I wish I was one of those people known for having a “green thumb”—the type that loves spending all day working in the garden. But truth be told, I’m more of the “black thumb” type. I’m not very good at tending to plants (or keeping them alive). There is only one place I’ve had success with something that grows and I can’t even take the credit for that.
My family has an old tree in the front yard that produces some of the sweetest, crunchiest apples I’ve ever tasted. It was planted long before we ever bought the house, so we are just the grateful recipients of a previous owner’s forethought. Every autumn we’ve picked enough to enjoy with our family and to share with friends and neighbors.
Then, a few years ago, the tree was getting a little tall and we decided it needed to be pruned back and thinned out. The next spring, we were dismayed when not a single blossom sprouted on the tree. That fall, it was bare. Not a single apple. I was sure we’d ruined it for good.
Two years passed before the tree showed signs of returning to its former glory. Bountiful blossoms in the spring hinted at what was to come. By October the tree was so laden with apples that one of the limbs split away from the trunk. Every weekend I would pick them to thin out the huge amount of fruit and lighten the load the branches were bearing. I could work steadily for an hour, filling several bags, but when I’d look up at the tree, I’d barely made a dent.
Our experiences with that tree over the years have helped me to understand Jesus’ teaching in John 15 about the vine and the branches:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” (John 15:5-6, NIV)
Of the many concepts illustrated in this multi-faceted metaphor, there are three that I’ll explore briefly:
1) Remaining in Christ 2) Pruning Dead Branches 3) Producing Fruit
Remaining in Christ: The word “remain” here comes from the Greek “meno” and means “to stay.” It implies a commitment over the long haul. Some translations use the word “abide.” Lysa TerKeurst explains, “If we want to know God, we have to abide in Him…Really follow. Follow hard. Follow passionately. Follow fully. Follow with engaged minds and willing hearts and open hands and ready feet.” (Finding I Am p. 144)
When Jesus says, “apart from me you can do nothing,” He’s talking about doing things that are of spiritual or eternal significance. No matter how gifted, organized, engaging or passionate we are, we simply can’t be effective in the Kingdom of God if we aren’t continually attached to the Vine. This is what Jesus illustrates when He explains that branches that don’t remain in Him wither and die. Just like the broken branch on my tree couldn’t produce any more apples, good works and ministry apart from Him are dead.
Pruning Dead Branches: To the casual reader, Jesus’ words about pruning sound harsh: dead branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. But as I learned with my apple tree, the pruning process is necessary to yield even better results. Pruning doesn’t damage or kill a tree. In fact, our apple tree’s productivity exploded after we thinned out the branches and gave the remaining ones more room to grow. It took time, but the results were worth the wait.
Submitting to God’s pruning in our lives can be painful and confusing at times, but I’m reassured as I look back on those seasons in my life. Sometimes God must clear away “good” things in our lives to make room for His best. When we grasp His gifts too tightly, we can thwart opportunities for further growth. Although a pruned tree looks bare, it also allows in more sunlight and absorbs nutrients more effectively to produce better fruit.
Don’t let the pruning metaphor unsettle you—it’s not implying you can lose your salvation, it’s illustrating the vital importance of abiding consistently with Jesus.
Producing Fruit: Like a can of fruit cocktail, there are several types of fruit Jesus produces through us when we abide intimately with Him. First and foremost, when we stay connected with the Vine we display the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These aren’t characteristics we can manufacture in ourselves for any sustained amount of time. They only reveal themselves in our lives through the Holy Spirt as we abide closely with Jesus on a consistent basis.
We also bear fruit by sharing the gospel and leading other people into a saving relationship with Jesus. Good works flow out of us as we spend time with the Lord and align our hearts to His. The fruit we bear is the outward manifestation of intimacy with Him. (Colossians 1:6 & 10 also describes this.)
As we’re consistent about spending time in prayer, studying Scripture, obeying God’s Word, confessing our sins, and connecting with other believers, we’re receiving the nutrients we need for spiritual growth. So, if you’re lacking a green thumb in your garden like I am, be encouraged knowing you can be spiritually fruitful through the One who has the greenest thumb of all. All you have to do is abide in Him.
Click on the link and enjoy Matt Maher’s song “Abide with Me.” Make it your prayer today.
Lysa TerKeurst, Finding I Am: How Jesus Fully Satisfies the Cry of Your Heart, Lifeway Press 2016 & 2017.