I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.
John 15:1 and 2
BSB
Read John 15 in a modern translation BSB
Read the whole chapter (John 15)
The vinegrower prunes
In the Old Testament, Israel is often a vine or a vineyard, as in Psalm 80 and Isaiah 5. Often with a complaint: the vineyard produced wild grapes. According to Josephus, a golden vine hung above the entrance to the temple. Jesus calls himself the true vine and his Father the keeper of the vineyard.
Pruning isn't a punishment. A vinegrower cuts precisely the branches that are doing well. So even those who bear fruit lose things. But the vinegrower already sees what can grow next year.
Question for today
What has been pruned away in my life, and what grew afterwards?
Prayer
Father, when you prune in my life, don't let me become bitter. Show me what grows afterwards. Amen.
My prayer
With your own thought · only on this deviceOne of the 491 words of Jesus on this site, from the temple to Revelation. See all the words in order →