4 October | Teens
«“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.» John 15: 5
Have you ever seen a grapevine? It's the plant that produces grapes and needs very special care to grow healthy and bear good fruit. In John 15, Jesus uses the vine as a metaphor to explain our relationship with Him. He says: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If anyone remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.”
Just as the branches of a vine need to be connected to the main plant in order to live and bear fruit, we also need to be connected to Jesus in order to live a full and productive life. It's like when we give a rose to our mother on a special date. No matter how many times we put it in a glass of water, after a few days it dies because its connection with the branch has been severed.
That's why we can't let our connection with Jesus be severed. Being connected to Jesus means following His teachings, trying to have various moments that help us remember Him during the day, listening to praises, praying… in short, adding spiritual elements to the routine of our lives. For without Jesus, like a branch separated from the vine, we can do nothing. We also have no strength or spiritual life of our own. But when we remain in Jesus, we receive everything we need to grow and become more like Him.
Take Action
Eat some grapes and reflect on how sweet and tasty they are. Remember that this was Jesus' first miracle, turning water into wine, and that, just as grapes need to be connected to the vine in order to grow, we too need to always be connected to Jesus in order to produce tasty spiritual fruit like these grapes!