The Vinedresser

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
John 15:1-4

In late winter and early spring the vinedressers prune branches on the grape vine to assure manageable and bountiful growth. The hope, of course, is that rich, lush clusters of grapes will form to produce all sorts of delicacies...fresh fruit plates, jams, jellies, juices, wines, cordials...not even to mention the wonder of raisins...

All branches that have been barren are cut off...that makes sense. But now scripture reminds us that the divine Gardener/Vinedresser prunes even the branches that DO BEAR FRUIT...so that they become even more fruitful.

There it is again...the need to be faithful, trusting and accepting of the limits that are sometimes imposed upon us.... a process of accepting being trimmed back so that our available resources can be even more fruitful than they were last year....or the year before.

And I remember, now, that we are talking "kingdom economics" -- so "more fruitful" may not necessarily be related to the quantity of produce...but, rather, the quality of it.

When life trims us without our consent, how do we typically respond? How does "trimming" the branches of involvement or activity in our lives take us closer to the root of our lives, which is Christ? How does this trimming allow for more abundant harvest of compassion, gentleness and joy?