Pruning is not Punishment

by Josh Pedersen

Read: John 15:1-17

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he lifts up, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are pruned because of the word that I have spoken to you.” - John 15:1-3

Have you ever suffered loss? Have you endured something being taken or removed from you that was not any choice of your own? Have you ever experienced the painful cutting and removal of a part of yourself through a situation that is totally out of your control?

I can’t help but think that, if you were a plant, that is exactly what it is like to be “pruned”. I imagine for a plant, it is pretty painful to have the gardener or “vinedresser” come with a knife and cut you… remove a piece of you and take it away. Pruning is a painful cutting and removal of something that the plant itself has zero control or say in.

How fitting that Jesus would choose to call us “branches” that are connected to him as the “vine”. In John 15:1-11, Jesus outlines this metaphor to teach his disciples what it is like to abide in him. He calls himself “the true vine” and says that the Father is the “vinedresser”. We - as the children of God - we are called “branches”. Look at the way that the vinedresser (God the Father) interacts with the branches.

The first branch is a branch that is not bearing any fruit. The verb in that passage is the Hebrew term “airo” means to “raise up, lift up, or elevate; to pick up off the ground.” I can picture a vinedresser carefully making his way through the vineyard and coming upon a branch that has fallen off the trellis and is laying in the mud. Even a basic understanding of the heart of a vinedresser would tell you that the first response of a gardener / vinedresser upon finding a plant in distress is to pick it up, dust it off, and attempt to re-attach it to the trellis to give it a chance to grow! Notice how Jesus says that these are branches that are “in him” : “ Every branch in me that does not bear fruit (the Father) lifts up.” (v.2) I think this is a much better translation than the phrase “takes away”. Why? Because this is the character of our Heavenly Father, the “vinedresser”. The keeper of a vineyard sees each branches of valuable. His first response is not to just cut off and destroy… but rather to care for. Branches in Jesus that are “not bearing fruit” receive the care they need from the Father. He gently lifts them up and reattaches them to the trellis, giving them every opportunity to heal and bear fruit. I know this because that is the ULTIMATE GOAL of the vinedresser. He is in the “fruit bearing business” not the dead limb business! This is the goal directly stated in the passage:

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (v.8)

God is always seeking his glory and does so by those branches that are in his son bearing fruit. For everyone who feels fruitless, trampled under foot, and stuck in the mud… hear these words of Jesus and rejoice. Take heart! The vinedresser is on the way, and his first step is not lopping you off, but rather lifting you up and cleaning you off.

But what about branches that ARE bearing fruit? Jesus says something very unexpected here. Take a closer look at the passage:

“every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” (v.2)

How often in life do we suffer a painful cutting and removal of something and think of these words from Jesus? Here is a biblical truth men: every branch that has been fruitful will be pruned. Every branch that is productive will have to endure a painful cutting and removal to be prepared / enabled to bear more fruit in the future. In this way - these moments of pruning actually become encouragements to us as branches. For too long, the people of God have misunderstood the nature of “pruning”; and here are some powerful truths to take away form this passage:

1.) Pruning is not Punitive, it is not a Punishment

I learned this idea from a sermon Pastor Bill Johnson gave once. For too long, the only lens I had to view suffering through was the lens of God being disappointed with me. I saw all suffering as a punishment from God. When I suffered a painful loss I thought it was God disciplining me. I now realize this is false. Jesus maps it out for us clearly. When we bear fruit, we will eventually need to be pruned! In this sense…

2.) Pruning is an affirmation of having born fruit

When we face these moments of painful cutting and removal, we can take solace in the fact that God is AFFIRMING the fact that we have indeed been fruitful! There is a good chance that pruning is the OPPOSITE of discipline… it could actually be an encouragement.

3.) Pruning PREPARES us for future fruit bearing in Christ.

The truth is that we NEED to be pruned. Think of an actual branch connected to a vine. If all it ever did was bear fruit upon fruit… more and more fruit… and never had anything ever taken or removed form it… the branch would DIE. It is not actually healthy for a branch to bear too much fruit without any of it every being removed. As much as we may not enjoy the difficult journey, these moments of having something taken from us prepares us / makes us fit to cultivate and bear fruit again. The pruning gets us ready to bear more fruit.

I recently suffered an accident and have experienced a “painful loss” of my own. It was not anything I would ever have chosen for myself. For the past two months I have been mourning my being “pruned” - mourning the loss of opportunities and abilities. Needless to say, this is not I how envisioned this past September and October going … or what I thought the next 6-8 months will look like either. In the midst of the tears and frustrations, the gentle “vinedresser” has met me. He has reminded me in this season of these biblical principles. He has assured me this is not some punishment or discipline because I have not been “good enough”. The Lord has encouraged me with the fact that pruning is not punishment, it is not a discipline… it is an affirmation of a fruitful past and preparation for future fruit bearing! The words of James 1 have come to life:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” - James 1:2,3

I think this is a crucial lesson for us to learn as men. In this life we will ALL face our fair share of “pruning”. Many men before us have walked this path and endured. Jesus did not speak these words as one who was avoiding painful loss. As a matter of fact, he spoke these words just moments before going to the cross! Jesus calls out to the Father in the garden and admits that it is not his first pick to suffer the cross. Jesus sweats blood and asks if there is another way. (cf. Matt. 26:6-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46) In the end, Jesus submits to the painful process - and “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:1,2) Jesus knows what it is like to suffer loss… to be pruned… and in turn made fit to receive glory, honor, and praise.

The same is true for us in Christ. These moments of pruning keep us humble. These moments of pruning remind us of our need to remain tethered to the vine for healing and bearing fruit. These moments of pruning affirm us in our past efforts. These moments of pruning are actually gifts from God! In the end, the vinedresser and the vine are committed to the branches “bearing much fruit”!

Over the next series of blog posts we are going to look at men of faith who have walked this path before us. We are going to take a look at all the different example of those who have been “pruned” and the different ways God uses these painful moments to shape and prepare them for the breakthroughs in ministry that he has in store. For now, remember this:

If you feel fruitless, trampled under foot, and stuck in the mud, your Father the vinedresser is coming to lift you up!

- And -

If you are suffering loss or feeling the sting of a painful cut and removal of something, pruning is not punishment but affirmation of being fruitful and preparation for future fruit bearing.