Vine and the Branches
Around this time of year, we do major pruning of trees on the farm. Before my time, my ancestors had a rather large orchard to provide for their needs throughout the year, primarily through the winter.
In today's gospel, we hear Jesus say, "I am the vine, and you are the branches," another beautiful image of our Lord. One crop we never raised was grapevines. I know they are somewhat labor-intensive. I just read a meditation comparing the Vine's trunk to a parent. The trunk or parent firmly rooted supplies everything to the branches or children so they will bear good fruit. The branch dies when separated from the Vine. Everything we receive comes from the Vine.
We have two mulberry trees on the farm, one female and one male. Each year my dad or brother prunes those trees severely. Afterward, the trees are down to the trunk, and I think 'they finally did it.' They killed the trees! However, a couple of months later, the trees are fully branched, leafed out, and laden with fruit! Amazing! Those mulberry trees are well over one hundred years old! God, the vine grower, prunes us in different seasons of our lives, as painful as it can be at times but oh so essential to get us to bear good fruit!
In our Breaking Bread books, a song titled Vine and Branches composed by Trevor Thomson illustrates this scripture passage. It is through this Vine that we learn to sacrifice and love others. This Vine gives us himself to bear good fruit! How well are you connected to the Vine, and do you need pruning? Talk to God about this today.