John 15:1-8
As pastors and leaders, we are often encouraged to strive for success. Success usually means more money, growing attendance, flashy programs, bigger buildings, additional staff, and the list goes on. To be clear, there is nothing inherently wrong with these things. Unfortunately, however, pastors often measure success or fruitfulness based on these indicators. I suspect that for many pastors, including myself, this brings about the feeling of failure. Many of us crumble or nearly crumble under the weight of not being able to measure up to these standards.
When we read this passage, I think we are tempted to think of the word fruitfulness in this way. When I read this passage, I am tempted to think that bearing fruit means reaching more of what the world (and sometimes the misguided evangelical church) would call success. And yet, I am not at all convinced that this is what Jesus intends to communicate here. This passage is situated in the middle of Jesus’ final discourse to his disciples. Jesus lovingly prepares them for what is to come, and how to remain in him after he is no longer physically with them. He talks to them about the role of the Spirt and in how in him they are to grow in their love and service to one another. Therefore, when we read about fruitfulness in this passage, I don’t think Jesus is talking about success, at least as we have defined it. I think what he is talking about is faithfulness. Fruitfulness looks like growing and maturing as his disciples.
The call here seems to be to grow, mature, and flourish as disciples in Christ. That is going to look different for all of us, at different points in our journey. This is true for pastors and our parishes. We have been cleansed by Christ, and now we must continue to bear fruit, which means we are to grow in him. To be sure, this will, at times, result in numerical growth! Churches, if they are growing in Christ, will grow spiritually, which hopefully results in love and compassionate ministry, and this can draw people in. However, the point is not to succeed in the world’s way of succeeding – the point is to continue to grow in Christ. If we are growing and maturing in him, we will bear fruit. Of course, we will be pruned and cleansed along the way – that’s all part of the growth process.
Jesus is teaching the disciples what it looks like to faithfully follow him when he’s gone. They are assured, however, that the Spirit will still be with them, guiding them along the way. We have that same Spirit within us, who nurtures us as we grow and mature in Christ. If we feel like we don’t measure up by the world’s standards, we can rest assured. God is not shaking his head in disappointment by our failed attempts, but he is glorified as the creator of life and growth – even if that growth goes unnoticed by most. He is glorified in what might be called the “small victories” and he is glorified as his disciples bear fruit – that is, they remain in unbroken fellowship with Jesus, and they obey his command to love one another. [1]
For me, this passage comes at a time in the year when I am thinking about my annual report to my congregation. This year, by many standards, was not a year of success. We lost people. Some died, to be fair, but some left. Some moved. Because of that, giving is down. The typical measuring tools would say that we didn’t grow. However, this year, I saw a congregation come together to cultivate a community garden that is shared with neighbors. I heard people ask the right kinds of questions. There were folks who identified needs within our midst, and offered tangible ideas as to how they could be met. Teenagers sat among adults in a mid-week small group and confessed temptations they were struggling with, without even being directly asked. Teenagers confessed to singing in the worship service, and acknowledged how much they gained by participating. This might not look like much to the world, but in the hands of the Gardener, they are baby berries on a vine that are ready to grow.
[1] Lyons, George and Daniels, Scott T., New Beacon Bible Commentary: John 13-21 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2020), 97.