June 1 - Suckers

June 1 – Suckers

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:1-8)

I remember learning about ‘suckers’ on tomato plants.  I couldn’t figure out what in the world Dad was doing – spending all of that time around a plant that should be able to grow on its own.  Then I planted my own tomatoes and when they weren’t producing well, he told me the secret.

Oh!  Those useless suckers ‘suck up’ the nutrition that should be supporting the tomatoes in order to grow luscious, healthy fruit (or vegetables – whatever you want to believe!).

I’ve been in churches where the ‘suckers’ take up the life of the church.  Their complaining and sniping, back-biting and hatefulness took up time and stripped the life from the church until all it had time to do was support them.  There was never a chance to grow or bring in new life.

I’ve been in relationships where ‘suckers’ take everything out of me and I don’t have time to do anything positive, I’m simply managing their whining and complaining.

That pruning of the suckers allows freedom and growth.  It isn’t easy, but it is necessary.

With a little pruning and then with a lot of strength that comes from Jesus, we bear fruit.  We become people that bring something positive to the world around us.