John 15: 1-8
“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[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also 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 you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are 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 done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Vineyards were familiar places in Jesus’ day as people would walk by them as they went from one place to another. Some worked in the vineyards and others owned vineyards. The vineyard symbolizes the work of 4 aspects in the passage:
The Father is the Gardener, the Vine grower.
Jesus is the Vine.
The disciples and each of us are the branches.
The branches that do not abide in Christ wither and die.
The Gardener knows His grape bearing branches and the care that each needs. God, our Master Gardener, knows our needs even before we do and is able to care for us beyond our expectations. He prunes us to help us mature, flourish and grow into all that we can be. We all need someone to help us stay on the right path and guide us in the direction that is most beneficial for our lives.
I always need my Heavenly Father to guide and direct my paths with His steady hand. The sad part for me is that in my early days of my faith, I didn’t ask God FIRST to lead me, I made choices all on my own. The hope is God can take those choices and reshape our lives for His purposes and for the good of all. I have learned He is never far away and is waiting for me to join Him as I begin new steps on my path.
God sent His Son to be His personal ambassador, the Vine, and be the main source of our strength and lifeline. Jesus also portrayed Himself as the true vine of God to His disciples for a two-fold purpose: First, to let His disciples know that even though He would not be physically present with them always, He would send the Holy Spirit to be “with” and “in” them. God knows we need to be connected to the Vine so the vine branches will receive the proper nutrients and all that is needed for the full growth. The vine branches that don’t allow the pruning to take place wither and die. They are separated from the life source. It’s like that in our lives, we can’t reach our full potential if we cut off our relationship and do not remain with the Vine and the Gardener. Jesus reminds us that He is the Vine and we like the Disciples are the branches. Jesus is the Source of our spiritual life, nourishment and fruitfulness. In John 15 verse 5 Jesus said, “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Read the scripture again using the exercise of Lectio Divina.
- Read through the passage slowly, set aside any preconceived notions and listen for any words that stand out for you.
- Read for the second time, meditate on the passage and see where you see yourself in the story.
- Narrow your focus in the third reading and see if you see God speaking directly to you.
- Read the final reading slowly. See if you missed anything from the first three readings. Savor the passage.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, You are our life line for our daily living. When we are separated from You we are not at our best. May we cling to You tightly so we can be the child of God you intended us to be. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
My love and prayers,
Ann
