True Vine, True Bread

Προσθετέον τοῖς εἰρημένης πῶς ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς ἀληθινὴ ἄμπελος. Τοῦτο δὲ δῆλον ἔσται τοῖς συνιεῖσιν ἀξίως χάριτος προφητικῆς τὸ Οἶνος εὐφραίνει καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου. Εἰ γὰρ ἡ καρδία τὸ διανοητικόν ἐστι, τὸ δὲ εὐφραῖνον αὐτὸ ὁ ποτιμώτατός ἐστι λόγος, ἐξιστῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρωπικῶν καὶ ἐνθουσιᾶν ποιῶν καὶ μεθύειν μέθην οὐκ ἀλόγιστον ἀλλὰ θείαν, ἣν οἶμαι καὶ Ἰωσὴφ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς μεθύειν ποιεῖ, εὐλόγως ὁ τὸν εὐφραίνοντα καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οἶνον φέρων ἄμπελός ἐστιν ἀληθινή· διὰ τοῦτο ἀληθινή, ἐπεὶ βότρυς ἔχει τὴν ἀλήθειαν καὶ κλήματα τοὺς μαθητάς, μιμητὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτοὺς καρποφοροῦντας τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ἔργον δὲ διαφορὰν παραστῆσαι ἄρτου καὶ ἀμπέλου, ἐπεὶ οὐ μόνον ἄμπελος ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄρτος ζωῆς εἶναί φησιν. Ὅρα δὲ μήποτε, ὥσπερ ὁ ἄρτος τρέφει καὶ ἰσχυροποιεῖ καὶ στηρίζειν λέγεται καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου, ὁ δὲ οἶνος ἥδει καὶ εὐφραίνει καὶ διαχεῖ, οὕτως τὰ μὲν ἠθικὰ μαθήματα, ζωὴν περιποιοῦντα τῷ μανθάνοντι καὶ πράττοντι, ἄρτος ἐστὶ τῆς ζωῆς, οὐκ ἂν ταῦτα γεννήματα λέγοιτο τῆς ἀμπέλου, τὰ δὲ εὐφραίνοντα καὶ ἐνθουσιᾶν ποιοῦντα ἀπόρρητα καὶ μυστικὰ θεωρήματα, τοῖς κατατρυφῶσι τοῦ Kυρίου ἐγγινόμενα καὶ οὐ μόνον τρέφεσθαι ἀλλὰ καὶ τρυφᾶν ποθοῦσιν, ἔστιν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθινῆς ἀμπέλου ἐρχόμενα, οἶνος καλούμενα. Ὠριγένης, Των Εῑς Το Κατά Ιὠάννην Εὐαγγέλιον Εξηγητικόν, Τομός Α', Κεφ KΘ´ Source: Migne PG 14.77d-80b

Let it be added to what we have said how the Son is the true vine. 1 This will be clear to those who understand, in a manner worthy of the prophetic grace: 'Wine gives joy to the heart of a man.' 2 For if the heart is the intellectual part, and what rejoices it is the Word, most pleasing to drink, which carries one off from human things, makes us feel inspired, and intoxicates us with an intoxication which is not irrational but Divine, with which, I think, Joseph cheered his brothers, 3 then it is understandable how He who brings wine to rejoice the heart of man is the true vine. And because of this He is the true one, because the grapes He bears are the truth, and the disciples are His branches, in imitation of Him bringing forth the truth as their fruit. It is less easy to set forth the difference between the bread and the vine, since He says that He is not only the vine but also the bread of life. But see that it may be that as bread nourishes and makes strong, and it is said to 'strengthen the heart of man,' 2 but wine pleases and cheers and mellows him, so ethical lessons, which bring life to the one who learns them and puts them to practice, is the bread of life but cannot correctly be spoken of as the fruit of the vine, while secret and mystical insights, which give joy and inspire, arising in those who delight in the Lord, those who desire not only to be nourished but to be joyous, because they come from the true vine, are called wine. Origen, Commentary on The Gospel Of Saint John, Book 1, Chap 29 1 Jn 15.1 2 Ps 103.15 3 Gen 43.34