BUCKEYE TREE UPDATE
EZEKIEL 17:22-24
Thus says the Lord God: "I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. [23] On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. [24] And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it."
In the name of Jesus:
Being a native of Ohio, I have always had a fascination with Buckeyes. I still, whenever I see a Buckeye tree, will look for the little buckeye nuts that will fall from the tree in the late summer months. About six or seven years ago I received, as a gift, a Buckeye tree. I dutifully planted it in the back yard and it has become my pride and joy. I don’t have a green thumb, but I have tried my best to raise this little tree. I have faithfully fertilized and watered it. When one of the braches broke off and was left hanging I used, to my family’s laughs, duct tape to repair the tree. That duct taped branch, mind you, still is growing leaves. But, after these years, I have not had one buckeye nut fall from the tree. Those of you who have listened to me for the past few years know that I have given to you a buckeye tree update from time to time. Well, its time for an update.
Last summer my buckeye tree mood was soured, as I had yet to gain one buckeye from the tree. The leaves fell off of the tree earlier than normal, and when I had gotten back from vacation, the tree looked dead. I was ready to cut it down. It looked lifeless, dead really, and still had produced NO FRUIT. My pride and joy, at least in the backyard, was ready to be no more! I had had it! I told Luann of my fears, and she, patiently, told me to let it go, see if it comes to life next year. Wait, be patient, she said.
So I was. Much to my surprise, leaves appeared on the branches in March. And today, it looks like a healthy tree. Leaves have bloomed, but it doesn’t look like I will get a buckeye from the tree this year. Maybe I will, I am too much of a novice to know what even to look for. But I will continue to be patient, in hopes that the tree that appeared to be dead, will bear fruit.
In our text for today, Ezekiel writes about trees, as a way to describe our relationship to God. Trees, like my Buckeye tree, are meant to flourish. They are to be planted, nurtured and cared for, so that they grow and bear fruit. Buckeye trees produce buckeyes, apple trees produce apples, orange trees produce oranges. Growers of these trees all expect results, fruits from their labors. If none are coming, they will not waste their time nor the precious space in their tree groves. Healthy trees will be taken care of so that they continue to produce. Sick trees will be nurtured and brought back to the point of fruitfulness. Dead trees, however, have no hope, and will be cut down and used for kindling wood.
God uses the example of trees so that we can understand our plight, our spiritual condition, and our relationship to Him. He looks down from heaven and sees deadness. Spiritual deadness, for all of human are likened to dead trees. All are spiritually dead and born enemies of God. Dead things cannot produce any life in and of themselves. Dead trees have no life, no power or ability to live. A dead tree, no matter how hard a person works on it, still remains dead and lifeless. So too, human beings are spiritually dead and enemies of God. No matter how hard we try to produce a life of good works which would be pleasing to God, we can’t do it. We are incapable of influencing God or changing our relationship with God. We have in common with all of humanity a spiritual deadness that we can not change. The Apostle Paul writes: You were dead in your trespasses and sins. This spiritual deadness shows forth and manifests itself in how we live our lives. The short temper we have with others; our lack of concern for the well being of others; the quarrelsome nature; gossip, the spreading of rumors, self justification, selfishness, anger, spite, out and out hatred, prejudice, apathy and laziness are all symptoms of the spiritual deadness that is in each of us. We live in sin and we daily produce sin, in our lives, our thoughts, words and actions, so that God is correct in His declaration that sin separates man from God and that the soul that sins most certainly will die. We are sinful trees which bring forth the fruits of a spiritually dead life. We can hope for change but we are incapable of bringing forth the type of change which God calls for, a change of direction in our lives, whereby we focus, not on ourselves, but God.
But with God all things are possible. God calls us to change, by confessing our sin, repenting of it, and then looking to God who HAS changed things in His Son Jesus Christ. God calls sinners to repentance and faith in Christ, not by looking at themselves, but instead looking at what God has done for sinners in Christ. For in Ezekiel’s words, God has planted sprig from a lofty cedar. Cedar trees are known for their durability and strength. God revealed in the Old Testament a mighty kingdom, one that He established through His servant, the shepherd boy, King David. Israel under David’s leadership and during his reign was known as the greatest kingdom of its day and age. All of its enemies were defeated as David reigned as king. Ezekiel reveals here in our text that from this kingdom, David’s kingdom, will come another King, who will be greater than David.
This One, Ezekiel reveals, is like a sprig or a tender shoot from the mighty cedar. This One is the Branch of David, who will be humble and lowly in life. He will grow in arid ground and spout and bring forth God’s new kingdom. God will establish this kingdom by taking this Branch of David and stretching Him out on a high and lofty mountain for all to see. On this mountain this Branch of David will offer life and salvation to all who believe in Him.
This Branch of David, this tender shoot which was planted on a high and lofty mountain, is no one else but Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. He came from the house and lineage of David, was God’s only begotten Son in human flesh, born of the virgin Mary, who lived to bring life to mankind. It pleased God to take His Son and place Him on a high and lofty mountain called Calvary, where Jesus was slain for the sins of the world. There on Calvary’s cross God’s wrath was poured out on His Son. There on that mountain God’s wrath was appeased, there sins were forgiven, there sinners were saved and God’s kingdom was established. There in Jesus Christ God revealed Himself to be the only true God who saves the world from sin, Satan, and death in the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of His Son Jesus. Faith in Jesus is the only way to salvation, the only road to God, He is the way, truth, and life, no one comes to the Father but by Jesus.
Jesus is the vine, and He has grafted you into Himself in the waters of Hly Baptism. Just as God worked out your salvation in Jesus, so God gives you faith in Jesus. In Baptism you have been made God’s child, in Baptism your sins have been washed away, in Baptism you have been made a member of God’s Kingdom, and in Baptism you have been called by God to live out your life in His Kingdom.
Today, Jesus calls you to bear fruit for Him. Just as healthy trees show forth their health by bearing fruit, so too Jesus says to His children now bear fruits in keeping with repentance. You have been given new life in Christ, a life that is to abound, not in the works of the flesh, but in the fruits of righteousness. The apostle Paul writes thusly: “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. [24] And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
I will keep looking for little buckeyes to fall from my tree. That is my hope, because buckeye trees are to produce buckeyes. So too you have been saved by grace through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Bear fruit for Him.
Amen