WARM-UP
“‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit…’ ‘If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.’” — John 15:1-2; 6
One of the less pleasant parts of coaching is cutting players. The process is necessary to form a fruitful team but nonetheless the process of evaluating, assessing and making the cuts is difficult.
Q: Think back to a time when you had to cut a player from the team or fire a coach. Was it difficult? Discuss the process and what went into your decision.
Q: Was it worth it in the end?
WORKOUT
Pruning
Cultivating fruit trees is challenging. An orchardist or vine dresser can’t leave the tree or vine to its own devices; she must carefully and skillfully determine which branches need to be removed and which ones stay but need to be cut back. Removing sick or unfruitful branches protects the plant from disease and destruction while cutting back productive branches helps direct energy to fruit-making branches come the growing season. She must prune at just the right time. She must be careful not to remove too many branches. Thankfully, the Father is a master vinedresser.
Removing
In John 15, Jesus first mentions the removal of unfruitful branches. The metaphor of God’s people as a branch or a fruit tree runs throughout the Scriptures, and that picture comes into sharper focus with the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus. John says to the religious leaders in Matthew 3:10, “The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” Later, in Matthew 7:19 Jesus says, “Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Depending on the context, fire can represent refining or cleansing, akin to gold or silver being heated to extreme temperatures to remove impurity. Or fire can represent devastation and destruction, as in God’s final judgement at the end of the age. In the context of John 15, Jesus is teaching fruitlessness results in God’s just condemnation.
Judgement
As coaches, we are constantly making assessments: which players should and shouldn’t play? Is the offense working or not working? Does this rider have the skills to be on the track safely? Assessments are judgements, and we make them on a daily basis. In the world of competition, performance-based judgements are accepted as a necessary part of the process. However, moral assessments or judgments, especially in the modern West, have become seemingly unacceptable. In Scripture, God’s judgment is presented from two distinct vantage-points: good news for those who crave justice and bad news for those who perpetuate injustice. In Psalm 96:12-13 the author says, “Let the fields and everything in them celebrate. Then all the trees of the forest will shout for joy before the Lord, for he is coming—for he is coming to judge the earth.” Why would creation be excited for God to come and judge? Because God judges fairly, correctly, and proportionately. His judgments uphold the righteous and punish evil. In a world that is upside down due to sin, evil and corruption, God’s justice puts the world right-side-up.
WRAP-UP
We are proven when we accept that parts of our lives need to be pruned to make way for fruitfulness.
Pruning is necessary for healthy growth.
Fruitless branches are pruned to make way for fruitful ones.
God is a just, fair and righteous judge. He is the perfect Vinedresser.
Key Action
Meditate on and discuss these truths:
Ultimately, Jesus is the answer because in His death and resurrection, perfect love and perfect justice meet and are satisfied (Romans 3:21-26)
God is merciful, full of abounding love, and slow to anger, and He will bring justice. (Numbers 14:18)
God is patient, kind, and desires that all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)