"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will 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 a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:1-8
REFLECTION
For people who are living in an agricultural environment, with fruit trees and vine yards all around them, these words made a lot of sense. For us, people often living in modern, urban environments, it may be a bit harder to understand this metaphor of the gardener, the vine and the branches.
Vines need attention if you want them to be fruitful. Jesus paid constant attention to his Father and in return his Father was continually taking care of him. Jesus, the true vine, is God’s perfect example for us and we need to remain in him. If painful things happen to us, we can learn to trust our Father, the gardener, who is constantly at work in and around us – through his Word and through his Spirit. God creates opportunities for spiritual growth. If we stay connected to the true vine, our Lord Jesus Christ, if we drink in his words and allow him to poor out a constant stream of love and grace in our lives, we will bear much fruit.
PRAYERDear Father, thank you for looking after me. I don’t always understand why you cut certain things of in my life. It is not always clear why you allow pain, problems and adversity. It is often very hard to understand how you operate as a gardener. But I want to stay connected to your Son through his Word and Spirit. I want to bear much fruit for you, not in my own strength, but in full dependence on the finished work of your Son.
Dear Lord Jesus, help me to remain in you. I don’t want to throw my life away and I don’t want to miss great opportunities for spiritual growth. Feed me, cleanse me with your Word, fill me with your power and help me to bear much fruit for the glory of the Father. Amen
Dear Lord Jesus, help me to remain in you. I don’t want to throw my life away and I don’t want to miss great opportunities for spiritual growth. Feed me, cleanse me with your Word, fill me with your power and help me to bear much fruit for the glory of the Father. Amen
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3 comments:
In addition to enduring pruning, which I really don’t like, there is the issue of remaining in him. Our pastor preached on Zacchaeus and his sycamore-fig last week. He asked us, “What must you climb above in order to see Jesus?” The answer for me, sadly, is the church. I find it almost unendurable, but when I’m not attending I find myself drifting away from Jesus. This was a good passage for me, and it’s helpful to remember that I’m a branch of HIM, not the worldly institution of the church.
I had physical therapy today, and my therapist was talking to me about how sometimes the function of muscles isn’t clear cut. “It’s like a group of people,” she said. “When one can’t do his job for some reason, others pitch in and help.” I found it an arresting image. We often use the body as a metaphor for the church, but we seldom hear it the other way around.
Amen!!!
Hallo Paul,
Thanks for the interesting blog, I think it is rare to find such a beautiful blog with spiritual food.
If we remain in God he will never forsake us that is the most beautiful thing about him, He loves us in all conditions.
I found you throgh Cori's blog.
Thanks so much for the beautiful blog,Ihope you will enojoy: http://schoolforthegirlscourage.blogspot.com.
Greetings from Kenya
Rebecca and School For The Girls
Carol, I think jesus does point to the church as a way to grow.
I do agree that many who attend church are not embracing it, but according to the scripture and writings of the early christians, the church is essential.
Acts 8 gives us an example of Phillip guiding the ethopian. So who should we choose for our guide?
I listen to the early christians for that answer, they came up with the nicene creed which states they believed in the father, the son, the holy spirit, and one church.
That is one of the reasons I go to church.
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