Fifth Sunday of Easter

[cappie]

Today’s reading from the Gospel of John is part of Jesus’ discourse at the Last Supper.  Jesus speaks about his relationship to his disciples. In his metaphor of the vine and the branches, Jesus is referencing the Hebrew Scriptures 

We can easily mishear the invitation in today’s gospel passage yet another demand on our time. We can make the mistake of assuming that what often works well in one aspect of our lives, works equally well in our spiritual lives: in this case, the motto of every controlling and rushed person – which is all of us at one time or another – “If I don’t do it, it won’t get done.” But listen to Jesus today, “I AM the true vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser.” And Jesus goes on to tell us very clearly who is doing the work, and it is not you or me, my friends. “He removes every branch in me that does not bear fruit.”

This image of the people of God as “God’s vineyard” is a very old one, going back to the Jewish psalms, as well as other places in the Old Testament. Listen to part of Psalm 80: “You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.” Again, notice that it is God who is doing all the planting here, not us. And think of all the other I AM statements found in the Gospel of John: “I AM the light of the world,” “I AM the gate,” “I AM the resurrection and the life.”

All these I AM statements in the Gospel of John point to the reality of God’s availability. It is ironic that Christianity has the reputation of being another-worldly religion, focused almost exclusively on how to get into heaven. Maybe you have seen the bumpers stickers declaring, “Jesus is coming, look busy!” It may sound surprising, but this kind of theology of a “distant god” is what most of us are comfortable with, because it ultimately pushes God to the sidelines and we can remain in control. We are very good at being busy and taking responsibility, and we rather prefer this to being on the receiving end of change. But as Jesus says in today’s reading, “Live in me as I live in you.”
In today’s gospel, Jesus addresses us twice with the phrase “I AM the vine.” There is a promise here. “I AM the vine, and you are the branches.” Jesus is asking each of us to simply be with him.   It’s OK to relax a bit and stop worrying about hiding those parts of ourselves that we don’t want others, and surely not God, to see. We can abide with God, instead of busying ourselves to keep God at a distance.

God is doing more in our lives than any of us are aware. God in Jesus is simply inviting each of us to take the time to notice. Jesus is very clear when he says: “I AM the vine, you are the branches.” 

Jesus is also telling us we have the potential to bear fruit, and challenging us to step up to the task, willing to shed ourselves of all that refuses to hear the word and live it.
 
It's a good challenge to those of us who are committed and involved in our faith. We can sometimes allow ourselves to become complacent with the fruit we are bearing. But if we open ourselves up to really hearing the word of Christ anew each day, then we must always be willing to be pruned: to learn a little more, to risk a little more, to love a little more in order to bear better fruit.
 
" It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit." It is one thing to hear the word and let it soak in. It is another to be pruned by that word and to choose to live up to the expectation it places upon us.

That is what abiding in the power of the Word is all about, not placing impediments in God’s way by trying to do for ourselves what God wants to do for us: reshape our hearts, bodies and minds to receive the forgiveness being offered.

Hopefully, now, you can hear Jesus’ words as the beautiful invitation it truly is: “Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.”