May 2, 2018

I am the vine, you are the branches. (John 15:1-8)

The beginning of this Gospel passage presents a beautiful image. We are the branches, given life by and growing out from Jesus, the vine. We owe our lives to Him. We are nourished through Him.

Then the reality sets in: He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit.

It sounds like it is not just a one way street. We are expected to pay forward the life we’ve been given. We must bear fruit. If we insist on being “takers” only, and bear no fruit, we will eventually be thrown out like a branch and wither.

We are so blessed. The best way to show our gratitude to God for our many blessings is to bear fruit – to produce something beautiful from what we have been given. The fruit we bear has many forms: an active prayer life…a joyful presence…a giving spirit…a servant’s heart.

As we are nourished, so must we nourish.