By Pater Inutilis

St. John does not give us Our Lord’s last “testament”—the new and eternal in His Blood—but he certainly does give us His “last wishes”: those things we see Jesus repeating, and so insisting upon. In this chapter 15, we begin a long monologue of the Savior, hearing again: His commandment, which is to love one another (vs. 12 & 17)1; that we love Him, if we keep His commandments (vs. 10 & 14)2; that, for those well-disposed, God will do whatsoever they ask of Him (vs. 7 & 16)3; that God will come to them (vs. 26)4 and abide with them (vs. 4f)5.

Jesus starts this discourse, though, with the “proverb” of “the vine.” The vine, its branches and their fruit are all of the same species: here this is going to illustrate our partaking of the divine nature.6 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman” (vs. 1). The husbandman plants and nurtures the vine. The Father does this by speaking His “Word” (1:1) and not leaving Him alone, but being always with Him (16:32), doing Himself the works the Son does (14:10). “I am the true vine.” Israel as a people was already a vineyard planted by God from which He expected fruits of holiness (Is. 5:1-7; Mt. 21:33-43) and was disappointed; it was, however, not the true vine which it but foreshadowed [just as it was “son of God” (Deut. 32:6-9; Os. 11:1) but not the true son, the only begotten (1:18)]. “Every branch in me…” (vs. 2). This is the one in whom the Father and Son make their abode (14:23). Of this one too the Father is husbandman: these branches are born of the will of God (1:13) and are in the hands of the Father from which no man can snatch them (10:29). They are not to be like Israel, fruitless, but like Jesus “the firstborn amongst many brethren” (Rom. 8:29). Fruitlessness means being lopped off, rejected, as Israel (vs. 2); fruitfulness is assured by “purging” (vs. 2)—pruning—being persecuted by the world, as was Jesus (vs. 18-20). “Unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (12:24f). And yet, we are now being taught that what really counts is not exterior conformity to Christ crucified, but that He be in us. “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit” (vs. 5). The fruit is divine, indeed eternal life7—its principle must be also. What is not of grace, from Christ living and working in us, is worthless. This is absolute, “for without me, you can do nothing” (vs. 5). It is He Who has chosen us and appointed us to bring forth fruit (vs. 16). His grace must precede and accompany all. [But this does not mean that we are not to cooperate with His work in us, as if nothing at all depended on our will, for otherwise His exhorting us to abide in Him (vs. 4, 9) would be pointless and His commanding us (vs. 12, 14, 17) to no avail; also, the being cast forth into the fire (vs. 6) would be unjust, and “our” fruit (vs. 5, 16) not actually ours.]

“Abide in me” (vs. 4). “Abide in my love” (vs. 9). How do we do that? “If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love” (vs 10). Can they be summarized? What is the essence of them? “This is my commandment, that you love one another”—but not as the publicans and heathens (Mt. 5:46f); rather “as I have loved you” (vs. 12). Now, He laid down His life for us (vs. 13); He accepted to be hated (vs. 18) and persecuted (vs. 20) by the world. Must we too lay down our lives one for another? That is precisely the lesson St. John draws: “In this we have known the charity of God, because he has laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (I Jn. 3:16). “The brethren”: other branches in which Christ abides, or wants to (10:16; 17:20f). We are talking about a love of charity, that our neighbor be “in God.” This we must want and strive for, unto sacrificing all. True, we too will be hated (vs. 18f) and persecuted (vs. 20) by the world. At this price, though, we shall not only bear fruit that will remain (vs. 16) but also will have a joy that will be filled (vs. 11). Joy is not the fruit of self-seeking, but of self-sacrifice; this is the secret of the saints. “I exceedingly abound with joy in all our tribulation” (II Cor 7:4). It is the spirit of the beatitudes.

Jesus has come (vs. 22) and so will the Paraclete (vs. 26). Now, when it is a question of Christ’s “coming” and “going” as man8, we understand readily enough: He came through His incarnation and He goes through His ascension. But when it is a question of the coming or going of a Person of the Holy Trinity,9 what are we to understand? God is a Spirit, infinite, completely immutable and omnipresent. He is whole and entire wherever He is, and He is wherever there is any effect of His creative power. All “coming” or “going” of God to a soul is a change, not in God, but in the creature vis-a-vis God. To receive God is to perceive Him in a new way or more fully. “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not… As many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name” (1:10 & 12). Light of reason, and light of faith. This power to be a son of God is actuated when faith is living: one loves. “If any one love me… my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him” (14:23). This is the “gift of God” (4:10), beyond the capabilities or demands of any creature; and yet to be surpassed by the light of glory, thanks to which “we shall see him as he is” (I Jn. 3:2). That our fruit remain (vs. 16), we have but to obey His commandment “that you love one another” (vs. 17).10

Endnotes

1 13:34

2 14:15 & 21

3 14:13 & yet 16:23

4 14, 16 & 26

5 14, 16 & 23

6 II Pet 1:4

7 3:16 & 36; 4, 14 & 36, etc.

8 13 vs. 1, 3, 33; 14 vs. 2f, 13, 28; 16 vs. 7, 16, 28; 17 vs 11, 18

9 13:20; 14 vs. 16f, 23, 26; 15, 26; 16, 7

10 E.g. “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so you shall fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2).