THE MASTER GARDENER

God plopped Adam down in the middle of a bountiful Garden with plans of turning him into a gardener. “This is gonna be easy-peasy, Adam” God said. “All you have to do is take care of these two trees. One will give you life, the other will bring a curse.”

You know how the story goes.  Like a coupla knuckleheads, Adam and Eve chose the cursed tree. Why? Because it wasn't enough for them to be “like” God... they wanted to actually BE God. 

A boneheaded move that got their shamefully naked butts kicked out of The Garden. 

As time passed, the original sin multiplied. People grew more and more evil, carelessly squandering chances of mercy and redemption. God felt like he was watching ALL the Shakespearean plays on an endless loop.

Finally fed up, God realized that only His Son could save us. And by us, I mean you and me. Humanity. All the little children of the world.

So God gave us Baby Jesus, all wrapped up in swaddles. He didn't send Him here to change the world, though the world changed because He was here.  God sent Jesus to change hearts and cultivate souls. And He was really good at it. So much so that He became a threat to the status quo.

Knowing his days were literally numbered, Jesus went to a Garden to pray. But He got kicked out of that Garden and was taken away to be jailed, tortured and nailed to a cross.

Then, as Bob Goff says, “Darkness fell. His friends scattered. All hope seemed lost. But heaven just started counting to three." And when Mary Magdalene went to anoint His lifeless body, she found an empty tomb. She was so shocked that she asked the tall stranger standing next to her if He had seen anything. She didn't recognize Him as Jesus.  She thought He was... wait for it... the Gardener. (John 20:1-18) 

God is just cool like that.

He placed a Tree of Life in the original Garden with a really crappy gardener.  Humanity Fallen.

He allowed Jesus to be taken from a Garden and crucified on a cross-shaped tree. Humanity Forgiven. 

Can you guess what's gonna happen next?  You don't have to guess.  God tells us.

Heaven will come down and there will be a New Garden, complete with it's very own Tree of Life. Humanity Fortified.  

For Eternity. 

Then the angel showed me the river of the Water of Life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 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. (Revelation 22:1-2) 

There it is – in the very last chapter of Revelation. After scaring the actual hell out of us, John ends Revelation with an awesome description of the New Heaven and Earth and... WOW! Not only do we get streets paved with gold, we get a Fruit of the Month Tree! With magic leaves!! 

God's Garden comes full circle. Perfection Glorified. Eden is restored and the Tree of Life is replanted  smack dab in the middle of a heavenly paradise of perpetuity. 

Now, I don't pretend to understand everything in Revelation, but I know one thing for sure: this earth will pass away. All the war and brokenness, disease and dying? Gone! One-ply toilet paper and clingy plastic wrap? Gone! Pesky mosquitoes and flatulence? Gone and gone! Every single bit of ugliness will be gone. God will vanquish sin and darkness from this world and usher a cleansing, purifying, sentient light into the Garden. 

The light of heaven is our future... and we should plan for it like there's no tomorrow. Instead of  fighting over political elections, we should claim the victory He has already promised. Instead of worrying about sagging skin and bemoaning a neck that has just given up, we should get excited about the perfect body that is to come! And when you pray?  Go right on ahead and boldly thank God for answering that prayer. Because where we are going, the battle is over.  Not only has it been fought, it's been WON. Claim your dang victory! Slap that crown on your head and plant your feet on the finish line! 

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:7-8) 

"All who have longed for His appearing..." There's our hope. Prepare for it. Reach for it. Long for it. Don't stay stuck in the past or get lost in the present - our hope is for the future. Stop jousting with windmills and start claiming the promises that await you. Stop punching paper tigers and turning clay-footed mortals into heroes. Direct your energy towards the hope that is promised for the healing of our nations. 

The Bible begins with a Tree of Life placed in a perfect garden, tended by imperfect gardeners. It ends with a Tree of Life in an even more perfect garden, and this time it is tended by the Master Gardener, one who is able to sustain a tree full of Healing Leaves. 

I see no reason to wait for that promise, do you?  Lord knows our nation could use a bit of healing.  WE can be the Healing Leaves – He will give us that power if we only ask and believe...

ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.