A Little Note on Gardening

"I am the vine and my father is the gardener. He cuts every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."

This verse is a very commonly read and preached verse in the christian community. However it is very interesting when you take this verse out of the context of the sermon you are listening to and look at it with a fresh pair of eyes.
     The first part, "I am the vine and my father is the gardener," has so much meaning. Jesus is referring to himself when he says that he is the true vine or the right vine. Truth is in him and he is truth. Therefore all that stems from him is truth. Jesus says that his father, or God, is the gardener. Here we see the relationship between God and Jesus, two of the aspects of the trinity working harmoniously together.
     Jesus goes on to say that the gardener, "cuts every branch in me that bears no fruit." Jesus was perfect, so why did he God to cut away what bore no fruit? Jesus was still human but perfectly submitted to the father at the same time and because of this all the bad branches were cut away. Jesus then says that the gardener goes on to prune the good branches.
    When I first read over this part, I skipped over it without really thinking about it. The Holy Spirit nudged me to go back and reread it, and when I did I was amazed.
     What is prunning? I'm not a gardener myself, but my basic understanding is that pruning is cutting away at a branch in such a way that allows the branch to continue growing. A good portion of the branch may be lost, but in time it will grow and become stronger and bear more fruit.
     God cuts and prunes us and its painful at times. He removes the sinful parts when we let him and prunes those good things in us when we aren't looking. In my own life he has been cutting. Often times I feel like he isn't cutting enough. I am a natural leader which I have turned into being bossy. For a long time I felt like God needed to cut that bossy side from me that stems from my leadership, but really he just needs to prune me. Yes destroy the bossy side, but not cut away the leader he made me to be.
     I could go on with examples from my life, but I think its interesting when you look at your own life and ask yourself what needs to be cut away and what needs to be pruned? Often times the devil distorts the gifts God has given us. We think that out gifts need to be cut away, but God never wants to destroy the good things he's given us, he just wants to snip away at the areas in which the devil has corrupted them.


"He cuts every branch in me that bears no fruit, while the ones that do bear fruit he prunes so that they will be even more fruitful."

~Catie