Abide in Christ

Lately my husband and my mom have been cutting down old tree branches as we also have been doing a little spring landscaping. As we have been avoiding poison ivy and poison oak, which my husband has not been so lucky in doing, I realized once again how hard it is to get rid of vines growing in places where they are not wanted. Vines and young branches are bright green and thick. Yet they are also pliable or bendable, so you can’t just snap them off like a dead, old branch.

I don’t mind helping do work outside, but I am just not that good at it. However, both my mom and my husband love it! They know what to do and how to do it! My husband particularly is good at knowing what needs to be removed and how to remove it, in terms of vines and branches. After he gets done pruning, our yard looks so much more healthy and beautiful!

Pray and Read John 15:1-17

John 15:1–17 NRSV

“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. Those who abide in me and I in them bear 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. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

Let’s break this passage down a little bit.

Jesus is the True Vine. He is strong, vibrant, very much alive, and is able to withstand any storm. We are the branches that grow from the vine. If we abide in the Vine, such as knowing and living the words of Christ, praying, exhibiting God’s love to others, we will also be strong as we stay connected to the True Vine. If we do not grow in our discipleship, we will die and be thrown into the fire. There always seems to be limbs to pick up after a storm. My mom hates to see weeds growing in her bushes. They have to go! Where do they go? To the burn pile most of the time. This is a metaphor for Hell.

Yet those who abide in Christ and not in this world or by themselves will grow and bear good fruit. This fruit is love, peace, joy. We are to be considered friends of God. To abide in Christ, is to keep His commandments. When we keep His commandments, we bear good fruit. Friends of Christ bear good fruit. Jesus laid down his life for his friends. That is strong love! As we learned before, we are to love our God this much and show God’s love to others.

Catherine of Siena had a vision of God speaking to her and showing her a tree. Let me describe this vision to you the best I can.

Imagine if you will that you are a tree, or in particular, your soul is like a tree. A good tree grows deep roots right? You need a lot of good earth to grow a big tree. So, also think the width of the earth in which you are planting you soul is the size of how well you understand yourself and the person God created you to be. The depth is your understanding of God and how much you love and revere God. You could spend all your time learning about God which is fine, but you will get swallowed up in the mystery of God. That may sound nice, but then how is the tree of our soul supposed to be who God created us to be? However, if you spend all your time invested in learning about who you are, what you like, how you identify yourself, then you will blow away with the next storm. You will wither and dry up because you have not been planted deep enough into God’s Word. It is better to grow deep into the understanding of who God is, your love of Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit; yet also learn to love and grow into the person God has created you to be. As you grow, you grow in love. That perfect, Agape love. Having the love for God, and the love of God within you, who will grow stronger and stronger. Then you will bear good fruit.

She wrote her vision in a book that she titled, “The Dialogue.” I first heard about this in a book by Christopher Maricle called, “Deeply Rooted” and that book is still one of my favorites that I reread over and over again.

Do you abide in Christ? Do you find all your strength and wisdom in Him? Do you know if you love as God loves? Just as the branches get their nutrients from the main vine, so do we! What is the fruit you bear? Do you bear the Fruit of the Holy Spirit such as Peace, kindness, love, courage and happiness? Abide or live in Christ and you will have much goodness in your life.

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.