“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I
in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do
nothing.” John 15:5
The first amazing thing to recognize in this passage is the simple
fact that God wants to produce good fruit in your life. He also
wants to bring His grace and mercy into the world through you. The
vine does not produce the fruit alone but does so through the
instrumentality of the branches. So if we take this teaching at
face value, God is saying that He has chosen to bring His grace and
mercy into your life and into the world through you.
To add greater clarity to this holy mission that we have all been
given, Jesus makes a very profound statement. He says “without me
you can do nothing.” When considering this line spoken by our Lord,
it may be useful to reflect upon what the word “nothing” means.
Saint Augustine points out that Jesus added “you can do nothing” to
emphasize the fact that, by ourselves, by our own effort, we cannot
even produce a “little” good fruit. For example, it would be like
cutting off a twig from an apple tree and hoping that the twig will
produce an apple.
The fruit that God wants to produce also takes place within your
soul, in the form of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. These fruits
consist of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (See Galatians 5:22–23).
Each one of these gifts from God will have the effect of
transforming you more fully into an image of God Himself in our
world. Try to take a moment to consider each one of those Fruits of
the Holy Spirit. Each one is very desirable. Growing in a desire
for them will help you grow in a desire for the Holy Spirit in your
life.
When the Gospel passage quoted above is considered in its two
parts, it is also clear that if we separate ourselves from God,
then it is impossible to experience any one of the Fruits of the
Holy Spirit. Without a firm connection to our God, we will have no
love, no joy, no patience, kindness, etc. None of that is possible
unless our lives are firmly connected to the Vine, Who is Christ
Himself. So fostering a positive desire for these good fruits, as
well as a holy fear of losing them, is useful.
Reflect, today, upon the beautiful and meaningful image given to us
by Jesus of the vine and the branches. Think of a vine and then
think of yourself firmly attached to that vine. Sit with that image
prayerfully and let God speak to you. He wants to do great things
in you and through you. If you will only cling to Him with all your
heart, an abundance of good fruit will be produced.
Jesus the Vine, You are the source of all goodness, and, without
You, I can do nothing. Help me to always remember how deeply I need
You in my life and help me to cling to You always. Please bring
forth an abundance of good fruit in my life and, through me, into
the world. Jesus, I trust in You.
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