John 15:1-8[1]
One of the amazing facets of human language is the
way we use metaphors. They help our feeble words reflect the richness of life.
They add color to what could otherwise be a drab world. They use simple word
pictures to express our sometimes-complicated experiences. Like “putting the
cart before the horse.” All you have to do is say it and it speaks for itself.
You get the point without anyone having to explain it. It is this simplicity of
metaphors—the fact that they need no explanation—that makes them so useful in
language. They not only give us a means to express our experiences in life, but
they also help us make sense of them.
One of the challenges with metaphors is that their
simplicity can keep us from seeing the subtle nuances and even the very real complexity
of our experiences. A metaphor like “putting the cart before the horse” is
meaningful to us because it clearly depicts one aspect of taking action:
following steps in their proper order. Of course, there is more to taking
action than this. And the temptation with a metaphor is to push it too far. We
might turn the image into a discussion of choosing the right horse to pull the
cart. Or we might get caught up in the details of what makes a cart suitable to
be pulled by a horse. But when we do that, we’re missing the point of the
metaphor.
There is something of this dynamic with language
going on in our Gospel lesson for today. Jesus uses a beautiful image to
describe what it means to follow him in discipleship. He says, “I am the vine,
you are the branches” (Jn 15:5). Those of us who have experience with gardening
understand the main point of the metaphor: branches “bear fruit” because they
draw vital energy and nutrients from the vine. And so Jesus uses this metaphor
to help his disciples understand something very important: it is their
connection to him that enables them to live a life of faithful discipleship.
That is the point of this metaphor.
But Jesus sort of “complicates” the metaphor by
alluding to another aspect of tending a vine: “pruning.” In order for the
branches to have the best possible yield, you have to “clean” the vine of the
branches from last years’ crop. You strip off the old branches that have
already borne fruit in order to make way for a new harvest in the coming year.
In the case of some plants, you also have to keep an eye out for “sucker”
branches that “waste” the vital energy needed for it to produce the best
possible fruit. This kind of “pruning” is an important part of horticulture,
whether you’re talking about tending vines or tending garden plants.
The problem comes up here with the fact that Jesus
is talking not about plants, but about people! He said, “I am the vine, you are
the branches”! And in the process of presenting this metaphor, he speaks about
“pruning” the vine by removing branches that don’t bear fruit, gathering them
up, and burning them in “the fire” (Jn 15:2, 6). I think we can miss the point
here if we’re not careful. It’s very easy to read this passage and come away
with questions or doubts about whether you’re a branch that bears fruit or a
branch that gets lopped off and withers. Unfortunately, I think for many people
who read this passage, that is what they come away with: worrying whether they
are a “fruitful” branch or not.
But I don’t think that Jesus was using this
metaphor of the vine and the branches to create doubt. In the original setting,
Jesus was preparing his disciples for his imminent departure. He would be
“lifted up” on the cross and as a result he would return to the Father. He spent
a great deal of time in these chapters of John’s Gospel helping them understand
how they were going to carry on after he was no longer physically present with
them. And here he emphasizes that they will “bear fruit” as his disciples
because they will remain connected to him through his words and through the
Spirit whom he would give them. He says it this way: “Those who abide in me and
I in them bear much fruit” (Jn 15:5). His point is that, even though he will
not be present with them physically, they will be able to carry on in fruitful
discipleship because they are still be connected to him.
But Jesus also says, “Just as the branch cannot
bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you
abide in me” (Jn. 15:4). I think here Jesus is simply stating the other side of
the same point. Just as branches that are no longer connected to the vine
cannot bear fruit, so also we cannot be fruitful disciples if we are not
connected to Jesus. But again, I would insist that Jesus’ point is not to
impose the fear that we might not be connected to him. Rather, his point is to
assure us that we will be able to do all that we are called to do precisely
because we remain connected to him.
Part of the problem with this passage is that too
often people turn it into a statement about salvation (or the lack thereof).
That’s not the point. In the original setting, Jesus was encouraging disciples
who were already concerned about his talk of returning to the Father. I believe
he is assuring all of us that even though he may not be with us physically, we
will have all the resources we need to carry on with the Father’s work. Like
lush branches on a grapevine, we will “bear much fruit” because the life of
Jesus, and the love of God, and the power of the Spirit will be working through
us. And all of this happens because of the relationship we have with him; we
bear fruit because we remain connected to Jesus.
[1] ©2021 Alan Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Alan
Brehm, Ph. D. on 5/2/2021 for Hickman Presbyterian Church, Hickman, NE.
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