Jeremiah 16:16-18:23;
1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3; Psalm 81:1-16; Proverbs 25:6-7
What
a beautiful image of fruitfulness we find nestled amongst the doom and
destruction of Jeremiah. I love the description of "the man who
trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him" (Jer. 17:7). This
person will be like a well-watered tree: productive, sturdy, healthy, vibrant,
secure (see vs. 8).
A
psalm we'll read again in a couple of weeks uses this same imagery.
"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,...planted in the
house of the LORD....They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay
fresh and green" (Ps. 92:12-14).
A
tree is used as a symbol for renewal and restoration in Isaiah 61:3. A
tree stands in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2, and a tree reappears in the
city of the new creation in Revelation 22, bringing fruit and healing and life.
I'm
writing this post, sitting and looking at the liquid amber tree we have in our
front yard. There's a jacaranda tree, too, sometimes purple and green,
sometimes only green, sometimes bare. They're both big trees,
well-established and sturdy enough for our children to climb on. When
they're green, they are spectacularly green. When they are bare, it's
always just 'bare' and never 'barren.' Spring comes again. Their
vitality is revealed once more, and they quietly go about their business of growing
and leafing and bearing the "fruit" that attracts bees and birds.
Even the decade of drought that we've just come through hasn't daunted
them.
The
person described by Paul in our New Testament reading is like my trees: leading
a quiet life, minding his/her own business, working with his/her hands, living
a daily life that wins the respect of outsiders, not dependent on any other
person (1 Th. 4:11-12). Faithful living, bearing fruit.
"Heal
[us], O LORD, and [we] will be healed; save [us] and [we] will be saved"
(Jer. 17:14). Water us, and grow our roots deeply. May we not
be concerned by the heat of the day, nor worry in the year of drought.
May we always bear green leaves and much fruit, even as we age.
Amen and amen.
-
Sarah Marsh
No comments:
Post a Comment