Bible Reading: John 15:1-2

"I AM the true vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser. Every branch in me that bears no fruit he will take away; and every branch that bears fruit he will cleanse, that it may bear more fruit."

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These first two lines of Jesus' explanation using the analogy of God as vine dresser and Jesus as vine, with humans being the fruit are so important it can hardly be described. But people have become so familiar with the symbolism that they miss the actual teaching that is of vital importance. And as they read further as Jesus explains in greater detail, many people read the passage with less enlightenment and more of a search for formulaic self justification. People tend to read this passage as, "Whew! I'm OK! I'm one of the fruit bearers since I believe and thus I'm saved..." and they hurry on to read other passages that are self justifying. But I need to make you pause here and understand.

Jesus is saying he is the true vine. In other words, he is stating his authority from God that all he says and does is true, and only the authentic truth can grown from what he says and does. Therefore he is the vine (the infrastructure) from which the grapes grow. However, Jesus clearly states that God is the vine dresser. The vine dresser is the grower, the one who obtains, grows, nourishes and takes care of the vine. So as always Jesus makes the distinction between himself as Jesus and God as God very clear.

Therefore as the true vine Jesus is establishing himself, with God's authority, as the first priest, the one and only priest of what will be called Christianity. Some people question where the Catholic priesthood is established in the Bible. Well, if they understood these words the way the Apostles and disciples would have understood the agriculture analogy QUITE well, they would understand it right here in that very passage. God creates the vine (Jesus) and sets it on earth to grow true fruit. That is the role of the Christian priest. People, the believers, are the fruit.

So how can it be that if Jesus is the true vine that God needs to "take away" "every branch in me that bears no fruit?" This is exactly what I am saying. There are people who result from and grow out of the ministry of Jesus and yet they bear no fruit. This is not the fault of the true vine. It is the shortcoming of the branch that bears no fruit, and so God will trim from Jesus the branches that bear no fruit. This should be illuminating to the "grace versus works" arguers. One would think that anything that grows from Jesus is "good" and "has grace" and "is saved," no? Um, no, apparently not. Jesus explains that it is not enough to be a branch of Jesus because if there is no good fruit, it will be pruned by God.

And then look there, Jesus goes on to state, "and every branch that bears fruit he will cleanse, that it may bear more fruit." What? What's that? Is Jesus saying to wash pesticides off the fruit before eating? They were green before their time? Um, no. People didn't wash their food for any reason back in those days except to get like a huge clod of dirt off. So this part of the analogy would have puzzled his disciples who are listening. Why does fruit need to be cleansed, especially if it is coming off of the true vine of Jesus? Yep. Jesus is reminding his disciples that God ultimately has to cleanse every person, even the faithful.

Now he goes on the say, "You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you" (3-4). Jesus goes on to explain more about the meaning of "abide." But here's another Bible reading mistake that I must point out. Jesus did not say, "Hey! All of you who are someday going to read my words in a book that is printed called the Bible are also already clean because you are reading my words! Yep I mean all of you!" Um, no. Jesus is literally speaking to his disciples who are listening. When he says "you" he means "you" as in the persons that he is speaking to. Remember I've explained in previous postings that the Apostles and disciples that stayed true with Jesus are the ONLY people to receive the "get into heaven free immediately upon death" pass card. Jesus is teaching the people he is speaking to, and the Gospel is the recollection of this conversation and teaching. They were not "speaking into the microphone" for future generations. Jesus was teaching them his authority given to him by God himself.

The rest of the passage is amplification of how to synchronize being born of the vine, bearing branches, and bearing fruit with continuing to "abide" with Jesus. This means that it is not a birthright. Salvation and grace are ongoing propositions throughout life. This is why Jesus is using an agricultural analogy that no one would misunderstand at the time. No farmer would think that a good harvest one year means they are "in like flint" for every bushel and every harvest to come, and they can sit back and not water or prune the vines. And no person of the time would think that someone would use grapes for something other than what they were intended. For example you would not feed the grapes to the cattle, or hang them on your walls as decoration. These are examples of not maintaining the goodness of the fruit in reciprocity throughout the life of the branches. Jesus is the true vine but many bad things and neglect, misdirection, or lack of fruitfulness can happen to any given branch. So the rest of the passage explains in detail (you can read it yourself with newer eyes now) that God is continually dressing and pruning the results of all that grows from the true vine of Jesus. Jesus teaches how to best ensure that one will bear good fruit by abiding in him. Notice that the word "abide" is also an ongoing condition. It is the state of dwelling day to day for one's whole life. Jesus chose this word which one could say is again a bit of an odd word to talk about in a vineyard analogy because abiding would have specific meaning to the people of the time. Abiding requires an effort, a continual action of saying within in a compatible way. Jesus did not say, "Just by being a Christian well bingo! Your branch is securely attached to the vine and its fence no matter what." No indeed and in truth Jesus is saying the opposite. God is always dressing and pruning the branches from the vine. There is no "Christian job security." The best one can do is what Jesus instructs, which is the abiding within Jesus and his word. He warns that branches, that is to say, believers, will grow from the true vine, but if they do not abide they will be gathered up and cast into the fire. Remember, you are listening in on a conversation of teaching. Jesus is not "alluding to a later chapter of the Bible" (which is not yet in existence since he's still alive at the time of this conversation) about final judgment and so forth. Here Jesus is beginning to teach the priesthood that he has brought to humans as the New Covenant.

How do we know this for sure? Look at what he says toward the end of the paragraph about the vine, "In this is my Father glorified, that you may bear very much fruit, and become my disciples" (8). "Become" his disciples? Are they not that already by virtue of them being there with him. Ah. You see the point. Even though Jesus has said that they are cleansed already (and thus by staying true to them will personally achieve heaven) they are not yet his disciples, because they have not yet become the branches that bear the good fruit that glorifies God. Not glorifies Jesus: glorifies God the Father. Later Jesus expounds on his relationship with the disciples (to be) as he calls them his friends, and not his servants. Jesus explains again that all that he tells them comes from God. Jesus reminds them that he has chosen and appointed them.

I consider this passage one of the definitive passages that Jesus used to instruct the disciples about the one true Church, and early warning of the error of branches that grow from the true vine but do not bear good fruit. Remember, it is not enough to bear fruit. The fruit must be cleansed by God, and the fruit must abide in Jesus. "Stray" and "do your own thing" branches and fruit are liable to be cleansed, even to the point of pruning and casting into the fire, by God the vine dresser.

Many people read this passage, and the remaining part where Jesus assures that God will give whatever they ask if they abide in him, as a big built-in security blanket. I have observed this misunderstanding grow even the past fifty years that I've been living thus far. It is not a security blanket. If it was then Jesus would have called them "disciples" right on the spot instead of "friends," and he would not have gone into such detail of incredible importance that while Jesus is the true vine not all branches will succeed and pass muster with God. Jesus is speaking of the priesthood, not evangelizing in general. We know this because Jesus is specific when he does instruct about evangelizing AND because of the agricultural and structural orientation of this lesson. He emphasizes that GOD IS TO BE GLORIFIED. It is not a numbers game of converts. Jesus never promises that all or even most branches will succeed. Jesus uses the word "chosen" but also in the same sentence "appointed." He is being authoritative in the way that the first Christian priest, the true vine will be and must be as they prepare to become his disciples (as they are not yet, even though they are cleansed and full believers).

I hope this helps you in understanding, and may God bless all who seek to know and serve him.