John 15:1-2
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
Reflection
Right from the very beginning Jesus gets to the heart of the matter. Jesus states that he is the vine and his heavenly Father is the gardener. Jesus assures us that every branch that does not produce fruit will be cut off from the vine. It is also stated that even the fruitful branches will be pruned so that they will bear even more fruit.
What a judgment! If we do not bear fruit we will be separated from Jesus. What does it mean to bear fruit? To bear fruit we must be about the process of making disciples. If we are not making disciples then we will ultimately be separated from Jesus.
This passage also states that if we are bearing fruit that the Father will prune us so that we will bear even more fruit. What does it mean to be pruned? When the Father prunes us he leads us to put aside those things in our lives that are not important or are a distraction to the task of making disciples. So, the Father prunes away those things that keep us from being better disciple makers.
Why is the possibility of being cut off from the vine so frightening?
What does the pruning process look like in your life?
