THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Wednesday in the fifth week of Easter, 2021

Acts15:1-6

Ps 122

John 15:1-8

He prunes

Dear friends in Christ, many cash crop farmers in preparation for the season, spend time and energy trimming off the dead branches and weeding through the plantation to get the best possible out of them. Sometimes, painfully he cuts off some branches, not because they are dead but because they will not be able to bear fruits and remain part of the tree, they will tear off because of the weight. Such must make way to have a good harvest. The branches cut off from the trees, end up as firewood.

Our Gospel passage of today (John 15:1-8) shows the familiarity of Jesus with vines. He says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear much fruit.” If we truly want to be fruitful, we must remain with Christ. Every effort at achieving greatness that does not include Christ, is only a wasted time. Jesus tells us that, he is the vine. Away from him or cut off from him, we can bear no fruit. But he also tells us that the Father is the Vine-dresser. The job of the vine dresser, is to make sure that only the branches that can support or bear fruits and are healthy enough to last the season, are left on the vine. He is sometimes at pains in taking the decision on which branches should be taken away, yet he knows that without doing so, he risks loosing a good harvest. Even for the branch that is healthy enough to bear fruit, he takes time to prune it, to make it do better.

Jesus again reminds his followers that, that painful decision to prune, is part of the Christian way of life. The Father allows us to pass through some hard times and rough roads in life, to understand and come to the joy of victory. God will not spare the rod as in Psalm 23, “He is there with his crook and staff” to lead the erring sheep back to the fold. How painful an experience of pruning can be for the vine. The one going through some hard times may not immediately understand why that has to be. But time does help people appreciate better, the rough patches on their road to success. Jesus warns also in this passage that there will be a time of burning for the branches that were not fruitful as they will be pruned off and thrown into the fire. What fruit have you borne for Christ? How is your faith leading you to do good to those around you?

Let us pray: Lord, prune me, that I may bear fruit which lasts unto life eternal. Amen.

+Remain blessed