Lent Meditations
40 Days in the Vineyard
Day 7: He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit
We know this conversation took place in late spring because it was Passover. Waking up from winter dormancy, a vine in spring exuberantly pushes out new growth. In order to concentrate the energy of the vine towards excellent fruit, some of the shoots will need to be cut off.
Day 12: No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine
Our fruitfulness is dependent on staying connected to Jesus through ALL the seasons. Fruit grows on second-year wood, not on first-year wood because it takes that long for a bud to develop the internal system of leaves and fruit. It must remain in the vine for a second year to produce fruit.