John 15:1-8
Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.
“Notice what you notice.” Today’s reading: Jesus as the True Vine… The word “vine” (Jesus) appears four times in these eight verses; the word “branch” (us) appears six times; the word “fruit” appears eight times. Jesus is directing His words to His disciples – and to us “down the road”? They (we?) are to bear fruit. And in our bearing fruit, the Father is glorified.
So what does it mean “to bear fruit”? It always seemed to me that the short answer, the simple answer is in our bringing converts to the faith. However, to keep the analogy reasonable, if the branches are humans (Jesus’ followers) then it would follow that an unbeliever or a potential convert, also a human being, would also be a branch – maybe a weak twig or a diseased branch, but not a piece of fruit like an apple or a bunch of grapes.
So what would the fruit be? Looking ahead, the very next section in this chapter is all about love. The word “love” appears nine times in the next nine verses (vv. 9-17). So I’m wondering if “bearing fruit” means manifesting love – love for our fellow human beings, but more importantly, love for Jesus, His Father, and the Holy Spirit. But I’m getting ahead of today’s reading. I’ll have to think deeper on this “fruit” topic.
Slava Bohu!