Have You Been Pruned? - 5th Sunday of Easter

Christ is the true vine. We are the branches. And we have but one job. That is to bear fruit. We could be doing so much more for the sake of the Kingdom, but we have forgotten that our main task is to make a difference in the world. There is another question besides, where is your fruit? That question is, have you been pruned? It is only after we have been pruned that we can bear the most splendid fruit of all. Pruning can be painful. When the owner of the vineyard prunes a vine, not only does he cut away all the dead wood. He also cuts away some of the live wood. “The vineyards in the early spring look like a collection of barren, bleeding stumps,” says one Bible scholar, “but in the fall they are filled with luxuriant purple grapes. As the farmer wields the pruning knife on his vines,” he continues, “so God cuts dead wood out from among His saints, and often cuts back the living wood so far that His method seems cruel.  Nevertheless, from those who have suffered the most there often comes the greatest fruitfulness.” Can you do that? Can you take any adverse trial and pray, “Lord, is there some way you can use this event to prune me and cause me to bear more fruit to your glory?”