After all, we can brush our teeth, earn a million, or even lose a million if stocks fall on us. But if we understand that he is talking about what lasts and what counts , then I think he is right. We can do nothing that lasts forever and counts for eternity without the one who alone is our Lord of Life. The second half of the story applies when we turn to our journey outward. When branches abide in the vine, they will bear fruit.
Actions follow our essence.
In order to be fruitful, the gardener needs to prune the branches. The first is a dark word of warning to us all. Those branches that do not bear fruit are simply cut off and thrown away. Good gardeners of that era who knew the kind of vines Jesus was using for his illustration tell us that there was no good use for this kind of wood. Deadwood was good for nothing.