else will.
Faithfulness
Someone who has established a good name with others based on their longstanding loyalty.
Gentleness
In the Greek, this is a medical term that refers to someone who is easy on your stomach. They don’t increase your anxiety but relieve it.
Self-Control
This is someone who doesn’t allow bad habits or addictions to overcome them. It also refers to someone who has the discipline to install good habits into their lives for the sake of others.
How does one become such a great glass of wine?
Paul says this is a fruit that is produced by the Spirit. This is a result of God’s working in our lives, the Divine Vintner – caring for and yet pruning our lives. It is also the result of being connected to the right vine. Jesus said in John 15:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener…Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:1, 4-5)
If you want to become this kind of person for the sake of others, you need to nurture your spiritual life. You need to be connected to the vine of Christ and let God do his good work in and through you.
So, let me ask you, when the people in your life hold you up to the light at a 45-degree angle and see you, and then swirl you, sniff you, and finally sip you, what do they taste and how do they describe you? If you are connected to the vine of Jesus and you allow God to be your Divine Vintner, you can become a world class glass of vino. Cheers!
More From Randy
Wine is one the most celebrated gifts and blessings from God. It is also the most talked about food in the Bible. But have we neglected this important biblical theme and fragrant gift from God? In “Wine in the Word“, a six-session video Bible study, Gisela Kreglinger and Randy Frazee invite you into an exploration of wine’s place in the Bible, in the history of the church, and in the church’s feasting and fellowship today. Gisela brings her perspective as a scholar who was raised in a vintner’s family, and Randy brings his perspective as a pastor who was raised in a teetotaling home. They remind you that wine is a gift from God and that we are to receive it with gratitude and enjoy it in a wholesome, communal, and redemptive way.
Randy Frazee
Randy Frazee is the lead teaching pastor at Westside Family Church in Kansas City. He is a leader and innovator in Bible engagement, spiritual formation, and biblical community spaces. Randy is the architect of The Story and BELIEVE church engagement campaigns as well as the author of The Joy Challenge; His Mighty Strength; Think, Act, Be Like Jesus; What Happens After You Die; and the coauthor of Real Simplicity with his wife, Rozanne. The Frazees have four children and five grandchildren who are the lights of their lives. To learn more about his work and ministry, go to randyfrazee.com.