Word for the day by Christian Educational Forum
The Vine and the Branches
In
the first verse of today’s passage, Jesus refers to himself as the “true
vine.” He repeats this imagery in the fifth verse as well. When
something is repeated, it usually signifies that the point being expressed is
important. What is the important message that Jesus is trying to convey
to all of us? There are three different subjects that are portrayed in the
passage: Christ as the vine, the Father as the gardener, and His people as the
branches. The vine is the fulcrum point in the allegory—the pivotal point
between the roots and the branches. Without the vine, there are no
branches or fruit. It is the strongest part of the plant, the life-giving
center by which all the branches sprout from. The vine is essential for
the branch to live, grow, and bear fruit. As children of God, we will
only be fruitful when we remain in Christ. When we live away from Christ,
we are not living according to God’s will for us and become useless and
unfruitful.
The
sole purpose of the branches is to bear fruit. Unless the branch is part
of the vine, it cannot bear fruit. If it does not bear fruit, the
gardener will cut it off. If it does bear fruit, the gardener will prune
the branch. Pruning is a technique used to allow a plant to be more
fruitful. This accomplished by trimming the branches so that the plant
will not expend energy unnecessarily on those areas of the plant that are not
fruitful. There may be instances in our lives when we undergo situations
where we feel we are being pruned but they eventually allow us to be more
focused and fruitful for our God. It is through this sometimes painful
process, that we are being perfected for our God. Zechariah 13:8-9
restates this point when describing how the most precious of metals are
produced through a refiner’s fire.
There
are two main purposes for fruit: for food and reproduction. The fruit is
not for the glory of the branch but rather the vine and the gardener. The
gardener will do with the fruit as he wishes, whether it is to bring it to his
own home, make wine with it, or share it with others. A gardener takes
great pleasure in a good harvest. Our Father in heaven is pleased when we
bring Him glory. Inside the fruit, the seed is essential for reproduction and
future growth. Long after the branch dies and withers, the seed continues
to bring glory to the gardener in future harvests. Let us strive to allow
our fruits to bring glory and honor to our Father over generations.
Prayer: Our Father in
Heaven, may our goal be to yield to Your will and bear
fruit for Your glory. Amen.
Thought
for the day: When
we live away from Christ, we are not living according to God’s will for us and become
useless and unfruitful.
Tom Philip, St. Peters MTC, NJ