5th Sunday of Easter – Gospel Illustration: John 15:1-8 – Tea Cup

1. The Tea Cup
Submitted by Cathy Pinto

2. There was a couple who used to My master took me and rolled
go England just to shop in the me and patted me over and
beautiful stores. over and I yelled out, “Let me
This was their 25th wedding alone,” but he only smiled
anniversary. They both liked and said, “Not yet!!”
antiques and pottery and Then I was placed on a spinning
especially tea-cups. wheel and suddenly I was
They said, ”May we see that tea spun around and around and
cup? We‟ve never seen one around.
quite so beautiful.” „Stop it !! I‟m getting dizzy!‟ I
As the lady handed it to screamed.
them, suddenly the tea-cup But the master only nodded and
spoke, “You don‟t said, „Not yet.‟
understand.” It said, “I have
not always been a tea-cup.
There was a time when I was
red clay.

3. Then he put me in the oven. I Then suddenly he put me back
never felt such heat. I yelled into the oven, not like the first
and knocked at the door. I one. This was twice as hot and
could see him through the I knew I would suffocate.
opening and I could read his I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I
lips as he shook his head and cried. I would never make it. I
said, „Not yet‟. was ready to give up.
“Finally, the door opened, he But the door opened and he took
put me on the shelf, and I me out and placed me on the
began to cool. shelf.
Then he brushed and painted me An hour later he handed me a
all over. The fumes were mirror and said „Look at
horrible. I thought I would yourself.‟ And I did. I said,
gag. „Stop it, Stop it!!‟ I „That‟s not me; that couldn‟t
cried. be me. It‟s beautiful. I‟m
He only nodded, „Not yet!‟. beautiful.‟

4. “I want you to remember, then,‟ done that, you never would have
he said, „I know it hurts to be hardened.
rolled and patted, but if I just You would not have had any
had left you alone, you‟d color in your life, and if I
have dried up. hadn‟t put you back in the
I know it made you dizzy to spin second oven, you wouldn‟t
around on the wheel, but if I survive for long because the
had stopped, you would have hardness would not have held.
crumbled. Now you are a finished product.
I know it hurts and it was hot You are what I had in mind
and disagreeable in the oven, when I first began with you.”
but if I hadn‟t put you there, God knows what He‟s doing with
you would have cracked. us . He may be viewed as a
I know the fumes were bad potter working in clay or as a
when I brushed and painted vinedresser working in the
you all over, but if I hadn‟t vineyard of the world.

5. However you picture Him, He
will mould us, prune us and
shape us into His perfect plan
and purpose for our lives.