The Tree of Life Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained Interestingly, the first book of the Bible, ‘Genesis’ and the last book, ‘Revelation’ both talk of the tree of life. In the middle of the Garden of Eden ‘stood the tree that gives life and the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad’ (Gen 2:8-9). ‘To him who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God’ (Rev 2:7). What does the tree of life signify? It signifies eternal life. Humanity was barred from the Tree of life after man’s rebellion in Eden (Gen 3:22) but access has being regained through Christ who gives a foretaste of its blessings in the Eucharist. For Christ says, ‘Those who eat my body and drink my blood, I will remain in them and they in me. Remaining in Christ is the path to eat the fruit of the tree of life. We are justified and saved in union with Christ after which we have to patiently endure in the face of trials, never compromise on our faith, triumph over every temptation, not in our own strength for we cannot conquer anything at all in our human strength, but through the Grace of the Spirit. When Christ justifies us, we are made a new creation in Christ. If we fight the good fight of faith and win the race, we will ‘conquer’ to eat the fruit of the tree of life. Adam brought about a curse on himself with his disobedience so he had to work for his living with the sweat of his brow. He lost the Paradise. But to those who ‘conquer’ ‘the tree of life will fill the air round them with its fragrance. They will never have to work; they will never grow tired’ (2 Esdras 2:12). Describing the New Jerusalem in the book of Revelation, John says: ‘on each side of the river with sparkling water was the tree of life, which bears fruit twelve times a year, once each month; and its leaves are for the healing of the nations. Nothing that is under God’s curse will be found in the city (Rev 22:2-3)
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 07:17:04 +0000