JOHN 15
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3 You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
BACKGROUNDER
To be rich in life is to continue a journey which began in the garden with Adam and Eve, a journey which will end with Jesus in glory, as we saw last week, bringing healing to all the nations through the leaves of the tree of life. We are in the middle of the journey, in the end times. The end times refers to everything that follows Jesus’ victory on the cross.
This journey is, or at least can be, a rich one. The image of the branch refers to how each Christian is deeply united with Jesus, a process that begins with faith, expressed in conversion. Bring united with Jesus also unites us to each other.
In the Catholic faith the sacraments, starting with baptism, begin the life of Christ in us. The seven sacraments are ways through which God shares his life with us, we need them. And because the sacraments are celebrations of the church, this means that we are bonded to each other in the Christian community. And this adds to the complexity and the richness of the journey. The vine is Jesus, the source, but all the branches are connected to each other.
Being connected to Jesus comes with a price. As Jesus says, God who is his Father, removes branches that bear no fruit and also prunes those that do. We are continually being cut back because of our sin, our need to find healing for our present darkness. Staying connected to Jesus also means putting up with each other’s problems and weaknesses. Some of the most discouraging aspects of the journey may well be our fellow Christians. Yet there is no way to stay connected with Jesus without each other.
The Father desires us to bear much fruit. This fruit is the result of abiding in Jesus and following his commandments. Fruit also means that the life of Jesus in us is to be shared with us. Remember how Adam and Eve ate of the tree that God forbade? Now the fruit of the vine is freely available so that we may all share in the joy.