15:5–6 “I am the vine,
you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit,
because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is cast
out like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire
and burned.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ is clearly saying that he called himself a vine
for this reason and this reason alone: that we may clearly understand and
practically see even with our physical eyes, in a coarse and perceptible and
utterly clear example, that those who are zealous to be attached to him and
have chosen to cling tightly to him will have the ability and readiness to give
birth to virtue and spiritual fruit. They are supplied with power from the
vine, as from a mother, both to have the ability and to carry it out. However,
in those who have been torn away, as it were, or cut off from their
relationship with him by being turned to what is not right and to conduct that
is out of harmony with God, no capacity for fitness for virtue will be found,
and neither will they have the ability to distinguish themselves by the fruits
of good works. Instead, as by an inevitable necessity, they will have to be
devoured by all-consuming fire. That which is useless for godliness is
evidently fit to pay the penalty, just as withered branches will be useful only
for the fire.
You could find an unambiguous and definitive proof of what we have
said not by examining the writings of the ancient saints but by applying your
mind to the holy apostles. They have become known throughout the world for not
neglecting their love for Christ in any [561]
way but continually abiding in him and insisting that they should put nothing
else before reverence toward him. They showed the world the fruit of their
virtue; they offered themselves as an example of conduct that is pleasing to
God, like a bright image to those under the sun; and they wreathed for
themselves an unfading crown of glory with God. But the one who for a little
silver was trapped in the net of destruction (I mean the unscrupulous and
utterly petty Judas) and cut off from the spiritual vine (that is, Christ)
“withered” away, as it were, and rejected the life-giving quality of the Spirit
along with the honor of discipleship. He was “cast out,” as the Savior says. He
was alienated from Christ and was handed over like rubbish to him who punishes
with fire. Our Lord Jesus Christ, then, beneficially displays to his hearers
the joy that comes from the eager desire to be united with him, and he also
sets before them the harm that comes from being cut off, thus contriving for
them two ways of being saved. Either by a desire that looks toward glory and
life or because we are avoiding the punishment of fire, we will lay hold more
eagerly to our union with him with all the strength of our mind.
He says that the Father is the vine grower, thus granting oversight of
our affairs to the divine nature, as has been demonstrated by our long
discussion above. And he is the hand of the vine grower, which is understood to
be no different than him because of the fact that it is consubstantial and from
him and in him, just as one can see is the case also among us. To see that all
things are through the Son as through the hand of the Father, listen to what he
says about the creatures: “My hand made all these things,” even though all
things came into being through the Son, according to the Holy Scriptures.
We should further note that the divinely inspired Paul also obliquely
refers to pruning in this sense, [562]
even though he is not talking about a vine, when he says, “Note then the
kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but
kindness toward you, if you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will
be cut off.” (Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on John, 2
vols. [trans. David R. Maxwell; Ancient Christian Texts 2; Downers
Grove, Ill.: IVP Academic, 2015], 2:223-24)
