John 15:1-2

15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 

I have a neighbor that, since 2006, when I moved into the neighborhood, has pruned their trees twice, both seemingly during a short time from each other.  Pruned trees look awful.  They look like something off of another planet…more like in the forbidden zone in Planet of the Apes.

However pruning does extend the life of the tree.  Just as in the case of our vinedresser pruning those who bear fruit so that we can bear even more fruit.  Sometimes I wonder if pruning means hardships to make our faith endure….so that we can bear even more fruit.

Whereas just like the separation from the wheat and the chaff in Matthew 3:12, and Jesus’ cursing of the fig tree in Mark 11:12-14,20-25 and Matthew 21:18-22 the vinedresser will take away the branches that don’t bear fruit.

So what’s the fruit we’re to be bearing?  Good works.  We always should have a good attitude toward a Christian life.  And even more so we should be trying to bring others to Christ.  That is the true meaning of bearing fruit.