Word to the Wise
Wednesday, April 23, 2008 - Wednesday in the Fifth Week of Easter
[Acts 15:1-6 and John 15:1-8]I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fuirt, and everyone that does not he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
I have had the experience of visiting a number of wineries and observing the vines, etc. Wine tourism is a common form of entertainment in those areas that can grow wine grapes. I am always reminded of the image of Jesus as the vine. When the vines are in full glory, they are quite a sight and the whole atmosphere of the area is permeated with the smell of the grapes, especially at harvest time. Jesus' image is complex at one level and simple at another! The Gospel of John is ever that way! However, most of us are familiar enough with vines to know that branches depend on a larger reality. Jesus is not claiming to be the "stalk" - he is claiming to be the entire vine of which disciples are a part. When a branch is no longer showing itself to be a part of the whole (not bearing fruit), there are two options in the Johannine image: prune it or cut it off entirely. Any good gardener knows the value of pruning even if the plant looks terrible sometimes after the process. If the vine is life and a branch is dead, that branch must be cut off because dead material attracts disease. (I even have to do this with my iris plants.) Our culture emphasizes the individual whereas this image emphasizes the collective. The productivity of the vine as a whole is more important than any given branch. We who claim to be part of the Body of Christ must stretch from our individualism to recognize our dependence on Christ and on the health of the entire vine as crucial to our own. AMEN
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