The Vine
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. 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.
John 15:1-8
“I am the true vine,” says Jesus. Here we have another one of the “I am” sayings - Jesus’ self revelation to be of the divine. He goes on to say that “my Father is the vine grower.” Jesus is once again emphasizing the relationship he has with his heavenly Father. Earlier, in John 10:30, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” Jesus and the Father are intricately connected; they abide in each other; they are so close it is as if they are the same.
Jesus goes on to say, “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.” These words describe the relationship we can have with Jesus and the Father. It doesn’t take much to see how true these words are about the necessity of being connected to Jesus who is connected to the Father. In a very simple description, I can remember being sent out to work in the garden, to hoe around plants to break up the soil and to pull or hoe out the weeds. Occasionally my aim would be a little mis-directed and I would chop off part of a plant. Not wanting my dad to see what I’d done to his precious plant, I’d quickly stick that piece in the ground and keep moving down the row - nothing to see here. Because the little branch had been cut off and had no root and was no longer connected to the plant to get what it needed to keep living and produce, by mid-afternoon in the sweltering sun, it would be withered and dead. Evening would come and dad would be walking around the garden to check on the progress, and the evidence would be found. A lecture on carelessness would usually be made at the dinner table directed at both my brothers and me; none of us confessed - but we were all guilty; if it wasn’t me that day, it surely was another day.
Jesus says he is the vine and we are the branches. Our very lives are dependent on him, and our abilities to do anything in his name for the sake of the kingdom are dependent on him. He gives us what we need to survive, to live, to thrive and produce the fruit that bears witness to the kingdom. Sometimes we may feel cut off or disconnected; sometimes we might willfully separate ourselves from the source of life. When that happens, hopefully we are able to sense our need of being reconnected or someone helps us to reconnect.
I know that I am thankful for all the other branches who have supported and encouraged me; and hopefully, I’ve been able to encourage and support other branches along the way. I’m also very thankful for the vine and the vine grower who make it all happen. From one branch to another, I’m here if you need some support - and together we’ll keep bearing fruit. Thanks be to God! Amen.