The parable of the vine and its branches illustrate how he is the source of life for us believers,
and how we must remain connected to him in order to bear fruit. To be a follower of Jesus is
not just to try to be a good and honest person, but a follower of Jesus must stay close to Jesus himself, like a branch attached to its vine. Without this, we may wither and die spiritually.
The pruning in this passage is an interesting one, in agriculture, pruning is the practice of
trimming or cutting back parts of a plant to encourage new growth and produce better fruit.
Just like gardener prunes a plant to help it grow stronger and produce better fruit, Our Father
sometimes allows us, the fruitful branches, to go through difficult or challenging experiences to
refine us, strengthen our faith, and help us grow in our relationship with Him. However, the one
who does not bear fruit will be cut off from His life-giving power.
Written by Herry Suyanto