grape vines

John 15
NLT
1 "I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
  5 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.


As many of you know, I grew up on a small farm in southern Ohio. We had a grape arbor at the edge of our back yard, next to one of the large vegetable garden areas. Everyone in our neighborhood had one. We all liked grapes!


Each year at the end of the growing season, the vines would get trimmed back so that next year they would bear fruit. If we didn't trim the back vines back each year, the plant would end up putting all its energy into growing vines & not fruit.

Some years the vines got trimmed back severely, to just this kind of main stalk. It helped the plant get rid of vines that were not efficient, or may have become diseased, or weren't putting out new vines enough.

All this trimming, pruning, & severe cutting back was done for one reason, & one reason only - so we could have lots of big, fat, juicy grapes. The grape vines existed for one reason & one reason only - to serve us by producing grapes. If a vine didn't, it was chopped down & replaced by one that would.


Now you're no dummy. You see the parallels.

The thing is, I've never enjoyed being pruned back. It hurts. And trust me, when the severe pruning happens (a.k.a. the last 16 months), it's not a pleasant thing.

But all the pruning is done for one reason & one reason only - so we can bear new, greater, more abundant fruit.

(Will someone remind me of this, regularly?)


Here's the same passage in the ESV (Hannah gave Lynn & I the new study ESV Bible for Christmas - kool). I've also included the passage in The Message, for a different slant.


ESV
 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

The Message
1-3 "I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.
 4"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.
 5-8"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.