He cuts off very branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. (John 15:2)
The language of vines, branches and fruit is vivid for me having lived in the southern vales and hills of Adelaide. There vine trellises dot the landscape, fighting with urban sprawl for available land. Over a year I would watch vines bare of any leaf or fruit gradually grow greener and heavier until harvest, after which green leaf would turn to beautiful red and brown before falling and the whole cycle beginning again. Grape growing is/was a labor intensive task. The vine-grower would frequently walk among the trellis rows tending to the vines and their branches.
Jesus uses a common image from his day to describe his mission and the community (church) that joins him in it. He is the vine; we are the branches. The branches are to bear fruit as they draw from the life-giving power of the Vine. A fruit-less branch is useless - that much is clear. But even a fruit-bearing branch needs sometimes drastic attention.
Pruning is the act of cutting back in order to provide room for healthy growth. It is essential for a healthy grape vine and equally so for a healthy, fruit-bearing Christian life. In Christian discipleship, pruning is experienced as God's discipline. In assisting us to bear the fruit we can and should, God in his love cuts back and prunes that which is no longer required or should not exist in our life in order that new growth can come. As with the pruning of a grapevine, this can be experienced and even appear as unnecessary - painful even. But pruning - discipline - promotes, rather than stunts growth. It is necessary and temporary pain.
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