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Last Sunday Jesus revealed to us that he is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the flock. It is part of the “I am” sayings which emphasize his perfection and resounds his divine name as revealed to Moses in Exodus chapter three. Today he tells us another attribute of himself that points to his Divine name and perfection: “I am the true vine”. Vine represents spiritual good. We must be grafted to the true vine to have a share in “The- Vine life”. The Gospel text is part of Jesus’ “farewell discourse” during his Last Supper with his disciples, as found in John 13–17.
The vine is part and parcel of Jewish imagery and the very symbol of Israel, serving as an emblem on the coins of the Maccabees. One of the glories of the Temple was the great golden vine upon the front of the Holy Place. But the symbol of the vine is never used in the Old Testament apart from the idea of degeneration and infidelity deserving of Yahweh’s severe punishment. That is why Ezekiel says that it should be burned in the fire (Ez 15).
Since Israel has become a degenerate vine producing bitter wild grapes, Jesus makes the unique claim that he is the true and ideal Vine and his disciples are the living and fruit-producing branches. The Greek translation of “true” is alethinos which literally means “real”, “genuine”. Jesus is saying that he is the vine that is most real and genuine, that does not disappoint its branches. The Jews believed that only consanguinity with Israel as a nation guarantees relationship with God, blessings and sustenance. However, true relationship with God can only be maintained by remaining in Christ the true vine. To be fruitful, one must be joined to the new, true Vine, Christ. It is living the life of Christ, the life of grace, which gives the believer the nourishment which enables him or her to yield the fruits of eternal life.
In the vineyards in Palestine, pruning was done in late fall or early winter because pruning in spring or summer caused excessive bleeding that weakened the vine. God is the vine dresser. He carefully prunes the branches to bear fruits. We are pruned by the word of God that Jesus gave us. We are also pruned by the blood which Jesus shed upon the cross. God also prunes us through the experiences we undergo in life so that we may be stronger in the vine and bear much fruit. In the first reading God subjected Saul to an overwhelming experience that led to his transformation. Saul cut himself from Christ and was bearing rotten fruits of envy for the popularity of the Christians and hatred for the message they spread because they contradicted his myopic understanding of God. On his way to persecute Christians in Damascus he encountered Jesus. The fruit of this encounter was Paul. Paul was fruitful, he carried the gospel to the ends of the earth. He remained in the true vine for the rest of his life.
Jesus wants us to abide in him always. Abiding in Christ means having an intimate relationship that overrides all earthly affection. There are many enticing philosophies and ideas in the world today that do not recognize the role of God in the world order. Their illusory success is nothing but mere rotten fruits. We should beware of such because they can easily make us drop grasp of the true vine. The four Gospels teach us how to become true disciples of Jesus and how to abide in him as branches abide in the main trunk of the vine and draw their life from the vine. Personal and liturgical prayers, frequenting of the Sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation, daily and meditative reading of the Bible, and selfless, loving acts of kindness, mercy and mutual loving forgiveness enable us to abide in Jesus, the true Vine, as fruit-bearing branches. Christ echoes here, “for without me you can do nothing”.