A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine, and you are the branches.
Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit;
for you can do nothing without me. I am the vine, you are the branches.
When I travel on a plane, I am completely dependent on the expertise of the pilot. I rely on those who design the airports and runways, control tower, the computers and navigational equipment on the plane. I am dependent on the skills of all those who manufacture and service the planes.
At home when I drink a glass of water, I depend on the plumbers, upon the chemists who make sure our water is clean. When I switch on a light, I rely on hydro Quebec, the know how of contractors, technicians, legislators and inspectors, and of a vast industry of specialists.
When we think about it, we are dependent on so many people. We trust them to do their job so that we can live safe and happy lives. When we go out to eat we trust that the chef is providing good fresh food. We know there are times when this has not happened and people have become terribly sick.
The mechanics that work on helicopters had named one particular bolt the ‘jesus’ bolt - the bolt that holds the huge whirling rotor in place. It is concluded that the pilot and his or her crew’s life is depended on this One bolt. You can see why. Without the ‘jesus’ bolt safe flying of this machine is uncertain.
That is a modern parable of what Jesus is telling us in the reading from John’s Gospel today when he says, "I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me" (John 15:5). You don’t have to know too much about gardening and plants to realize that a tree, shrub or any plant as far as that goes, depends on the trunk and the root system for it to be happy and healthy. The cucumber plant is dependent on the main stem for water and nourishment. Life giving juices flow from the main stem to the branches and enables high-quality delicious fruit to appear.
It's not possible to produce fruit without being connected to the stem. Even though the gardener could cultivate the ground carefully and watered the plants, but without attachment the vines are unable to receive that nourishment and eventually it would wither and die.
In a similar manner, as Christians, we need our true vine, Jesus Christ. When Jesus says, "I am the vine, and you are the branches" he is talking about the very special relationship that exists between him and us. We are dependent on him for everything we need in our daily life - from food, health, family and good friends to love, forgiveness, hope, comfort and eternal life.
Without being joined to the main stem and roots we would die. As Jesus said, "If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you can’t do anything without me" (John 15:5).
When did this happen to the Christian? At our baptism, there we were joined to Jesus at our baptism. You might say that when the water of baptism was poured over us we were grafted into the vine, Jesus. We were intimately connected to him and receive from him all that we need to sustain our lives. We are connected to him when we come here to worship, and when we hear his Word.
Also this life -nourishment comes to as we read and study God’s Word. As we read it and study it, God’s Word offers us strength in the face of new difficult situations. We are joined to Jesus when we receive his body and blood in Holy Communion. We are refreshed and freed from the guilt of our sin. Our faith is strengthened as we are nourished through God’s Word and Sacrament.
If we don’t eat and drink every day we would become sick and maybe even die. Likewise as branches of the true vine, Jesus, we are kept healthy and alive because we are connected to the source of life.
The translators of the New Testament have used various words to describe this connection. Whether we talk of ‘abiding’, ‘remaining’, or ‘being joined’, one thing is clear being connected to Christ is crucial. It is the only way to a complete life. There are those who say that there is only one heaven with many different roads that lead there. Whether it’s Buddha, Mohammed, Jesus or the latest guru it doesn’t matter, they all point to the same place.
It’s okay to follow any of them, in my opinion, God gave us all the freedom of choice. But to those who chose to be Christians, without the crucified and risen Jesus Christ, the branches wither and die. Jesus puts it so vividly, "Those who do not remain in me are thrown out like a branch and dry up; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, where they are burned" (John 15:6).
When we plant a vineyard we expect a crop of juicy grapes. And likewise with us. Jesus is the vine, we are branches and from the branches Jesus says he expects to find a lot of fruit. To be joined to Christ, to be a branch that is grafted into the vine Jesus means to "bear fruit".
The kind of fruit that should be evident in our lives is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control (Galatians 5:22,23). The fruit we bear shows itself in very practical ways.
As a branch attached to Christ we don’t hold back our forgiveness, we try to be understanding and helpful, we want to be encouraging instead of being negative and critical.
Being connected to Jesus means that we shall in all our power seek reconciliation instead of adding fuel to the disharmony. It means showing love and patience to those whom we think don’t deserve it. In other words, being joined to Jesus has practical implication for the way we live our every day lives.
Bearing fruit isn’t an option for those who claim to fellow Jesus Christ. Showing love, care, forgiveness, commitment to Jesus and the church, eagerness to worship and to hear God’s Word, is a natural part of being a branch attached to Christ, the vine. One more thing I would like to add, that is to have a good crop of grapes it is necessary for the farmer to prune his vines.
When I lived in Kitzingen, German some years ago, Kitzingen is situated in the river Main valley where they grow vine. You will be amazed at how ruthless those farmers are with his vines. I witnessed several times as farmer cuts off all the unnecessary suckers, and leafy branches leaving a pile of dead wood on the ground alongside each vine.
Pruning is essential for a good harvest. If the farmer doesn’t prune the vine and get rid of all the useless branches, the vine will look lovely and leafy, but the quality of the fruit will be poor if there is any fruit at all.
Jesus is saying that all the useless foliage in our lives needs to be cut away. We may think this foliage makes us look attractive especially to the world, but will not in anyway help us to bear fruit that will bring glory to God.
Greed, jealousy, envy, selfishness, discontentment, and disregard for the feelings of people or for their needs might be the way to get ahead, but must be pruned away to allow the fruit of generosity, kindness and humility to grow
.It might be acceptable to others to indulge in some ungodly acts, run down people behind their backs, or participate in some harmful act that endangers our health and leads others astray but must be pruned away if we are to show the fruit of care, understanding, contentment, and self-control.
You might think that it’s okay to be unkind, grumpy and intolerant of other people, but these too must be pruned away if you are to grow the fruit of love, peace, and patience. To bear the kind of fruit that Jesus is looking for means to prune away all this foliage so that the Holy Spirit can cause real fruit to grow – the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience and self control.
None of this is easy. Our sinful nature prefers the opposite to the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience and self control. We find it easier to ignore people than to help them. It is so much easier to be hurtful and critical than to encourage and comfort someone. We can’t do this kind of pruning by ourselves. We need our heavenly Father who is the gardener, to give us the strength and the will to want to change.
We need the Holy Spirit to help us cut out the dead wood of sin and to grow beautiful fruit. That’s why it is ever so important that we are connected to the vine. From the vine, Jesus, we receive the nourishment we need to live as his changed disciples. We receive the forgiveness we need for our failures; we grow in our understanding of what it means to be a baptized person in everyday living.
We are still in the Easter season. Because the vine lives, so do the branches. The vine daily gives the food and nourishment to the branches so that they can produce a lot of fruit. Likewise the life of Christ flows to us though the Word and Sacraments. As Jesus said: "I am the vine you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit…," the fruit of faith and good deeds. May the life-giving sap of Christ’s love make us all fruit bearing branches from now and forever.
Amen
Rev. Samuel King-Kabu
May 15, 2006