The Vine-Branches Oneness as Necessity for Apostolic Fruitfulness - Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Paschaltide

In today’s Scripture Readings (Acts 15:1-6; John 15:1-8), we can see why Jesus framed in his parable of the vine-branches oneness. And it is for us to become apostolic fruitfulness. Our apostolic Church grows through this fruitfulness. However, this growth in the apostolic fruitfulness does not come without a problem. To keep the fruitfulness, the Church has to deal with problems, especially as the fruits grow also in diversity. 

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Today’s Gospel Reading is actually exactly the same as the Gospel Reading for Fifth Sunday of Paschaltide Cycle B (John 15:1-8). So, its exegetical reflection can be found in my post: The Vine with Many Branches: One Body with Many Parts, Abundantly Fruitful with Love Through the Holy Spirit and the Word  Fifth Sunday of Paschaltide (Cycle B). In fact, we will be reading the rest of this Gospel narrative for the rest of the Fifth Week of Paschaltide.

Wednesday    John 15:1-8

Thursday       John 15:9-11

Friday            John 15:12-17

Saturday        John 15:18-21

Sixth Sunday of Paschaltide on Cycle B   John 15:9-17

In reading John 15:1-21 for the remaining of this week, Fifth Week of Paschaltide and on Sixth Sunday of Paschaltide (B), we can see that Jesus sees us (his disciples) as the branches securely attached to him, the true vine. This is to expound what Jesus said about him in us and us in him (John 14:20), as the Father is in him, him in the Father (John 10:38). And, this is reflected in his prayer (John 17:21-23.

Jesus spoke of his relation with us and with the Father in this parable of the vine and its branches: Jesus the true vine, us the branches, and the Father the vine grower (John 15:1-17) to prepare us (disciples) to be sent out on apostolic missions. In fact, the 50days of Paschaltide, from Resurrection Sunday to Pentecost Sunday,  are not only to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus but also to prepare us to be sent out into the world to make disciples in all nations, while Jesus remains with us always (Matthew 28:19-18).

This parable of the vine and its branches (John 15:1-17) is an integral part of Jesus’ farewell discourse during Last Supper (John 14:1-16:33), followed by his prayer (John 17), before entering in the Passion to die on the Cross (John 18:1-19:42).

First, for us to be sent out on our apostolic mission, our hearts must be in peace, given and assured by him (John 14:1,27), and this peace of Jesus left to us upon his departure (John 14:27) is what Jesus means by “coming to us”(John 14:18,28), as another Advocate (John 14:16), namely, the Holy Spirit to remind what the Advocate, Jesus, (1 John 2:1), has taught (John 14:26). So, we have nothing to lack. Therefore, we are in peace and able to be sent off in confidence.

Jesus wants us to go on mission with full life so that our missionary works will be abundantly fruitful. To emphasize this fruitfulness and fullness, Jesus used the parable of the vine and its branches to remind how important it is for us to stay securely attached to him, just as fruitful branches are so to the vine. This way, we are always with Jesus and his words and the Holy Spirit are always reaching us, just as the fruitful branches connected to the vine receive water and nutrients to bear abundant fruits.

Jesus departs from the earth but he remains with us on earth. This sounds paradoxical. But, it is because of the Trinitarian hypostatic homoousios between Jesus, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as well as, the Father. That is why Jesus calls the Holy Spirit sent to us upon his departure (John 16:7) “another Advocate” (John 14:26), who is essentially, him, the Advocate (1 John 2:1). That is why the Holy Spirit can remind us of what Jesus has taught (John 14:26), the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13), while Jesus himself is the Truth, as well as the Way and the Life (John 14:6).

And, in bearing abundant fruits on mission, it is essential that it is a result of our work of love, as commanded by Jesus (John 15:8-17; cf. John 13:34-35; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13). This is possible that our mission work to abundantly fruitful with love, because the Holy Spirit, who is in hypostatic union with Jesus, remains with us, enabling us to bring force more love of God  to this world as fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

Now, today’s First Reading (Acts 15:1-6) reflects how Paul and Barnabas received by the rest of the nascent Church in Jerusalem, as they returned safely from Paul’s first missionary journey in the Roman provinces of Asia Minor and Galatia (Acts 13:4-14:28).

Though Paul and Barnabas were well-received with joy for their successful and fruitful mission, in spite of the hostility from anti-Christ Jews, for winning many souls, especially among Gentiles, for Christ, there were some Jews, who became Christians, raising their concerns about the Mosaic Law not fully enforced on the Gentiles to become Christians. This brand of Jewish Christians are known as Judaizers, and many of them have Pharisaic background (Acts 15, 1, 5; cf. Galatians 2:3–10, 15-16).

In the Church in Jerusalem, this concerns of the Judaizers needed to be discussed in its council. And James the Less, as the bishop, had to chair the council to resolve this issue, resulting in bringing the Gentiles into the Church. And, James will demonstrate his abilities as the bishop to make sure the nascent Apostolic Church would not lose its fruitfulness in bringing more Gentiles because of the Judaizers.