Hey Dad,
I just read the Thought for the Evening, February 2007 (TFE) on pruning where Jesus talks about pruning the growing vines.
I had always understood pruning as Jesus cutting off old habits and ways. But, I had always thought, too, that growing spiritually includes leaving behind those old habits and ways. I know that pruning will help a vine grow stronger, but what is the difference between growing out of old habits and ways and being pruned?
John
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Thanks for this question, John David. For those who want to read the TFE John David mentioned before continuing with this, go to:
http://www.goingtojesus.com/site/php/thoughts.php?tname=tfe02-07
I think many of us have thought that being pruned by God was to have Him remove bad things from our lives. But that doesn’t really match the parable Jesus told. Here that is, from John 15
1. I’m the true vine, and my Father is the Keeper of the vineyard.
2. He takes away every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, and He prunes every fruit-bearing branch so that it might bear more fruit.
5. I am the vine; you, the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit; without me, you can do nothing.
6. Unless a man abides in me, he is thrown away like a worthless branch; and it withers, and they gather them up and throw them into a fire, and they are burned.”
According to Jesus, the only vines (children of God) who are pruned are those who are obeying God and producing fruit. That means that God prunes His obedient children of things not necessarily evil but that do prevent them from producing all the fruit they can. He prunes them of things which the world and others may even praise them for, and he does it so that they may produce more of the same good ruit they were already producing! Foolish chidlren of God will not allow the Father to cut such activities, connnections, or opinions out of their lives because they can so easily justify them. They will not receive the pruning of the Lord.
This parable concerns the difference between the foolish and the wise in God’s family. The foolish choose God over only the bad things of this world, whereas the wise choose God over both the good and bad things of this world. They will stop doing good, if that is what pleases the Father, so that they may do what is more perfect in His sight. An example: When He showed us that we should come out of Church religion, we could have stayed there and kept at least that much of the favor of men. We could have justified our disobedience by saying, any number of cliches, such as “We need to be where God’s children are, so that we can help them.” We are clever enough to have come up with many right-sounding excuses to disobey God and refuse His pruning. But God knows how to get us to the place where we produce the most fruit, and the healthiest fruit for His children. And I think He has us in a very good place.
But let’s not get too attached to this place, either. If “there is none good but one, that is God”, then the only good place is in His presence, and that is what we are living for. Who knows what the Father has yet to show us? Don’t unpack your bags yet.
jdc
