阅读经文 

我们的后院里有葡萄藤，我们经常需要剪掉卷须——就是线状的螺旋，帮助植物在攀爬时附着在支架上。剪断卷须后，我们会注意到两件事：水分从我们剪断的葡萄藤上稳定地滴下，而剪断的卷须马上开始枯萎。

在我们今天的经文中，耶稣描述了类似的事情。祂把自己描述成一棵葡萄树，祂说我们就像葡萄树的枝子。这是传达我们与基督之间亲密联系的一种方式。祂是源头，常在祂里面的人会结出祂爱的果子。但如果我们不在祂里面，我们就像被园丁剪掉的枝子，很快就会枯萎死亡。

耶稣给我们举了这个例子，同时祂也在讲我们在这个世界上为神而活的首要任务——就是彼此相爱，就像祂爱我们一样，并与我们周围的人分享祂的爱。当我们这样做的时候，我们就会结出好的果子来让世人享用——而这一切都是为了神的荣耀。

耶稣还说，在这个世界上，我们会有苦难，但因为我们常在祂里面，所以不必害怕。这个信息很清楚：我们不能控制任何事情的结果，但神在控制——所以我们不需要活在对可能发生的事情的恐惧中。我们可以简单地住在祂里面，就会看到祂在我们身上和通过我们要做什么。

We have grapevines in our backyard, and we often need to cut back the tendrils—threadlike spirals that help the plant attach to supports while it climbs. When we have cut the tendrils, we notice two things: moisture steadily drips from the vine where we made the cut, and the cut-off tendrils begin to wilt right away.

In our reading for today, Jesus describes something similar. He describes himself as a vine, and he says we are like the vine's branches. This is a way of communicating the intimate connection between us and Christ. He is the source, and whoever remains in him will bear the fruit of his love. But if we do not remain in him, we will be like a branch cut off by the gardener, and we will quickly wither and die.

Jesus gives us this illustration while he is talking about our top priority in living for God in this world—that is, to love one another as he has loved us, and to share his love with everyone around us. As we do that, we bear good fruit for the world to enjoy—and all of this is for God's glory.

Jesus also says that in this world we will face troubles, but because we remain in him, we need not be afraid. The message is clear: we cannot control the outcome of anything, but God is in control—so we don't need to live in fear about what might happen. We can simply remain in him, and we can see what he will do in and through us.