Fruit on the Vine

 

[Jesus said] “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. 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. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:5-8 ESV).

 

There’s a big difference in the taste of various varieties of grapes. In our part of the world the muscadine grapevine is a native wild species. The fruit (pictured here) ripens to a deep purple with a very thick skin and is seeded. I do not recommend using them as table grapes as they are very tart. However, by following the proper recipe, they make some of the best jams and jellies I’ve ever tasted. We have several vines in our “yard.” In fact one of the vines I’ve built and arbor and trained the vines to grow up the sides and across the top for easier harvest.

 

They remind me of Jesus’ teaching on our reading today. He said, “I am the true vine,” making clear that all the work of fruit bearing was to the glory of God, his Father. As Jesus’ followers, we’re called to bear fruit for God’s glory also. This means showing that we are Jesus’ followers, connected to him by the promised Holy Spirit. And by the power of the Spirit working in us, we will “bear much fruit.” This fruit takes shape in a variety of ways, always motivated by our love for our Lord.

 

I often wonder if we realize the great care the Lord takes to ensure that His vines produce a harvest that is both plentiful and good to eat. One of the vines I have grows wild and is the largest of the three I have. It does produce fruit; however, it is much more difficult to harvest than the other two. While I have not harvested as many from the other two, I rarely go to the longer, wild vine. I leave that fruit to the many wild animals and birds that frequent our place.

 

Jesus’ teaching is that we should be producing fruit. God desires us to do so. He works in us to make sure that we have fruit. It does require our trust in Him as we are led by the Holy Spirit. What kind of fruit are you producing?