In today’s reading, Jesus tells His disciples, and us, the key to bearing good fruit. It is a gardening lesson of sorts. Jesus tells us that the Father is the gardener, Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. Jesus tells us that in order to bear fruit as branches, we must stay connected to the vine. The branches that are not connected to the vine are cut off and cast into the fire. The branches that do bear fruit are pruned also so that more fruit may be possible.
What is the fruit we are called on to bear? According to the Gospel of John, it is love. For us to become more and more like Jesus. I would say though, that staying true to the fruit metaphor, that the fruit of a believer is another believer. When an apple falls to the ground and the seeds take root, it grows into another apple tree. Of course, we all know that only the Holy Spirit can bring someone to faith. We can not do that on our own, but we can have a part in sharing our story of faith in Jesus with others.
Join us as we look into the keys of good fruit-bearing.
