4.5 Response
STAGE 4: Towards the Likeness of Jesus Christ
JESUS AND THE DISCIPLE
THE CAPTIVATING INTIMACY
RESPONSE
Aim: To respond to the invitation to “stay in love” with Jesus, in order to bear fruits in abundance.
Reading
Abide in me as I abide in you (Jn 15:1-14):
“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. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you”.
Comment
Vineyards bear grapes. Grapes are turned into wine. Wine is a pleasant drink that helps the good functioning of our digestive system and is normally consumed when people gather together for meals. Besides, wine creates a cheerful atmosphere and makes people feel happy.
Like the vine, Jesus produces fruits of true happiness and peace for his disciples. What is the secret of such abundance? Why is Jesus bearing so much fruit? Because he works in communion with the Father: “I am the vine and my Father is the vinedresser. I and the Father are one”.
Jesus wishes to continue to bear fruit in abundance, through his communion with the disciples. By stating, “I am the vine, you are the branches”, Jesus admits that we are very important to him. It’s like he is saying, “Without you I cannot love, I cannot forgive, I cannot heal and I cannot bring peace to the world”.
What is it that makes “fruitful” the branches or our relationship with Jesus? He emphasises two very important conditions. First, in order to be fruitful, a branch must be pruned or trimmed. It must be pruned by an expert, not just anybody. When I was a little boy, I used to enjoy watching my father pruning our vineyard. He was a real expert at that. One day, he was late for work; so, while waiting for him, I decided to do some pruning myself. When my father returned to the site and saw the work I had done, he was very disappointed and scolded me because I messed up the vineyard: in fact, I cut down the good branches and spared the bad ones. From that experience I learned that only an expert does proper pruning. The expert who can “prune” a true disciple is Jesus himself with the wisdom of his Word. Then, our life in him becomes transparent and productive.
The second condition, to be fruitful, is that a branch must be directly united to the vine. There must be a strong and healthy connection between the branch and the vine. So it is for the disciple. If we want to be fruitful in life, we have to grow in deep relationship with Jesus. He says: “If you love me, my Father and I will come to you and will make our home with you, and you’ll bear fruit in abundance” (Jn 14:23).
If you love me: it sounds like fruitfulness depends on the disciple’s response to a word made of two letters, “if”. A positive response makes a tremendous difference. A Mediaeval saying goes: “The righteous walk, the wise run, the lovers fly!” If the disciples respond generously to Jesus’ love, then love makes the Spirit fly into them and fuels their heart with energy beyond any imagination. If I open the door of my heart to Jesus and he makes his home with me, then a fire warms me up every day, a bright light shines in me, and a passion for his Gospel invigorates my being.
Personal Reflection and Sharing
Other than the “vine and the branches”, what other images describe best my union with Jesus?
How do I respond today to Jesus’ request that I abide in him as he abides in me?
[4-5] CALL RESPONSE COMMITMENT PRAYER