2 Trees

I like to say something on crypto-religious sleeper cells, but that is for another time, so I am braking for the moment.

Right now I have been thinking on the Two "Trees". The first tree I am thinking of is the tree of life found in Gen 3:

22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Notice here that the man was driven out by God, He was intentionally keeping Adam away and even set up a flaming sword that turned every way. I imagine this to have the effect of slicing and dicing the children of Adam should they approach this tree.

Then now, there is the second tree of life, the Cross of Jesus, not the wooden tree per se but the Atonement event. Here life flows, like water from a brook, freely. All the gifts of God are in here. Here rather than God preventing people from "taking from it", God is freely giving it. There is no flaming sword that will chase you away, but rather, the Holy Spirit delivers its fruits to us -- eternal life- through Word/Sacrament. He is not saying "don't come", but rather Jesus says -- "Come" (Matt 11:28). God through the HS is busy distributing with a willing heart the benefit of the sacrifice of God's Son. I think parents have a notion of how hurtful it could be if the sacrifices that they have made for their children are wasted --there languishing in a bin. This is true specially when their sacrifices entailed much sweat, toils and tears. If we who are evil know the pain of giving gifts that are disrespected, the more is it true for God who is all Good. So I am astounded, that God is not withholding this Tree of Life from us, rather He is joyously dispersing it to us men. He proclaims His promise of reconciliation to us and He seals it with our Baptism and in proclaims the Lord's benefits in the Supper, these all stem from the work of Jesus.

Gal 3:

13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”^[h]), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The "tree" where Jesus died does not bring death, but life and peace, in Him and in God.