Regardless, the lectionary reading (John 15. 1-8) seemed apt for the season. Our minds have this week turned to how much work we need to do in our garden. Lots of clean up, raking leaves and picking up small branches. In addition to losing the lovely Magnolia, we have lost two of our magnificent spruces (both well over 120 feet) due to storms and high winds. The gospel reading reflects the concept of that spring preparing (at least, in the Western hemisphere).
When Jesus told stories, many of the illustrations used would be relevant to those listening. They were about daily or seasonal events that would have been part of their everyday life. They would have seen and experienced what Jesus was talking about.
In this story, Jesus is using the analogy of a vine-grower and a vine. Where we live, in the Finger Lakes, there are many vineyards. The abundance of fruit produced goes to make wine — growers competing for best wines get awards. Our local wine shops proudly display a whole aisle of “local wines” and hosts tastings of them. Of course, now the Finger Lakes wines can now be seen in many more places than just our local area.
But to produce a good harvest of fruit there are several requirements. Sun, soil, grafting, good roots and pruning. It is the pruning that today’s reading focuses on. Pruning is an annual task done right at the end of winter when the vines are dormant. The grape vines are cut right back, leaving just a few canes with only four or five buds each. Pruning is done to allow each branch to get sunlight, to be rid of less healthy branches, to promote growth and to avoid diseases.
A perfect picture for those listening to this story told by Jesus. Sometimes, this parable is used with a negative connotation with the focus on being gathered up and throne in the fire, almost like a punishment!
I think this is a much more positive story and would have been understood as such. The message is getting rid of the old to make room for the new.
That is the cycle of life — getting rid of the old to make room for the new. Old things are discarded to make room for new things. I think if we were together and sitting round the table each of us would be able to chime in with old things that have been discarded to make room for new. Tangible things like clothes, cars, houses, jobs, but also ideas and beliefs as people develop, grow, mature and change. It is a good thing.
It is still sometimes celebrated with the “Burning of the Vines” marking the end of the pruning season. The new life is beginning, and burning ensures that no diseases from the old stock can harm the new. Nowadays, some grape wood is saved to burn later often on a barbecue, as the smoke enhances the flavour of the veggie burgers (for us!).
This parable highlights that our spirituality is part of the cycle of life, the old always making room for the new, growth being welcomed and nothing left that would be stale or unproductive.
