START WITH SCRIPTURE:
John 15:1-8
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OBSERVE:
This is another of the powerful “I Am” statements of Jesus that identifies him as one with the Father, and yet distinct as the Son. On multiple occasions in the Gospel of John, Jesus uses the phrase I am in such a way that clearly connects to the encounter between God and Moses in Exodus 3:14, when God reveals his identity:
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
This image of the vine would have been familiar to Jesus’ Jewish disciples. Israel was frequently described as a vine. Jesus is declaring he is the true vine. The Father cultivates and cares for the vine, and in this organic metaphor those who follow Jesus are incorporated into the vine as well.
Jesus shows familiarity with the husbandry of a vineyard. It was said that for the Israelite true prosperity and peace (shalom) could be found when they were able to sit under their own vine (Micah 4:4).
However, Jesus understands that the unpruned vine will bear no fruit. The branch that bears no fruit is cut off, but even the branch that bore fruit last season must be cut back in order to bear grapes in the next season. That seems paradoxical and counter-intuitive, but it is true.
Jesus tells the disciples that they have already been pruned clean, because they have listened to his teachings. But he also tells them that in order for them to bear fruit they must remain connected to the vine, which is Jesus himself. Jesus says:
Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me.
The disciple is to maintain connection with Jesus, and by doing so continues to receive the sustenance that comes from the vine. The two become one.
Jesus reiterates this to make it perfectly clear:
I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
He then makes the astounding promise:
If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.
Again, the premise is that they must remain connected to him, and then and only then will their requests be accomplished.
Finally, he tells the disciples that their productivity and fruitfulness will glorify God:
In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples.
This is reminiscent of Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:16:
Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
APPLY:
This is an encouraging picture for us as disciples. As we remain connected to Christ, the true vine, he abides in us and we abide in him. Then our work cannot be in vain, because it is his work in us.
The converse of that is also true, however. If we do not remain connected to him, we will not bear fruit. Without him we can do nothing.
We do well to remember also that all will experience times of pruning, of being “cut back.” Those who bear no fruit will be cut off. But even those who are fruitful will experience times of pruning in order to bear more fruit later.
It may well be that when we consider the current “recession” in much of Western Christianity that what we are seeing is a kind pruning. Perhaps this pruning of the branches will result in even more fruitful ministry for the sake of the Gospel.
And in our own lives as well, adversity may serve to prune away dead habits and unfruitful aspects of our lives so that we can be more productive.
RESPOND:
When I think of remaining connected to Christ as the true vine, my mind turns naturally to what we call in my tradition the means of grace. These are the spiritual disciplines that provide the channels for God to reach me — prayer, Bible study, corporate worship and Christian fellowship, fasting, the Lord’s Supper.
However, I’m also reminded that the power that flows toward me from staying attached to the vine is also to flow outward as I bear fruit. That’s when I begin to wonder what that fruit is to be like — sharing my faith with someone; giving food to someone who is hungry; visiting a widow; reaching out to someone in jail; generosity.
It seems to me that the flow of this power is inward from the vine and then outward toward others.
Our Lord, my hope and my goal is to stay connected with you. In you alone is found life and meaning and purpose. May I be so connected to you that any fruit I bear is obviously your fruit, and you receive the glory. And when the times of pruning come, help me bear that patiently and hopefully. Amen.
PHOTOS: The photo in the “Pruning is NOT optional” poster: “Vineyard Pruning” by Cortes de Cima is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.
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