Genesis 2:9
Genesis tells us that God created trees on the third day. The trees had seeds and bore fruit. They were good and they blessed people. In the center of the Garden of Eden were two special trees, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Humans were put in the garden and told not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil but the tree of life was not mentioned until Adam and Eve had eaten from the forbidden tree and were driven from the garden for fear of eating from the tree of life.
When I read “tree of life” I think of Revelation and the vision that is woven of eternity with a tree of life. Revelations 22:2 says, “down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” I think we would all say “amen” to have the division among nations healed! I looked in a concordance and found that in Proverbs, wisdom literature, “the fruit of righteousness is a tree of life. (11:30) “Longing fulfilled is a tree of life. (13:12)” and “The soothing tongue is a tree of life. (15:4)”
When I think of trees that bring life medically or any other way, I think of the cross of Jesus and the suffering that he went through so we might have the forgiveness of sin and experience that tree of life in eternity. It is hard to unpack the Christian lingo around this but today it means to me that Christ suffering on the cross means God intimately understands the agony of my husband all disoriented and feeling abandoned as he adjusts to memory care. We are only on day 2 but my husband said, “I want to go home NOW!” yesterday as I visited. I can take all my tears to Jesus because I know God understands and has felt that pain of abandonment and perceived rejection from the people he loved. God is not just a judge in the skies but incarnated and now through the Holy Spirit walks with us. The cross is the tree of life that tells me we have a God who knows, cares, and is preparing a place for us where the nations will be healed. Blessings in your struggling points today.
On the Way to Wonder 