Full Circle

Scripture Verse that Caught My Attention Today: Revelation 2:7 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.

Observation: We’ve come full circle. In Genesis the man and woman were cast out of the garden specifically so that they would not eat from the tree of life. But now that tree is apparently available to humankind again.

Application: For some reason the “Hail Mary” pass from the game of football comes to mind. There are usually just few ticks left on the clock, a team is down by a touchdown or less, and so on the last play of the game the quarterback just throws the ball down to the endzone where several players from each team await. It’s a long-shot to say the least. But once in a great while the trailing team gets lucky and one of it’s players snags the pass for the go-ahead touchdown that wins the game. One can’t really say that they ‘deserve’ it. They just get lucky.

We can’t really say that we ‘deserve’ to eat from the famous tree of life either. But the Lord has opened that possibility up to us again. I’m not exactly sure what he means by ‘conquers,” but I suspect it has something to do with simply trusting in the faith that we have been given and in the one who gives it. And in so doing, all of a sudden, there is this marvelous tree waiting for us—something that we never thought we’d ever get to see again.

In many ways this gift is possible because of the gift of Christmas itself. This Lord who comes to us in human flesh has once again showed us the way, but not to see what we cannot have (as was the case with the tree of life in Genesis), but, rather, to have what we cannot yet see. We have indeed come full circle, and only because of Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, thanks for opening up the undeserved possibilities yet again. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(readings today included: Revelation 1-4)