Tree of love

From Helen

As you know I enjoy telling stories, I thought this morning that as it’s a while sine I told you a story I would tell you one. So, are you sitting comfortably ? 

Once upon a time a woodcutter took his grandson into the forest for his first experience in selecting and cutting oak trees. These they would sell on to boat builders. As they walked along, the woodcutter explained that the purpose of each tree is contained in its natural shape: some are straight for planks, some have the proper curves for the ribs of a boat, and some are tall for masts. The woodcutter told his grandson that by paying attention to the details of each tree, and with experience in recognizing these characteristics, someday he too might become the woodcutter of the forest.

A little way into the forest, the grandson saw an old oak tree that had never been cut. The boy asked his grandfather if he could cut it down because it was useless for boat building – there were no straight limbs, the trunk was, short and gnarled, and the curves were going the wrong way. The grandson said, “We could cut it down for firewood, least then it will be of some use to us.” The woodcutter replied that for now they should be about their work cutting the proper trees for the boat builders; maybe later they could return to the old oak tree.

After a few hours of cutting the huge trees, the grandson grew tired and asked if they could stop for a rest in some cool shade.

The woodcutter took his grandson over to the old oak tree, where they rested against its trunk in the cool shade beneath its twisted limbs. After they had rested a while, the woodcutter explained to his grandson the necessity of attentive awareness and recognition of everything in the forest and in the world. Some things are readily apparent, like the tall, straight trees; other things are less apparent, requiring closer attention, like recognition of the proper curves in the limbs. And some things might initially appear to have no purpose at all, like the gnarled old oak tree.

The woodcutter stated, “You must learn to pay careful attention every day so you can recognize and discover the purpose God has for everything in creation. For it is this old oak tree, which you so quickly deemed useless except for firewood, that now allows us to rest against its trunk amidst the coolness of its shade.

Remember, grandson, not everything is as it first appears. Be patient, pay attention, recognize, and discover.”

This rather lovely story got me thinking about the words of Jesus that we heard in the gospel (John 15:1-8) this morning. That Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. In the reading we heard about being attached to Jesus. This is who we are as followers of Jesus. Different branches did different things. If the branches weren’t producing fruit they were of no use. If they were producing fruit that meant that they had grown well. The branches that were good were the ones who had stayed rooted on the vine. 

It is like that for us. If we stay attached to Jesus and rooted in Him. If we seek to be more and more like Him in our lives, if we turn to Jesus for our strength then we will stay rooted in him. We will bear good fruit.

In the gospel reading we heard of the need for us to abide in Jesus. That is to live our lives as Jesus would. We are people who are to be as Jesus to others

 We are to show in our lives by all we do and say that we abide in Jesus, He is our vine from Him we grow and not just this but like in the story of the woodcutter some of the time when we feel as if we are gnarled and not of much use we are still people that God can use. 

The woodcutter saw in the tree somewhere that people could gain shade. As we abide in Jesus so we are part of a community that seeks to love each other and support each other. To be part of the vine, that is the branches that move outwards we are to have branches that reach out to others. This reaching out is about us loving other people. 

If we abide in Jesus then we will not be able to fail to love others. We are the branches. That means we are Jesus to all those around us. Being rooted in Jesus means that we have the strength to carry on, strength to reach out in love to others and to reach out in love to Jesus. 

What this means is that we then are to abide in Jesus and to love one another. In the reading from 1 John (4:7-21) we heard  that we are to love one another because love comes from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 

We are to love and why ? Because God first loved us. Love is wonderful and it is something that we all know and understand. 

This bit all makes sense to us, God loved us and we as the branches from the vine are to reach out to Him and love.

In the story we heard of the tree that gave protection. We as the followers of Jesus are to give protection to others by loving. Now this is something that we all know and hear about all the time. 

I was in school recently being asked lots of questions by children about faith and God. One child asked me about prayer and I chatted to her about what prayer was she then asked me if I would pray that her twin brother would be nice to her. I smiled and looked at her brother who said, ‘can you pray that she will be less annoying ?” 

Love is important we love because God first loved us and He wants us to love others too. To reach out in love to Him and to one another. 

May we know what it is to be truly rooted in Jesus and to share that love with others as we love one another and as we love even those whom it is hard to love. AMEN