Pruning

Any gardener will be familiar with the practice of pruning. If you look at how this is defined on Wikipedia, it states that pruning is “the targeted removal of diseased, damaged, dead, non-productive, structurally unsound, or otherwise unwanted plant material from crop and landscape plants. Some people try to remember the categories as “the 4 D’s”: the last general category being “deranged””.

In Jesus’ words which we’ve heard in today’s Gospel reading, he declares “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.” Christ is the vine and God is the vinedresser. His words make it clear by implication that as authentic disciples of Christ, we are called to be fruitful – to bear fruit – and good fruit. You may not realise that in viticulture, there are 2 types of pruning. In the spring, the new shoots will need trimming, so that the tendrils do not grow too far or too fast, thus getting the plant to put its energy into producing fruit rather than just adding more greenery. These are the branches that do bear fruit which are pruned – so that they will be even more fruitful. The second kind of pruning happens in the autumn, when the branches that are now exhausted/dead and bear no fruit are pruned and cut off, leaving buds at the base which will produce next year’s branches that will bear fruit in the new season. Jesus clearly knows his viticulture!

Branches that do not remain in Christ and do not bear fruit are thrown away and wither, and are thrown into the fire and burned.  Jesus said, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:15-23). So false prophets, false teachers, false disciples do no dear good fruit, do not glorify God, and their ways lead to disunity, destruction, and death.

Conversely, authentic disciples bear good fruit. But what is the good fruit? “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). Whether authentic or false we are told that by their fruit we shall know them.

How might we be fruitful and bear good fruit?

• We are open to hear, receive, and accept Jesus’ words and teachings and seek to apply them in our lives. We are humble and teachable, and we don’t seek to take advantage for our own gain of rank, position, power, age, or experience.
• We seek in all things and at all times to remain in Christ, to put him first and to trust in him.
• We can only bear good fruit if we remain in the true vine.
• If we are fruit-bearing branches, we can expect to be pruned – so that we will be even more fruitful. We might experience this through formation, transformation, and spiritual growth as seek to have the mind of Christ. If you remain in Christ and recognise the vinedresser at work in you, then rejoice. God is at work in your life.

The implication of all of this is that if we remain in Jesus and his words remain in us, we may ask for whatever we wish, and it will be done for us. That’s conditional on us remaining in Christ and allowing his words to remain in us.

The Ethiopian eunuch was open to hear, receive, and accept Jesus’ words and teachings. His heart was open, not hardened and closed. He didn’t try to argue with Philip who was led by the Spirit shared the Good News about Jesus with him, and didn’t think he knew better – even despite the position of power and authority that he held as an official. He acknowledged with some measure of humility that he needed Philip to explain what he was reading. In receiving Jesus’ words we see the authenticity of his response and the fruit of the Spirit. He asked Philip, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” The Eunuch was immediately baptised. We see joy (the Eunuch went on his way rejoicing), gentleness borne out of humility and a teachable heart, we see kindness (he invited Philip to step off the dusty road and sit with him in his chariot), and we see peace and self-control.

If we remain in Christ, we should expect to be pruned in a loving, and tending way, but we should also expect that to lead to blessing and growth and bearing of much good fruit. If we are not in Christ, if we are branches that do not remain in Christ and do not bear fruit we should expect to be pruned and cut off, and thrown away and wither, and thrown into the fire and burned.

Jesus said, “by their fruit you will recognise them. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Let’s pray that we might be authentic disciples, Christ-centred, doing all things in Christ to the glory of God. Amen