Homily- 5th Sunday of Easter- Rev. Dr. Patrick Mathias SDB

 

Sunday 28 April 2024 –V Sunday of Easter (Year B)

Mass Readings: Act 9:26-31   Ps 21   1Jn 3:18-24   Jn 15:1-8

Key Verse to Meditate: I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower (Jn 15:1).

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Risen Lord,

On this fifth Sunday of Easter, the liturgy of the word presents to us the imagery of Jesus as the true vine and us, his disciples, as the branches of this vine: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower (Jn 15:1); I am the vine, you are the branches (Jn 15:5)." Through this reading, John literally shows us what is important for us as Christians. As disciples, it is crucial for us to live in Christ. Like the branches of the vine, which are generated and nourished by the vine itself, we too are nourished and sustained by Jesus himself in our spiritual and human lives.

Last Sunday's liturgy was centered around the figure of the good shepherd who gives his life for his sheep. The sheep have been entrusted to him by the Father, and they know the voice of the shepherd and follow him. The word of God on this fifth week of Easter comes to us with the comparison of Jesus to a vine tree and his disciples to its branches, which derive their life from the life of the tree. We understand that the illustration of Jesus as the true vine conveys a deeper lesson for our Christian discipleship. Just like Judas, a branch may truly be in Christ, yet may not bear fruit. Only if a disciple remains in Christ will they be able to bear fruit and be saved; otherwise, they will dry up and be thrown away.

Jesus compares himself to the vineyard of which God the Father is the farmer. Also, God must cut the branches that do not produce fruit because they could damage the whole vineyard compared to the branches that bear good fruit. But it is still necessary that even the branches that produce fruit be pruned so that they produce better and more abundant fruit.

Biblical Background: In the Gospel passage of this Sunday, we encounter the final "I am" (ἐγώ εἰμι) saying in the Gospel of John: "I am the true vine" (Jn 15:1). At this juncture, a question may arise in our hearts: why did Jesus select the vine tree instead of the olive, often revered as the king of trees (Jud 9:8), to convey an important lesson to his disciples? Despite Olives being abundant, particularly in Judea (Gen 49:11), the most significant fruit trees in Palestine were olive trees (cf. Mount of Olives). The reason lies in the fact that the vine imagery frequently symbolized Israel as a nation in various Old Testament texts, often depicting a degenerate Israel (Ezek 15:1-5, 17:1-21; 19:10-15; Is 5:1-7; 27:2-6; Jer 2:21; Hos 10:1-2; Ps 80:8-18).

The Imagery of the Vine and its Branches: The depiction of the vine and its branches transports us to the land of Israel, abundant with vineyards. Isaiah frequently likened the house of Israel to the "vineyard of the Lord," cautioning symbolically that they produced wild grapes whenever they disobeyed (Is 5:1-7). Later, in 27:2-6, Prophet Isaiah referred to Israel as a "fruitful vine." Prophet Jeremiah lamented that although Israel was chosen as the choicest vine, their disobedience led them to become a wild vine in the end (Jer 2:21). Grapes, in the prophetic writings, symbolized justice, while wild grapes represented bloodshed. Some wisdom texts, like Sirach (24:17-21), extolled the vine as a fruit that gives and sustains life. However, this imagery of the vine and its branches alludes to deeper religious significance for us Christians. When Jesus proclaimed, "I am the True Vine," he was drawing a comparison between the degenerate vine of Israel and the Ideal Vine represented by Himself. With the advent of Jesus, the Word Incarnate, the True Vine is presented to the disciples as the new ideal of spiritual Israel.

Abide in me: In the second part of today’s gospel, Jesus speaks of two characteristics of his would-be disciples. The character which Jesus stresses is that the disciple must learn to abide in Him: "Abide in me as I abide in you; Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit; My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples; Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me" (Jn 15:4-7).

The True Identity of a Christian: The true identity of a Christian comes from the basic disposition of abiding in Christ, thus abiding in the words of Christ. Both are related to one another. This is also the point that St. John brings out in the second reading of today: "All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us" (1Jn 3:24). The spirit of God that abides in the words of Christ will help us to abide in the commandments and the teachings of Christ: "The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life" (Jn 6:63). The Spirit of God abides in the word of God. This act of being cleansed by the Holy Spirit is noted by Jesus in today’s gospel: "You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you" (Jn 15:3). Jesus also promises that if we abide in him and in his words, whatever we ask of him, he will grant us (Jn 15:7). Thus, in Jn 15:1-6, if the emphasis is on faith that helps a disciple to remain in union with Christ, then Jn 15:7 emphasizes remaining in the words of Christ.

Bear Much Fruit - Remaining in Jesus: The second quality of a would-be disciple that Jesus stresses here is the attitude of abiding in Jesus, which will lead one to bear much fruit: "Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned" (Jn 15:6). This is what John the Baptist told the multitudes when they came to be baptized by him at the Jordan: they must bear fruits worthy of repentance (Lk 3:8), and if not, they too will be punished: "Every tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Lk 3:9). Bearing fruit is the result of one’s definite relationship with Jesus. Through our relationship with Christ the Lord and abiding in his word, we can discern whether we are fruit-bearing disciples or non-fruit-bearing disciples. We must become daringly clear that we can do much good for the world only if we are united to the Lord, exhibiting the fruits of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17).

In the first reading, we see how St. Paul is not welcomed initially after he returns to Jerusalem and meets the risen Lord on the way to Damascus. But slowly, St. Paul would emerge as the greatest preacher and supporting pillar of growing Christianity. St. Paul is the best example of abiding in Jesus and in his words and bearing much fruit. The second part of the reading from Acts also speaks about the first Christian community, which was fruitful and multiplied in numbers as they lived in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit (Act 9:31).

The Spirituality of Abiding in Jesus: Spiritual and moral goodness are impossible for a disciple of Jesus if they are not united with him in prayer and in listening to his words. Just as branches cannot grow by themselves, if we are the branches of Jesus, then we must abide in him to grow spiritually and bear fruit. God is the true source of our fruit-bearing. In Matthew’s gospel, the disciples are recognized by their fruits, namely their actions (Mt 7:16. 20). It is by abiding in him that we can bear much fruit. It is through our constant union with God in prayer and in reading and listening to the word of God that we can do good in the world. Through this imagery of Jesus being the vine and we, as branches, Jesus makes it clear that he is the one who can offer true life, abundant life, a life full of blessings pointing to eternal life.

Points for Personal Reflection: We are all called to be fruit-bearing trees and not simply to be beautiful trees. We witness in modern times a lot of spiritual outwardness lacking depth and fruitfulness. Spiritual fruitfulness is the need of the hour. The moral goodness expected of the disciples of Christ and the spiritual fruitfulness expected of us as the disciples of the Lord are possible only if we are united in Jesus Christ through prayer and faith. As Jesus is the tree of life (Rev 22:1-2), we must be united to him like branches to a tree (Jn 15:2). If Jesus is the true source of our human and spiritual life, it is mandatory that we draw our life and strength from this source. God prunes those whom he selects, those whom he chooses, so that we can be filled with the fruits of the Holy Spirit as St. Paul says in Gal 5:22-23. Jesus asks us to remain in him to bear fruit; in fact, without him, we can do nothing. Only in this way can we have the fruit of a holy life. Faith also includes the ability to believe in him, to believe that he loves us, that he is capable of intervening in our lives, that he is alive, and that he never abandons us.

Jesus is the true vine, and we are the branches. If so, am I a fruit-bearing person? Do I abide in Jesus and his words? What is my spiritual status in connection with Jesus? Do I perceive God as a good gardener who can prune my life and make it fruit-bearing? Do I believe that only Jesus can offer me true life? What are the non-bearing branches in my life that I need to prune with God’s grace?

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