Homily For Fifth Sunday of Easter Year B, 28th April, 2024

 

Readings: Acts.9:26-31; Ps.22; 1 John 3:18-24;  John 15:1-8

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

ARE YOU STILL CONNECTED WITH JESUS THE TRUE VINE?

 

As we gather today to celebrate the Fifth Sunday of Easter, we are called to renew our commitment and relationship with God. So Jesus used the imagery of Vine and branches as a metaphorical expression to describe the relationship between him and his disciples which is vital in describing our relationship with God. The root of the vine as we know is the source of life for the branches. It provides the water and nutrients by which the grapes are produced. Without the root of the vine, no fruit could ever be produced. And branches are utterly dependent upon the vine.

 

Thus, after Jesus and his disciples had concluded the meeting in the upper room in Jerusalem where they celebrated the Passover, as they were going, they passed through the vineyards that surrounded the city. This was shortly after the mysterious teaching of Jesus, the disciples were exceedingly anxious and perplexed as to what came next. It was in this disposition and background that Jesus told them the parable of the Vine and the branches as we have it in our Gospel passage today saying: ‘I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing.’

 

Here, Jesus is saying to them you know how Israel is pictured as a vine which ought to produce good fruit but failed. I am the true, genuine and authentic Vine. By this comment, Jesus was not introducing a new idea by using the metaphor of a vine and branches. Rather he was referring to the Old Testament, where God's vine was Israel. He used them to accomplish his purpose in the world as a branch that is truly connected to the vine which is secured and will never be removed.

 

So, with this parable of the vine, Jesus illustrated the most fundamental secret of a fruitful Christian life. Hence, the major purpose of this parable is for us to be fruitful in our Christian faith. Because, as God’s chosen people, we are expected to produce great, sweet, beautiful, rich fruit of righteousness, holiness, justice, peace and joy to the world. But most of us, just like the Israelites have failed as we produced sour, rotten, stinking, tasteless fruit of sin, corruption, greed, cruelty, exploitation and hatred in the world. This is not the fruit we are supposed to bear.

 

However, there is always room for change just like St Paul in our first reading today, who after he encountered the Lord, turned away from his past and erroneous path, and began to follow the right path which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to him. For he went out preaching with all boldness on the need for repentance from sin and the need to embrace the love of God for humanity. For Paul will not let the ugly situations of his past life separate him from Jesus the true Vine who has shown him such great love.

 

Thus, in our second reading today, we heard of the commandments that God has entrusted to us, the commandments of love that He has revealed before us and which as Christians, we are all expected and obliged to express with one another, by loving God with all of our hearts and at the same time, loving our neighbours in such a way that people will know that truly we are Christians, God’s chosen people, who are rooted in Christ Jesus the true Vine.

 

Dear friends, the questions we need to ask ourselves today are: Am I still connected with the true Vine? What kind of fruit am I producing in this world? What is stopping me from producing good fruit? Do I need to be pruned of my ugly habitual sins? Remember, God prunes a branch so that it may bear more fruit and this pruning is not done only once for it is a constant process.

 

Hence, as branches of Vine which is Christ, our fruit should be the natural outflow of the life of the Vine. For when we are united and identified with Jesus we produce from his Vine the fruit of the Holy Spirit, that sweet and rich wine of love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, self-control, holiness, courage and faith which is lacking in our life, family, society and the world today. Therefore, no matter the ugly situations we may find ourselves in in this passing world, we must not separate ourselves from Jesus the true and the only Vine which is the source of human life.

 

LET US PRAY: Grant, we pray, O God, that we may always find delight in Jesus our true Vine, prune us where we need to be pruned, so that we may faithful bear good fruit, and through the power of the Holy Spirit produce the great wine of your love and peace in our families, societies and the world at large. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.