John 15:1-8
Bearing fruit in plenty is call given to every disciple. The quality and quantity of fruit yield depends upon nourishment. Jesus is the true vine and we are his branches. The branches will live only if it receives water and minerals absorbed from the roots and transported through the stem of the vine. Jesus offers the branches his living waters enriched with vitamin like virtues. Thus, Jesus is the source of life for the branches. Branches deprived of Jesus will eventually dry up and wither away.
A disciple can truly bear fruit when Jesus is the centre of his / her life. No one can claim to bear fruits for the vineyard of the Lord by his own merits. Repentance and conversion of an insolent heart is also an action of Jesus. Merely by reading scripture and saying our prayers as a chore does not make us clean. An open heart; that is trust and surrender is an essential ingredient in the process of spiritual growth.
As we let go of our plans little by little we permit the living waters of the Holy Spirit to nourish us grow in faith, virtue bearing fruit. However, growth is a continuous process. The true indicator of growth is visible only in times of adversity. Strength is always tested against resistance. Thus, to grow and bear more fruits requires pruning. No growth is possible if situations are comfortable, in fact we can quickly become complacent.
If we choose to reject the author of life, we corrupt ourselves with insecurity leading to emptiness. It is foolish to think that abusing God’s free gifts can satisfy our emptiness, in fact we increase our vices. The process of growth is towards self-destruction which leads to spiritual death. The death of the Spirit will impact everything around us… dried branches that are no longer useful except for burning.
