Apr 24 2019 John 15:1-11

I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit



Jesus is continuing his farewell speech, given after he’s been betrayed and before he is arrested. These are his parting words to his disciples.



Often, when we hear about this story of Jesus, we hear about the cuddly parts, where Jesus is offering a comparison that’s understandable and where his arms are opened up in a welcoming embrace. Be with me, and you’ll bear much fruit. Aw, isn’t that great. Jesus is the vine and I’m the branch. This whole story isn’t like that though, except if we selectively read it, stopping at this part. Jesus continues that those who don’t abide in him are like branches that are gathered up and thrown in the fire. Jesus is saying that if we don’t abide in him, we cannot produce fruit, will be gathered up and burned, or whatever the human equivalent of that is.



That doesn’t sound so welcoming and warm. I wonder if the disciples who heard this were a little discomfited by this. Granted, they all believed they were with him, were branches that were firmly attached to the Jesus vine.



And if that part didn’t (or doesn’t) cause some concern, Jesus also says in this section that “every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.”  So even if we are good, connected branches bearing fruit, we are not spared from the pruners. Having had fruit trees, I absolutely understand the analogy.



One of my favorite things to do in the winter, was to prune the wayward branches, excessively long branches, and water shoots of our 15+ fruit trees. I never gave it much thought, as it clearly would make the tree healthier and more productive come spring and summer. For those entire branches that were unproductive, they were pruned off, and thrown in the pile. Some of those branches were seemingly connected to the vine, but didn’t produce. Off they came.



And what about the branches that were healthy, fruit producing branches? They were pruned too. There’s a limit to how long or how tall a branch can spread before it’s a liability to the tree. The weight of the too-long branch can cause it to break off at the trunk, damaging the whole tree. Or the overly long branch crowds out the rest of the productive branches.


This morning, I’m thinking more about the good, connected branches that are nonetheless pruned. They were doing what they do – growing, expanding, reaching for the son. And for that, they are clipped.



How often do I continue to do what I believe I’m supposed to do, but go a little too far, or stick out a little too much. My efforts are pruned back. I’m still connected, but a little wounded by the pruning. And eventually, that pruning made me stronger, and more fruit-bearing.



Today, I want to think about the ways and places my best, connected efforts are clipped, and to see how it might be like productive pruning.