By Fr Francis Gonsalves, SJ –
Fifth Sunday of Easter – May 2, 2021
Readings: Acts 9:26-31; 1 Jn 3:18-24; Jn 15:1-8.
“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” (Jn 15:5)
Hint for Homily: Israel is a land of vineyards. Thus, people were very familiar with images of vines, vineyards and vinedressers. In the First Testament, Israel is depicted as God’s vineyard (Isa 5:1-2; Ps 80:8-9), planted and pruned to perfection. Yet, it turns corrupt and wild (Jer 2:21) and produces wild grapes (Isa 5:2), bringing upon itself divine wrath and judgement (Isa 5:5-7). God’s people are even regarded as the vinestock from Sodom and Gomorrah (Deut 32:32). Despite the insolence and idolatry of the people, the prophets foretell that God will still bless and restore them (Jer 31:5; 32:15). In the Second Testament, it is no longer Israel that is God’s vineyard, but Jesus who tells parables of vines and reveals himself as the true vine.
Three Scriptural Signposts:
- Jesus says, “I am the vine”: Like Yahweh revealing Godself with the momentous: “I am who I am” (Ex 3:14) declaration, Jesus reveals himself in today’s gospel passage saying, “I am the true vine” (15:1a, 5a). By so doing, he declares that full participation in his life and in God’s kingdom is only possible through remaining united with him in order to live fully and fruitfully. Jesus’ invitation, “Abide in me as I abide in you” (v.4) is an invitation to each of us to be in deep communion with him. We often pay lip service to being one with Christ, but we fail to have a constant Christ-consciousness of his presence in our life. The word ‘abide’ (Greek, meno)—meaning, to stay, remain, live, continue, last, endure and so on—is typical of the gospel according to John. Out of the 118 times the word appears in the Second Testament, it is used by John 60 times in his gospel and letters. In this passage we can think of three basic meanings of ‘abide’, namely, (a) communion; (b) dependence and (c) continuance. First, communion implies a deep feeling of connectedness or oneness. Second, just as a branch depends totally on the vine or tree for its very life and nourishment, so do true believers depend on Jesus for their spiritual sustenance. Third, just as when the two disciples asked Jesus, “Where are you staying?” and “remained with him” (Jn 1:38-39), so it is necessary to remain continuously with the Lord.
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“You are the branches”: When Jesus tells his disciples, i.e., you and me: “You are the branches” (v.5b) he tells us all that, on the one hand, (negatively) “apart from me you can do nothing” and, on the other (positively) that, “those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit.” Jesus is referring to an organic unity, and not a mechanical one. Our human body is a good example of an ‘organic unity’ where organs through which blood flows cannot be cut away without doing harm both, to the body and to the severed limb. Moreover, all the body-parts grow together in unison, each supporting the others. In any organic unity, there is no question of stagnation—either one is growing and flourishing or one is degenerating and dying. With a Christ-consciousness and with the sap of the Spirit flowing through our being, we will be able to produce lasting fruits in our life. However, any “I can do it myself” boast leading to detaching myself from Jesus and refusing to live a life in the Spirit, will surely result in doom and death. The mutual indwelling—we in Christ and Christ in us—is only possible if we cultivate this relationship just as a good gardener cultivates the soil, ensures the right amount of sunlight and shade for the growth of any plant or tree. Jesus shows us the way to cultivate this relationship by telling us: “let my words abide in you” (v.7). The image of vine-branches not only applies to individual Christians, but also to the Christ-Church relationship. For all Christians, prayer, contemplation, reading of scripture, celebrating the sacraments and performing works of love will deepen our relationship with Jesus. It is fitting that the ritual of the Supper that Jesus institutes on the eve of his death involves the drinking of the “fruit of the vine” (Mt 26:29; Mk 14:25; Lk 22:18).
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“My Father is the vinegrower”: A vinegrower or vinedresser knows exactly when to plant and how to plant, when to prune and how to prune, and when to pluck and how to pluck. In the vineyard of life, God is the whole and sole in-charge of planting, pruning and plucking. God provides the ideal ambience for our growth and development. While the growth of vines and grapes in the vineyard is a natural process that does not require the will and work of the vine, as such, in the matter of human growth, God works within the ambit of human will and human freedom. Due to our free will, we can resist or hinder God’s activity, but that will do us no good. Rather, if we cooperate with God’s Spirit, we can be sure to bear much fruit so that Jesus’ Father, and Our Father, will be “glorified by this” (v.8). When Jesus warns his disciples about ‘pruning’ he predicts that they will be persecuted just as he will be; but, by persevering to the very end, their lives and ministries will be fruitful and they will be immensely happy.
Linking the First and the Second Reading to the Theme:
The second reading (from the 1st Letter of John) can be linked to the theme since there’s mention of mutual indwelling: “All who obey his [God’s] commandments abide in him, and he abides in them” (v.24). This is the ‘external test’ of our mystical union with God. The ‘internal test’ is the gift of the Spirit. John reminds us that the Spirit abides in us as Indweller, the Antarayami. He also reveals the inseparable bond between words and works. In order to abide in Christ, we must not only ‘confess’ him as Lord “in word or speech” (v.18), but ‘commit’ ourselves to Him “in truth and action”: i.e., in our own commitment to love one another as Jesus has loved us.
The first reading mentions an understandable fear that Jesus’ first disciples have of including Paul in their ‘inner circle’ since he was the most vicious persecutor of Christians and the early Church. However, upon Barnabas introducing Paul as someone who “went in and out among them in Jerusalem,” (v.28)—which in Lucan theology means intimate companionship—they accept him wholeheartedly. The passage ends with: “The church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.” This church increased in numbers (produced fruits) since it was “built up” by the Lord-and-Spirit. The members—like fresh, fruitful branches—always remained attached to and abided in the Vine: Jesus. This same Lord is the Master Builder who constantly sustains us and our Church, today. It is left to us to abide in Him.
In Lighter Vein: After an all-night party, a group of drunken friends found it tough to distinguish which hand and leg belonged to which member of the group. Lying entangled in a heap, they shouted out to a sober friend, “Could you help us to sort out which limb belongs to whom?” The friend replied, “Sure!” With a pin, he began pricking the hands and legs in the heap, whereupon one by one the drowsy friends began shouting, “Ouch! Ouch!” and disentangled themselves from the pile. Should not I instinctively shout “Ouch!” when members of God’s Family suffer pain or decide to cut themselves off from the Body of Christ: Church?
Fr. Francis Gonsalves, SJ is the Executive Secretary, CCBI Comm. of Theology & Doctrine and President, Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune and former Principal of Vidyajyoti College, Delhi. He is also the Executive Secretary of the CCBI Commission for Theology and Doctrine. He has authored many books and articles and is a columnist with The Asian Age and The Deccan Chronicle national dailies.