Hebrews 12:15 - Rhubarb Roots
Last year, our neighbors put up a nice, wooden fence to keep their two dogs in the back yard. The fence was going to go right through an old patch of rhubarb, which obviously needed to be removed.
Have you ever dug up a rhubarb patch? A long-standing rhubarb patch? You would think you're digging up a small tree. You never seem to get to the bottom of the roots. (I've dug up rhubarb before, so I did the neighborly thing and found someone else that wanted to to transplant the rhubarb to their acreage.)
The rhubarb was removed, the fence was installed, new grass seed was planted. And this spring... rhubarb leaves popped up in the new grass, ready to start pushing against the new fence.
Roots are powerful. They grow deep, finding nourishment for whatever grows above ground. The stronger the roots, the stronger the plant. That's why we are warned:
Hebrews 12:15 (New Living Translation) "Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many."
The only thing that can excavate bitterness is the grace of God. Without accepting that grace, bitterness sprouts up in various forms: smoldering resentment, subtle prejudice, lingering unforgiveness, flashes of temper, bursts of rage. A whole gamut of poison comes from bitterness. It tears apart the person, and taints everyone around them.
Grace is the action of replacing the root, but not the root itself. When God replaces bitterness, the new root isn't merely a change of motivation or a modification of character. In our hearts, He plants Himself. And when God Himself is the root in our life, we can take in the nourishment of His love.
So we join Paul in praying,
"that from [God's] glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong." Amen. Ephesians 3:16–17 (NLT)
Have you ever dug up a rhubarb patch? A long-standing rhubarb patch? You would think you're digging up a small tree. You never seem to get to the bottom of the roots. (I've dug up rhubarb before, so I did the neighborly thing and found someone else that wanted to to transplant the rhubarb to their acreage.)
The rhubarb was removed, the fence was installed, new grass seed was planted. And this spring... rhubarb leaves popped up in the new grass, ready to start pushing against the new fence.
Roots are powerful. They grow deep, finding nourishment for whatever grows above ground. The stronger the roots, the stronger the plant. That's why we are warned:
Hebrews 12:15 (New Living Translation) "Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many."
The only thing that can excavate bitterness is the grace of God. Without accepting that grace, bitterness sprouts up in various forms: smoldering resentment, subtle prejudice, lingering unforgiveness, flashes of temper, bursts of rage. A whole gamut of poison comes from bitterness. It tears apart the person, and taints everyone around them.
Grace is the action of replacing the root, but not the root itself. When God replaces bitterness, the new root isn't merely a change of motivation or a modification of character. In our hearts, He plants Himself. And when God Himself is the root in our life, we can take in the nourishment of His love.
So we join Paul in praying,
"that from [God's] glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong." Amen. Ephesians 3:16–17 (NLT)
%20Sparrow%20(Andrew%20Howe).jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment