Cutting and pruning

John 15:1-11

          A test or torture? I am not a big believer that God intervenes in lives so as to nullify our free will.  And while the church remembers John Calvin today and his contributions to the church and faith, I do not believe in predestination. Be all that as it may I do pay homage to the expression that God does not give us more than we can handle.

          For now, let's think about the things that happen in our lives that we are troubled by. Death, illness, sin, betrayal all weigh heavily on us. We have trouble dealing with stress and events that happen to us. In terms of this passage I notice that God removes branches and he also prunes. I wonder if the branch so affected thinks there is any difference between being removed or simply pruned? When we are faced with a challenge in life, do we view it as something that we can find a silver lining in? Will it make us stronger in the end or is it a punishment we feel is being doled out by God?

          Each day I receive a pearl from a friend, often thought provoking, always insightful and uplifting. One of the messages I have taken to heart is that most of life is how you respond to it.  The same thing may happen to two different people, one will lament "whoa is me!" while another will see it as a gift, perhaps an opportunity to grow and to appreciate. Perhaps an opportunity to love and show caring or maybe even better, a lesson to allow others to help us. What a lesson to learn, that we are not solitary pillars of strength and that we need our brothers and sisters, our family and our friends - maybe even a total stranger!

            Whether or not life seems to be treating you to a removal or a pruning, I am not sure it matters.  It is after all only a parable. As always life experiences are meant to help us grow into the people God created us to be. It is a journey and what we need to remember through life is just how much God loves us and wishes no harm to come to us. Harm may come but it is not from God and we should remember that God is with us all the time, through thick and thin, good and bad. 

‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.