During this Easter Season, we continue to reflect on how the Risen Lord Jesus serves and provides for our needs.
Last week, we considered Him as our shepherd. This week, we learn that He is the vine and we are the branches, entirely dependent on Him for everything. In considering how He cares for us as disciples, we must reclaim the word "care" from its modern, rather sentimental meaning.
True care is not limited to pleasant things like providing food and shelter. Sometimes, care involves difficult but necessary things to discipline and purify us so that we may grow and bear more fruit. Thus, the Lord speaks of "pruning" in this passage. Although it may seem unpleasant, pruning is part of good care. Let us look at how the Lord cares for us so that we may be true disciples.
The Lord presents us with four fundamental principles that help us become better, more fruitful disciples.
I. The Mission of Disciples – The text says:
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit… Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it bears more fruit… Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned."
The mission of a vine is to bear fruit. What fruits is the Father seeking? Certainly, righteousness, integrity, and holiness are part of it. The Letter to the Galatians speaks of it this way:
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).
Certainly, we can add virtues and fruits such as generosity, chastity, mercy, forgiveness, and zeal for God and His kingdom. These are among the fruits that God seeks and which are the very reason for the vine, His Son Jesus, whom He sent to nourish us so that these fruits may be realized.
Yet, there are branches that, although they draw nourishment from the vine, do not bear fruit. Not only do they not bear fruit, but they often harm the vine by drawing strength away from the fruit-bearing branches.
I know little about grapes, but for many years now, I have grown tomatoes. As the tomato plant grows, small shoots emerge from the base of the vine's branches. They are commonly called "suckers," because they suck strength away from the main branch where the tomatoes grow. These suckers must be removed for the health and vigor of the plant and the best development of the fruit.
God often does the same. In our modern era, with its emphasis on individualism, hearing that God cuts off unproductive branches seems cruel and merciless to us. However, God does not only have the individual in mind, but the strength and fruitfulness of the entire vine. Not bearing fruit does not only affect the individual; it affects the whole vine. Therefore, God, as the loving vine grower, cuts off the harmful branches. Your life is not only about you. My life is not only about me. We exist in countless complex relationships with one another, and God must care for all of them. Because the mission of the vine is to bear fruit, God cultivates the vine with that in mind.
The text continues by saying that the cut branches wither and that "people" will gather them and throw them into the fire. If I do not know who I am and to whom I belong, if I am no longer rooted in Christ, anyone can name me and carry me away. Yes, without the stability of remaining on the vine, I can let myself be carried away by worldly things. In this way, I wither and die spiritually; the slightest breeze can sweep me away. Like any dried and withered branch, I am only good to be thrown into the fire. Unless Christ carries and sustains me, I am carried away by others, who throw me into the fire.
II. The Pruning of Disciples – The text says:
"Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it bears more fruit… You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you."
Most of us who have cared for roses know how important pruning is. Without this careful and necessary trimming, the rose bush becomes long and gnarled. It expends its strength more on branches than on flowers. Gradually, the flowers become smaller and less beautiful; the leaves lose their beauty, shape, and color, becoming smaller and lighter. Eventually, the rose bush resembles little more than a weed.
I imagine that if a rose bush could speak, it would protest and cry out in pain every November when I descend upon it and cut its growth to only 30 centimeters above the ground. In May, however, the magnificent roses in the front garden are a masterpiece and all the pain of November is forgotten.
Pain and pruning are part of the Christian journey; God knows what He is doing. We often do not, and like the roses in November crying out in pain and protest, we seek answers. Yet, just as I cannot explain my purpose to the roses (they are only rose bushes, after all), God cannot explain to us what He is doing (we are only mere mortals with minds too small to understand the full picture).
Yet, the pruning of November gives way to the glory of May; God the vine grower knows what He is doing.
Notice also that the Lord says that His Word "prunes us." If we let the Word enter us without compromise or abbreviation, we read, "Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). Yes, the Word of God can humble our pride, cut short our false and erroneous thoughts, and hold us accountable. It can eliminate error and heal the festering wounds of sin.
We must allow the Word of God to be what it is. Too many of us seek a filtered and watered-down version of God's Word. No! Let the undiluted Word act, of which Scripture itself says:
"Is not my word like fire, says the LORD, like a hammer shattering rock?" (Jeremiah 23:29)
A pruned vine bears abundant fruit. None of us likes pruning, but nothing is more necessary.
III. The Perseverance of Disciples – The text says:
"Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. 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."
In this short Gospel, the word "remain" appears seven times. Do you get the point? Remain! The Greek word μείνατε (meinate) is the plural imperative of the verb μένω (meno), which means "to dwell." To dwell means to stay habitually or to remain somewhere. It speaks of stability and persistence.
It is clear that a branch must always remain attached to the vine, otherwise it is doomed. Absolutely nothing is possible for a branch (except to wither and die) unless it is attached to the vine 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Nothing could be clearer in this analogy than this truth.
Yet, it seems very unclear to the average disciple of Jesus, who strays so easily, finding remaining both tedious and difficult. Then we wonder why our spiritual life is lukewarm and its fruits lack luster! We cannot even have a mediocre spiritual life outside of Christ; the text says we can do nothing at all except be scattered.
How do we remain with and in the Lord? Scripture distinguishes four ways. We remain and experience union with the Lord through
HIS WORD – If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you (John 15:7). Whoever loves me will be true to my word, and my Father will love him; we will come to him and make our dwelling with him (John 14:23).
HOLY COMMUNION – Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him (John 6:56).
PRAYER (especially communal prayer) – For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20).
RESPECT FOR HIS COMMANDMENTS – Those who keep his commandments remain in him and he in them (1 John 3:24).
Yes, remaining is realized through prayer, Scripture, the sacraments, fraternal communion, and upright living. This Gospel could not be clearer: remain, remain, remain, remain, remain, remain, remain. Seven times the word is used.
Do you understand? Remain. Remain persistently.
IV. The Production of Disciples – The text says:
"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."
Attached and remaining in the vine, we will produce abundant fruit. Notice that this is linked to a kind of fruitfulness in prayer that comes from the Father's good will.
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Why is He happy to answer our prayers if we remain? Because He can trust us with His blessings. Indeed, He can say: "Here is someone who is close to my Son, who habitually dwells with Him and remains with Him. Yes, here is someone I can trust with blessings. Here is a good steward who is in union with my Son."
Scripture often speaks of the correlation between good stewardship and blessings:
(Luke 16:10-11) The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? (Matthew 25:21)
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.' (Luke 12:48) But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.
You want more? Then use well what you already have. Be someone the Father can trust because you stay close and remain with His Son. Be like those who can say, with mother Ruth, "Wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you lodge, I will lodge" (Ruth 1:16). Be like the man who says to his wife: "If you leave me one day, I'm going with you."
This homily was originally published in English by Monsignor Charles Pope – ADW – Article link.