Fr MacEvilly’s Commentary on John 15:1-8

Analysis of John Chapter 15

In this chapter, our Lord gives the parable of the vine and the branches (Jn 15:1–4). Application of the parable (Jn 15:1).

Necessity of union with Him, the true vine, in order to be able to do good and avoid eternal tortures (Jn 15:6).

He inculcates a mutual and unselfish self-sacrificing love for one another, of which the love He has shown us, should be the model (Jn 15:12–17).

He fortifies them against the hatred the world would manifest in their regard, and He assigns several reasons why they should pay no heed to such hatred (Jn 15:18–25).

He promises to send down upon them, the Paraclete, the Spirit of truth (Jn 15:26-27).

COMMENTARY ON JOHN 15:1-8

Jn 15:1 I am the true vine: and my Father is the husbandman.

In the preceding chapter, our Lord had been consoling His Apostles, who were saddened at the prospect of His near departure, and exhorting them to adhere to Him by charity, shown in the observance of His commandments, even under the pressure of trial and persecution. He now continues to inculcate the same, and under the similitude of the vine and its branches, He continues to show, that His followers should be always united with Him, deriving from Him their spiritual nutriment and support—as the branches derive nutriment, vigour and life from the vine-stock—He in turn, engaging, as far as in Him lies, to sustain and nourish them by His abundant graces, if they closely adhere to Him by faith and good works; thus, placing no obstacle to the operations of His grace.

“I am the true vine,” “true,” in the real spiritual effects I produce. The words are metaphorically put, just as He is called, “the true light,” because, He really enlightens men spiritually, better than the material sun does in the natural order. “A vine,” by similitude, “true,” on account of producing in the members united with Him, in a higher and more exalted spiritual sense, the effects produced by the natural vine in its branches, unlike the false vine, that only produces wild grapes. “True,” may also mean, super-excellent.

He is the “vine,” in His humanity, in which the branches of the same nature are united with Him. But it is from His Divinity, the branches derive the spiritual and life-giving influence that lead to eternal happiness.

In the similitude, the words, “And men united with Me are branches,” would seem to be understood, in order to complete the similitude.

“My Father is the husbandman,” who planted me as a vine upon the earth; and unites to Me My Apostles and faithful followers, whom He tends and cultivates, in a manner, analogous to the process of natural pruning, that they may produce greater fruit. He Himself also, as God, is the husbandman. But as it would not suit the similitude, were He to call Himself the husbandman and the vine, at the same time, He attributes this quality of husbandman, to His Father, to whom the operations of Providence are ascribed, by appropriation.

Jn 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he will take away: and every one that beareth fruit, he will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

In order to derive profit from their union with Him, they should produce the fruits of good works. “Every branch in Me,” ingrafted on Me, by baptism and faith, “that beareth not fruit,” not producing the fruit of good works, in accordance with the teaching of their faith, “He will take away,” His Father will lop off, sometimes by excluding such from the society of the faithful in His Church, as happens in some public scandalous cases, and lately, in the case of the apostate Judas; but, more generally, by depriving them of the life-giving influence of His grace, of which, by their negligence, they make, themselves unworthy; and finally, by excluding them from His heavenly kingdom, verifying in their regard the curse inflicted on the barren fig tree, “Pluck it up, why any longer encumber the ground!” In this, our Lord, inculcates on His Apostles and all His followers, to bring forth the fruit of good works, by a faithful correspondence with grace. “He will purge it,” by removing all obstacles to the operation of grace, by sending crosses, afflictions and temporal calamities calculated to wean men from the things of earth, and by other means at the disposal of His gracious Providence, such as terrors and alarms in regard to their ultimate destiny. He will thus prepare them for a more abundant infusion of His heavenly graces, and enable them to bring forth a more abundant crop of good works.

Jn 15:3 Now you are clean, by reason of the word which I have spoken to you.

Applying this general similitude to those present, He says, they were branches inserted in the mystical vine, members of His mystical body, purged from all defilement. The pruning knife employed was His discourse spoken to them in the two preceding chapters. Thomas (Jn 14:6-7), and Philip (Jn 14:9), were freed from ignorance regarding Him; the rest from unreasonable sadness; (Jn 14:1). Peter, from vain confidence (Jn 13:36), etc. From this, to verse 12, He employs several motives and considerations to make them persevere in His love.

Jn 15:4 Abide in me: and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me.

“Abide in Me.” Although now freed from faults, they must persevere in union with Him, by faith, love and good works. For, the purged branches may, possibly, be separated from the vine. “And I in you.” I shall, in turn, abide in you, and enliven you by the influx of My graces, “for, God does not desert us, till He is first deserted” (St. Augustine, Lib. de Natura et Gratia, c. 46). He shows the necessity of this persevering union. As it is only by persevering in the vine, the branch can bear fruit—it cannot, unless it be united to the vine, and draw nutriment from it—so, neither can you, unless you are united to Me, by faith and love, exhibited in good works. The first condition for obtaining eternal life is adhesion to Christ by faith and love.

Jn 15:5 I am the vine: you the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.

“I am the vine,” etc. Our Lord here applies the similitude to Himself, and accommodates it to His disciples. “He that abideth in Me and I in him,” in whom I abide, enlivening him by the abundant influx of My grace, “the same beareth much fruit.” Although no one can abide in the vine without the vine abiding in Him; still, our Lord employs these latter words to point out their intimate connexion, and also to show, that it is by the influx of the vine, in giving nutriment to the branches, the branches produce fruit.

It is only the man that abides in the vine, that can produce fruit, “for, without Me,” that is, My grace and supernatural assistance, “you can do nothing,” nothing meritorious, nothing conducive to salvation. Without God’s preventing and co-operating actual grace, independently of habitual grace residing in the soul, we cannot do even the beginning of a good work, “we can do nothing,” no work, great or small, in the supernatural order. Man, by his free will, freely assents to or rejects the influence of preventing and co-operating grace. But this assent is effected by grace.

Jn 15:6 If any one abide not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch and shall wither: and they shall gather him up and cast him into the fire: and he burneth.

As a further motive to cling to Him and remain united with Him, He points out the fate and final punishment of the man who is not united to Him, by faith and love.

“If any man abide not in Me,” by faith and love, “he shall be cast out,” deprived of the society of Christ and His saints, deprived of the saving influence of grace here, and the inheritance of God hereafter. His end, eternal fire, never ending torture.

Jn 15:7 If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will: and it shall be done unto you.

Another motive to cling to Him, “if you abide in Me,” by persevering in My love and grace, “and My words abide in you,” by your faithfully observing My commandments—the surest test of love—then, you shall obtain all the blessings arising from your union and connexion with the vine. But, the means you must adopt to secure such, is prayer. “You shall ask whatever you will,” and, provided it be with the proper dispositions, as your union with the vine implies, “it shall be done unto you” (see 1 John 5:14, Commentary on). Instead of mentioning the blessings in detail, our Lord points out the source whence they are to come—prayer.

Jn 15:8 In this is my Father glorified: that you bring forth very much fruit and become my disciples.

Another motive for them to adhere to Him by faith and love—they will, thus, advance the glory of God. The word, “glorified,” in the past, is put for the present.

“That you bring forth much fruit,” both in yourselves, by advancing in perfection and sanctification; and in others, by the conversion of the world to embrace the Gospel. This is more fully explained in the words, “So let your light shine before men,” etc. (Matthew 5:16).

“That you bring forth,” etc. “That,” is put for “if.” “If you bring forth,” etc., “and become My disciples,” or followers, showing yourselves to be faithful imitators and followers of Me, by advancing more and more in perfection, through the continued performance of good works, especially by your zeal in preaching the Gospel and bringing about the conversion of the world.