The Tree of Life

 

      Yesterday at both Good Friday services at the Church of the Holy Communion, we offered the Reproaches as part of the liturgy of the day.  I had not encountered them before.  This morning I learned that they had almost made it into the 1979 Book of Common Prayer but did not because they were perceived as opening the door to antisemitism.  I confess this did not occur to me because I understood them as addressed to the Church rather than to the Jewish people.  They recall the great acts of salvation history of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.  In them, God asks, "O my people, how have I wearied you that you have treated me so poorly?" This surely stirs repentance in the listener.

The second section- which is in verse- includes these two stanzas:

V. God in pity saw man fallen, shamed and sunk in misery, 

when he fell on death by tasting fruit of the forbidden tree: 

then another Tree was chosen which the world from death would free.

R. Sweetest wood, and sweetest iron, sweetest weight is hung on thee.

 

 V. Bend thy boughs, O Tree of glory; thy relaxing sinews bend; 

for a while the ancient rigor that thy birth bestowed, suspend: 

and the King of heavenly beauty on thy bosom gently tend.

R. Sweetest wood, and sweetest iron, sweetest weight is hung on thee.

 

These stanzas brought to mind three things.  The first is  a text from the Song of Solomon (Ch. 2 v.3 )  "Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste."  

The second was a hymn I love greatly - "Jesus Christ the Apple Tree."  Most often sung at Christmas, perhaps it should also be an Easter hymn.   Below is the text...

And the third, Rev. 22:1-5.  

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever.

Once again, I understand that the Cross on which Jesus was crucified has become for us the Tree of Life.  Thanks be to God!  

A Blessed Feast of the Resurrection to you and yours!

__________________________

Jesus Christ the Apple Tree

The tree of life my soul hath seen,

Laden with fruit and always green: 

The trees of nature fruitless be

Compared with Christ the apple tree.

His beauty doth all things excel:

By faith I know, but ne'er can tell 

The glory which I now can see

In Jesus Christ the apple tree.

For happiness I long have sought,

And pleasure dearly I have bought: 

I missed of all; but now I see

'Tis found in Christ the apple tree.

I'm weary with my former toil,

Here I will sit and rest awhile: 

Under the shadow I will be,

Of Jesus Christ the apple tree.

This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,

It keeps my dying faith alive; 

Which makes my soul in haste to be

With Jesus Christ the apple tree.