Thorns

Most things I have no control over – getting needed precipitation, pasture condition due to the prolonged drought, and increasing the pond levels.  I discovered multiple shoots from an old Black Locust tree east of the Big Pond near the fence on Thursday. I thought At last – something I can do something about! 

One of the thorn-ladened branches I cut.
It measured a little under 40 inches.

I began using the Tiger Jaw, recommended by our neighbors, Lisa and Chuck Crabtree, who picked one up for me at a farm show they attended several years ago. As I cut the shoots and loaded them on the truck bed, I thought of the first mention of thorns in the Bible. God spoke these words, recorded in Genesis 4:17-18, to Adam after he disobeyed God’s singular rule for living in the perfectly beautiful Garden of Eden - do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. Adam had eaten of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Consequences always follow disobedience. 

It was hard for me to imagine the despair Adam must have felt when the enjoyable tending of the lush vegetation of the Garden suddenly became an all-day task when combating the thorns and thistles. Perspiration pouring off of him as he toiled in the heat must have driven home to Adam the impact of the curse and the consequence of his disobedience.

Getting the thorny residue caught on my clothing as I unloaded the remains from my clearing caused my mind to recall another passage in the New Testament of the Bible. Matthew, one of the original twelve disciples called by Jesus, recorded this painfully, somber verse in chapter 27, verse 29. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 

Measuring one of the longer thorns I  cut.
However, I understand the thorns of Israel were
 much more capable of inflicting far more pain
 than this Osage County variety.

How unimaginable that the One of whom is said, All things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made that was made, would endure such treatment. This tongue-twisting Bible verse from John 1:3 for which I knew the words far earlier than I knew the deep meaning of Jesus, revealed God the Son, as an agent of creation. He created the thorns that would pierce His brow as He was falsely accused, submitting to the humiliation of ineffective government officials. The highly-regarded religious leaders would operate at the height of hypocrisy and stir up a fickle mob who turned on Jesus less than a week after extoling Him as The King of Israel.

Gazing at one of the thorny stems I had retained to show Mother what I was removing from her land, I remembered another passage. Isaiah prophesied around 800 years prior to the crucifixion of Jesus, in chapter 53 of the Suffering Servant, the Lord Jesus. Verse 5 came to mind, But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. 

Transgression usually referred to a sin committed without premeditation but still considered sin. Iniquity often implied wickedness, perverseness, or sin resulting from premeditation. Jesus took the punishment for our sins on Himself - no matter the type. That elusive peace that our hearts long for was obtained by the chastisement He took on our behalf.

            May we realize if we have repented of our sins, receiving His forgiveness, and have given our life to Him, we are free from the curse. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian church in chapter 3, verse 13: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)…

            We still battle the curse of the thorns and thistles, despair and physical death, and sorrow and sickness; but through Jesus, we have overcome the second death. Through Him, we have been given life, beginning right now; then He will usher us through physical death into life eternal, free from the curses of sin. Hallelujah what a Savior!