“I am the true vine.” (John 15:1, 5)
Jesus is headed from the Upper Room after he has washed the disciples feet, dismissed Judas Iscariot to betray him and he has instituted Communion. He now heads to Gethsemane and the cross. He is preparing them for what they will have to face and he tells his followers that he is the true vine. That’s the context.
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.2 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. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
I find it interesting that Jesus adds the adjective “true” to describe himself as a vine. The verses tells us that vines are pruned and the dead branches are cut off. True vines give life and if the branch is not drawing that life, it dies and is cut off. We call it pruning. When we get ourselves entangled in situations that do not give us life, situations that are “false,” we would be wise to remove ourselves. I think of dating guys I knew I would never marry. I think of decisions of leaving a job that was not taking me where I wanted to go. I can even resonate with a feeling that the place where I was living no longer was the place I should be.
God wants us to be fruitful and full of life, not dead weight clinging to something that no longer gives life. We remain in the vine by using our spiritual disciplines. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and many will eat all the fatty food tonight to prepare for fasting but for others Lent is a time of reflecting on how we “remain with the true vine” even during difficult times when we are facing crosses and during confusing times when we are just not sure how God is leading us.
May we have eyes to distinguish the true from the false during Lent. Help us seek that which gives life and discard that which only drains life from us.
On the Way to Wonder 