Vine

This week's Bible reading from John 15:1-8 has some memorable verses. Like this one:

I am the vine, and my father is the vinegrower. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes so that it bears more fruit.

And there's this one:

He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit . . . such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

I think that part is all we hear sometimes from this reading.

If you’re not doing it right, God’s gonna cut you off and you’re gonna burn.

And then we take it even further.

I know that I’m not one of those “gathered and burned” things – but I sure know who is! How dare they be so “un-branchy.” God’s clear on what’s gonna happen to them!

And when we do stuff like that we miss what I think is one of the most important pieces of this week's reading.

I am the vine – you are the branches.

Not, “I am the vine, and will be branches if you do it right” or “I am the vine and you are in real danger of not being branches,” but YOU ARE THE BRANCHES.

What are your thoughts?