Fifth Sunday of Easter (B)

April 29, 2018

Readings:

First Reading; Acts of the Apostles 9: 26-31

Psalm: 22

Second Reading: 1 John 3: 18-24

Gospel reading according to John (15: 1-8)

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Homily: True Vine and the Branches

Jesus again uses for himself another form of personification, allegory or an image to his disciples, depicting him as true vine.  “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower’.” (John 15: 1).  Jesus is our vine; we are attached to him as branches.  And in these branches sprout flowers then later come out fruits. Nevertheless, if we are fruitless branches, we are supposedly cut out by the vine grower, who is God our almighty Father, and let other branches which can give or produce much fruits remain.  Jesus shows to us our relationship with him and to the Father.  We are connected to him and to God our Father, as he is attached to the Father.  Every achievement we have is useless if it it apart from him.  “He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit” (John 15: 2).  The vine grower, God the Father, cuts off the branch that does not produce fruit, meaning if we are like driftwood (“tuod,” a dead branch) which no longer produces fruit of good works we are just like waste, trash and useless branch that need to be taken away from the vine.  When we are pruned we become humble, for we allow others to grow.

If we listened and acted upon to what Jesus said to us we are already cleansed, pruned.  “You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you” (John 15: 3).  His words made us clean, for it purified our mind, soul and body.  His words made us clean, for his word is Spirit and life. “It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.  The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life” (John 6:63).    But, we have to bring into action whatever we have heard, so that we bear good and much fruits.  A withered branch is like a vein in our body that is clogged; therefore there is no blood flowing in it and the vein might die.  The same with us, his followers, if we just listened to his words without putting them into charitable works of mercy and compassion and love, then our listening is fatalistic and passive faith, without any fruit.  Since it only occupies space, it is needed to be taken away, so the other braches can breathe, have space enough and get great sustenance from the vine, and then bear fruits.

The best way to become truthful followers is to continue attaching ourselves to the true vine, Jesus Christ, as he promised, “Remain in me, as I remain in you.  Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me” (John 15: 4).  Jesus as a vine constantly remain in us, for he cannot drop and abandon his own branches attach to him.  Sometimes, our lives are experiencing many problems, troubles, etc., as if they are heavy rain or typhoon that devastated us, the vineyard; it is natural that the branches are broken and detached to the vine and flown away when natural disasters come in.  Despite of these heavy rain and/or typhoon (problems and trials of life), by the true vine it wanted the branch to remain to the vine.  It was different from the branch which Jesus was referring to.  These are the fruitless branches that separated themselves to the vine.  At the outset, they showed allegiance to the true vine but later and in truth they stop remaining to the vine despite of the goodness of God, so they cannot bear fruit.  But those who remain to the vine inspite of many tribulations coming to their lives can bear fruit, abundant fruits, for the branches (we) remain in the vine (Jesus Christ).  This is the truth that Jesus was teaching to his disciples, “I am the vine, you are the branches.  Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (John 15: 5).  Jesus is the vine in our lives, and we are the branches dependent to him.  Without Jesus in our lives, we cannot do anything. We cannot do much according to our own capacity, but with Jesus, nothing is impossible.

What’s the use of separated, dried or dead branch If it does not willing to attach itself to the vine?  Jesus explained to his disciples the importance of being linger in him and those who detach from him.  “Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned” (John 15: 6).  As branches in the vine, we must remain attached to it, otherwise we wither and die and throw away fitted for firewood in the furnace.  If we do not like or want to be under the care of the vine and the vine grower, there is no need to remain in the vine and it is natural for the vine grower to cut us out and prune the branches.  Our relationship with God and to Jesus depends upon our loyalty and faithfulness to them.  If we do not remain in them, sooner or later they will throw us out in his Kingdom prepared for those who are willing to remain in them.  Nevertheless, if we remain with them, to God and to Jesus, anything we ask in the name of Jesus, his Father and our God will grant all the necessary blessings we ask.  “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you” (John 15: 7), for we belong to the vine.  And this is the fruit of being attached with the vine. “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples” (John 15: 8), the Father is glorified because we bear much fruit and we are true disciples of Jesus Christ.