The Two Trees

I have spent a good amount of time dialogging within circles where we all share a common language.
One theme in which this language is often used could be called the theme of the two trees.
And it’s a great theme.

In general, it goes something like this:

As we all know, in the garden, Adam and Eve had many choices when it came to food and participation.

Trees good for food, trees that were beautiful to look upon, the tree of Life and that confounded, forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Lord told them both not to eat of that one because the result would surely be death.
It was that wily serpent who convinced Eve that if she would only take a bite, that she would become like God. Being deceived, she partook, and like any true rebel, suckered Adam into taking a bite himself.

So out of the garden they go (cast out, in fact), and the rest is, …well, history.

With this as the base of the ‘two tree’ theme, the idea goes that the two trees are kind of like an allegory for the two testaments; The old and the New.

More specifically the idea is that ‘law’ or ‘right and wrong’ is the forbidden tree which brings death, and then Christ is the tree which we are to partake of which brings Life.

So far I follow.
And it is a great metaphor.
The problem is, as with all metaphors, they breakdown at some point. They have to, otherwise, they wouldn’t be simply metaphors, they would actually be the Real thing. One obvious breaking point is in the improper view of the law as being something “confounded” or “troublesome”. While it may seem that way to us, it is only because the law, or TORAH brings to light our own sinfulness without providing a means, in itself, to help us to overcome that sinfulness. As Paul says, “The law is holy…” The problem is, apart from Christ, we are not. But enough of that for now. Let’s continue….

Here is the logic (although that word might very well be ‘labeled’ as “wrong tree” itself):

It’s not about right and wrong, it’s about Life.

True. But… only until someone does something wrong.

What happens when someone commits adultery?
What happens when someone lies to your face?
What happens when a brother gets caught sleeping with his own stepmother?

Do we ever call things out for what they are, or do we just go along pretending that there has never been an offence?

I ask you sincerely: How on earth are we to forgive one another as Christ has forgiven us, if there is never a recognition of wrong being done?

Well, we take it to the cross.

Again, AMEN! But,…would it be wrong not to? Would it be good to take it to the cross. Maybe it’s just not all that black and white (or is it?). Furthermore, is ‘taking it to the cross’ the same as ’sweeping it under the rug’?

Now some would say,

It’s not a matter of right and wrong, but rather it is a matter of Life and death.

Isn’t it, at this point, just a matter of semantics?

Isn’t good right and bad evil?

Isn’t Life good and death bad?

Just the fact that you ask these anxious questions prove that you aren’t partaking of life.

Maybe, but maybe not. Maybe there is a legitimate place for the discernment of good and evil. Maybe we shouldn’t just throw out ‘good and evil’ as if they are dirty words which are uttered only by the  unenlightened heathen.

If “good and evil” or “right and wrong” were no longer part of the Divine Equation, then why, in the new testament, would we have such statements as these? :

Hebrews 5

11About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,13for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.14But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Romans 7

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.22For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,23but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.24Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Romans 12

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.10Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.11Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.12Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.13Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Romans 12

21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 13

3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,4for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

Romans 16

19For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.

I Corinthians 13

4Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.7Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8Love never ends.

II Corinthians 13

5Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!6I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.7But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed.8For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.

Ephesians 4

25Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.26Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,27and give no opportunity to the devil.28Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.29Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.32Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

I Thessalonians 5

20Do not despise prophecies,21but test everything; hold fast what is good.22Abstain from every form of evil.

II Corinthian 5

(10, 11) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.

Galatians 6

7Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.8For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.9And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.10So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Ephesians 5

4Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.5For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.7Therefore do not associate with them;8for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light9(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),10and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

And there are many more such statements scattered through out both the old and new tesataments.

What all of this means is that those who violate the law of love are not partaking of Divine Life, and the result is behavior which leads to death. And it is wrong behavior.
You see the problem isn’t in having a discernment between good and evil, the problem is when we try to nourish ourselves on that knowledge.

The result of that type of “eating” is ‘death’ (which in fact is the prerequisite for Life)!

By now, if your mind works anything at all the way mine used to, your brain is screaming “WRONG TREE, WRONG TREE!!!!”.

Take a deep breath. Relax.

Do partake of the Tree of Life….

but do not fear as every faculty of your human existence is being transformed from faith to faith, and from glory to glory, including the faculty of a God given discernment between good and evil.

(Almost all scripture quotations here are from the ESV translation…)

(I forget which one isn’t.)

(Please forgive my wrong     )