Ripe With Fruit

A Reflection on the Gospel for May 2nd, 2021:
Fifth Sunday of Easter

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John
15.1-8

Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you.

“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in them bears much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.

“Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
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Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

“Abide in me as I abide in you.”

In this week’s gospel reading, I hear Christ’s call to be in relationship with Him.

“I am the vine, you are the branches.”

This relationship is unlike any other. It is one of pure and perfect dependence: a relationship of sustenance.

“Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.”

He wants to give us everything we need to flourish. What makes it all the more remarkable is that not only can He accomplish this, He is the only one who can!

“Every branch that bears fruit He prunes to make it bear more fruit.”

When we choose to be in relationship with Him, we begin to bear fruit. With the aim of making us plentiful, we are lovingly pruned.

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

Our relationship with the Lord is characterized by service. Just as we serve Him when we abide in His word, He serves us. He invites us to give Him our hopes and wishes with the expectation that He will fulfill them if we abide in Him. He wants us to want what He wants, which is a hearty vine, where every branch is heavy with ripe fruit.


Worldly relationships can be a source of great joy and great sorrow. They are the products of co-authorship — we can be both fully in and out of control of them because they require the active participation of two separate beings to work.

How wonderful it is that God tells us a priori what to expect from being in relationship with Him. There’s no guess work involved — He’s laid it out completely. We don’t have to worry about ulterior motives, backtracking, or disingenuousness (At least not on His part!). We can rely on His steadfastness, His patience, His mercifulness, and His compassion for us. We can rest in the knowledge that not only does He want the best for us, He is the one who will provide it.

That being said, we have to be willing to be in this kind of relationship with Him. To be the branch. To abide in His word. To allow ourselves to be pruned by Him. To want the bountiful vine. No wonder humility is an essential Christian virtue! I can’t imagine wanting to be a single branch on a bountiful vine without it.

Just like the many relationships that have shaped us over the course of our lives, being in relationship with God has the potential to powerfully transform us. And having been transformed, we can enter into new relationships with others, sharing with them the fruits of His labour.




Laura Dysart

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