Word to the Wise
Wednesday, April 27, 2016 -
[ and ]WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2016. WEDNESDAY IN THE FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER [Acts 15:1-6 and John 15:1-8] "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing." [John] The "farewell discourse" continues to provide us with a gospel scripture this week. Today we hear the image of the vine and the branches. Like the image of the shepherd-sheep, this one of the vine grower, vine and branches is meant to illustrate the relationship between Jesus and his Father and between Jesus and his disciples.. Any gardener seeking to remove an invasive vine knows that it is better to find the main branch and cut it and then let it dry to make the removal easier. When the support of the main trunk dies, the branches die. The strength that comes from the trunk is noted with the word "remain," which is one of the key words of relationship in John. The image is summed up in Jesus' words: [A]part from me, you can do nothing." The image also includes the "pruning" process, which is necessary to help the vine bear fruit more abundantly. We can only hope that whatever pruning the vine grower thinks is necessary will not include us. It won't if we bear fruit. Jesus' words at the end of the passage today say it: "By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples." AMEN
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