Spring is finally here! For some of us, that’s not good news, as spring awakens our allergies, bringing weeks of sniffles and sneezing.
But, at the same time, spring is the most beautiful of seasons: it’s that time when nature comes fully alive.
Just drive down Harrison Avenue. We’ve all seen those trees bursting with life. The branches are so full of petals they look like puffs of pink and white cotton candy.
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Now I’m not a gardener, but I do know this: every tree or plant has two types of branches: those that bear fruit and those that don’t. Or, we might say, those that give life versus those that take it.
And herein lies our first lesson from Jesus today: get rid of those branches that aren’t bearing fruit.
We’ve all seen them. They are the dark, limp, decaying ones that shrivel up in the sun. Yet even as these branches are dying, they demand energy from the vine. And they give nothing back.
I find that a fascinating truth – branches take energy to die.
This is why a gardener’s eye is trained to look for them, because they sap the vine’s energy, making it harder for the healthy branches to grow and bear fruit.
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In a similar way, there are two types of branches in our lives: those that bear fruit and those that don’t.
Let’s focus, in particular, on those withering branches, the ones that sap our energy and bring us down. Think of those times when we get frustrated, stressed out, or when our heart is filled with fear and negativity.
These emotions are like withering branches. They drain us, keeping us from feeling healthy and at peace. Thankfully, Jesus offers us his help. He wants us to be happy, just as much as we do.
Where am I withering? Where am I being drained by negative thoughts, habits, or emotions?
Call on the name of Jesus, the Divine Gardener, who can prune those dead branches in our hearts.
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Lesson number two: Stay connected to the vine. Remember, your life is part of something bigger.
Let’s consider this from the perspective of someone who is not connected to the vine.
Imagine a driver who gets behind the wheel drunk, thinking, “It’s me and the road.” He sees himself in his own car, on his own highway, on his own mission to get home. He’s stuck in the world of, “Me, Myself, and I.”
In that moment, he doesn’t understand just how much his actions affect other people. He fails to see the bigger picture.
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On the other hand, there are those who see themselves as connected to the vine. They are part of their family, their community, their church, and the world.
They understand that their actions affect other people, so they work to be a force for good, even in little ways.
That may be as simple as listening to a friend’s troubles, smiling at a stranger, or praying for those who are struggling, even that driver behind the wheel.
How are we connected to the vine? In what ways do we strengthen others and give back to our family, our community, and our church?
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Remember Harrison Avenue. The trees are bursting with life. But if you look a little closer, you’ll notice two types of branches, those that are blossoming, and those that are not.
That’s really an image for our own lives. We’re all beautiful creations, bearing fruit for Jesus. But there may be areas in us that need to be pruned, withering branches that drain our energy and bring us down.
Will we let Jesus heal us? As he says today, “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples” (John 15:8).