The Vine and the Branches (Jn. 15:1-17)

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.  2 He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.  3 You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.  4 Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.  5 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.  6 Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.  7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.  8 By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.  9 As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.  10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.  11 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.  12 This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.  13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.  15 I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.  16 It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.  17 This I command you: love one another. 

Up to this chapter in John Jesus had made six assertions to the disciples to bring them to an understanding of who he truly was; I am the bread of life (Jn. 6:35); I am the light of the world (Jn. 8:12); I am the gate (Jn. 10:7); I am the good shepherd (Jn. 10:11); I am the resurrection and the life (Jn. 11:25); I am the way, the truth and the life (Jn. 14:6).  Jesus now asserts, “I am the true vine (v. 1),” and uses an allegory about a vine and its branches to strongly encourage his disciples to remain in him, to maintain a firm bond with him and produce much fruit for the Kingdom of God.  

Jesus identifies himself as the true vine, the real resource of spiritual sustenance that supersedes the vine references in the OT (Hos. 10:1-2; Is5:1-7).  God is the vine grower who cultivates and nurtures the vine.  The branches (followers of Jesus) who do not bear spiritual fruit are cut off while those who bear fruit are spiritually disciplined so that they can grow spiritually and bear more fruit.  The disciples have already been spiritually cleansed by the word Jesus has spoken to them and, as long as they abide in him (Jn. 14:11-13), they will be successful in their missionary work (Jn. 4:36) because without him they “can do nothing (v. 5)”.  Anyone who does not remain in him will wither spiritually and have to account for his deeds before God (Mt. 3:10).  If they continue to allow Jesus to dwell in their hearts, obey his commands, and conform their desires to his teaching, their prayers will be answered.  Anyone who becomes a disciple of Christ and bears much fruit glorifies God.  

Jesus tells the disciples that he loves them as the Father loves him and they should remain in his love.  They should demonstrate their love for him by being obedient to him just as he is obedient to the Father’s commands.  In so doing their joy will be complete.  They must love one another with the same sacrificial love he has for them.  The fullest expression of self-sacrificing love is to lay down one’s life for others.  If they are obedient to him, they will be his friends and not slaves because he shares with them what he hears from his Father.  He has chosen them to go and bear abundant spiritual fruit that will last (Lk. 10:2) so that whatever they ask the Father for in prayer in his name will be granted.  Jesus gave them the command to love one another.  

Almighty God, grant us the grace to remain in Your Son, the true vine, so that he will remain in us and his word remain in our hearts.  May our lives bear fruit that glorifies You, and may we be filled with joy as we walk in obedience to Your commandments.  Teach us to love one another as Christ has loves us and grant us the grace to remain in His love.  This we pray through the same Christ our Lord. Amen!

__________________________________

References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.

                Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.