My neighbor has a beautiful tree that is never watered nor cared for. It is between our houses but has begun growing over my fence into my backyard. It had begun looking so pitiful to me that I began watering it this past spring. Over time, I noticed that the parts of the tree that weren’t dead began growing as much as they could around the dead parts. However, the dead parts still hung on–blocking the beauty of the sprouting leaves.
Observing that tree each time I watered the grass and noticing how badly it needed pruning reminded me of John 15:2 and how God prunes us. The scripture states, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”
But, what does this mean exactly? How is God making his disciples better/holy by what he removes? Well, if you read the scripture, God is concerned not only with our growth, but also how in growing we edify others. It’s not enough to be a follower of Christ, but what are we doing to edify and strengthen others? “Every branch in me” signifies that Jesus is talking to those who know him and follow him. He then talks about the fruit they are or are not “bearing” and how if the branch is NOT bearing fruit, he takes it away, but if it IS bearing fruit, he purges (or prunes) it in order for it to bring forth more fruit.
Let’s examine “to bear” and “to purge” for a moment (according to Webster’s dictionary).
bear : to move while holding up; to be equipped or furnish with; to give birth to; to permit growth of; to support the weight of purge: to clear of guilt; to make free of something unwanted; to get rid of
Now, replace everywhere you see the words “beareth” or “purgeth” with the definitions above. Isn’t God amazing? He always has purpose for his children, believes so much in our ability to accomplish what he’s created us to do that he promises us a return on our faith! However, he also tells us upfront the consequences of disbelief. But, even more than that, if you continue in the scripture, verses 3-11 are like a pep talk to encourage us:
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Jesus spoke these words to the disciples after having washed their feet and having eaten their last supper together. They got up to go walking unaware that they were walking to the peaceful garden they had gone so often before with Jesus, but which would now be the place of his betrayal and arrest. I envision them walking along, and Jesus seeing a vine, takes hold of it, and so that they could relate better visually, uses the vine they had come upon to describe more of himself and their position in him to lovingly prepare them for their future boldness beyond the chaos that was about to ensue.
Jesus wanted them (and us) to remember who we are in him and who we are apart from him because we are existing in a world that will mock us and ridicule us for abiding in him. A world that does not know the Spirit of Truth and does not have the gift of The Comforter within them. A world that apart from him we will not bear fruit, but with him, we will bear MUCH fruit to edify our brothers and sisters in Christ.
After watering my grass and observing my neighbor’s “would be even more beautiful were it pruned” tree, I ended up going to a tree service website to discover the positive effects of a pruned tree. Here’s what I learned….
Trees that are pruned 1) have dead branches that hinder growth removed, 2) prevent and treat disease and decay, 3) encourage fruit production, 4) do not pose a risk to others because dead branches can fall, 5) allow you to see your surroundings better.
This is what God’s pruning does for us as well. 1) He leads us to remove things from our lives which no longer give us life or which hinder us from excelling, 2) he keeps us safe (sometimes even from ourselves with what we carry), 3) we edify others with our gifts and talents which grow and develop, 4) our dead weight of what we once carried no longer affects those around us, 5) we begin to have God’s perspective. Isn’t God’s love for us so amazing?!!
So, maybe, just maybe, the friends, places, careers, activities, political parties, ex’s, family members, college majors, degree plans, sports, or whatever else God removed you from or removed from your life, God was pruning that you might be or become more capable of “bringing forth fruit” for his glory.
When you can, ask God to help you lean into his pruning and trust him in the purposefulness of the process. Then take some time to read all of John 15, 16 and 17 to hear again Jesus’s encouragement to and prayer for his disciples.
