But the little tree did not do great things. He was not made into a large vessel at all. He was made, instead, into a tiny fishing boat and fell into the hands of a simple Galilean fisher man named Peter. The little boat was most unhappy. One day he stood by the shores of lake Gennesaret and pondered, while Peter washed his nets. “ To think that my life has come to this,” he said. “ Just a fishing boat! And Peter is not even a very good fisherman. He has toiled all the night and he has taken nothing. This is stupid. It would be better to have re mained in the forest than to come to this.” But God, who loves little trees, said, “Wait, I will show you something.” And He did. For: Out from the crowd came a Per son, called Jesus, who entered into the little boat and sat down and taught the people. His words were words of such wisdom and beauty and light, that the multitude, and even the little boat, listened with eager ness. When He had finished speaking, He told Peter to launch out into the deep and let down his nets again. And, oh, there were so many fish— multitudes of them, so that the net broke! The little boat trembled, not so much with the weight of fishes as with the weight of wonder in his heart. “ This is wonderful,” he whis pered. “ In all my dreams I never thought to carry a cargo like this. Why, I am part of a miracle. This is better than all my planning.” And out on the hillside, all the trees of the forest clapped their hands because their brother, the boat, had known fulfillment. The weeks went by, and again men came to the forest to cut down the third little tree— the one that had wanted just to stand on a hill and point to God. He was most unhappy. “ I do not want to go into the valley,” he thought. “Why couldn’t men leave me alone?” But men did not leave the little tree alone. They tore away its branches; they cut into its bark, and, deeper, into its very heart. They hewed it apart and put it together again, in the form of a crude cross. The little tree quivered through all of its being. “ This is terrible,” it whispered. “They are going to hang some one upon me. Oh, I never wanted this to happen to me. To think that I must take part in a crucifixion—I who only wanted to point to God! This is aw ful.” But God, who loves little trees, said, “Wait, I will show you something.” And He did. For:
One day, outside Jerusalem, a great multitude gathered. In their midst was Jesus, and beside Him was the cross. “ And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cy- renian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him . . .” The cross shuddered beneath its weight of agony and shame. Then suddenly a miracle happened. “ Jesus when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God.” The little tree that had become a cross heard, floating down from the heavenly places, the echo of a remem bered promise: “ Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” And the cross began to understand. “ This, is wonderful,” he whispered. “ I’m part of a miracle. In all my dreams I never thought to point to God this way. This is better than all my planning.” And so it was. For hundreds of trees have stood on the hillslopes through the years but not one of them has ever been able to point a man to God. Only the cross of Calvary can do that. And out on the hillside all the trees of the forest bowed their heads and thanked God, because their brother, the cross, had known ful fillment. There you have it, children — the story of God’s trees. Every one of them receiving its wish, but each at God’s appointed time, in God’s ap pointed way, and only through Jesus Christ. Do you have any wishes, chil dren? God will grant you your hearts’ desire, too, but ony through Jesus Christ. There are no wishes worth having outside of Jesus. If you will invite Him into the stable of your heart, He will make of its lowly man ger a cradle for the King; if you will turn over to Him the empty vessel of your life, He will fill it with such a cargo of blessing that you will scarce ly be able to hold it; if you will deny yourself daily and take up your cross and follow Him, He will make of you some one to point to God. Would you like that? END
But the little tree was not made in to a cradle. Instead, it was hewn into rough pieces and carelessly put to gether to form a manger in a stable in Bethlehem. The little tree was heartbroken. “ I do not like this at all,” he wailed. “ This is not what I planned— to be shoved into this dark cave [for that is what the stable real ly was], with no one to see me but the cattle.” But God, who loves little trees, whispered, “Wait, I will show you something.” And He did. For: “ There were in the same coun try shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. An suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heav en, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger.” Yes, children, it was our little man ger. In the stillness of the night God had come down to lay His very own little Baby there. This Baby was the Son of God. The manger quivered with delight, “ Oh, this is wonderful,” he whispered. “ In all my dreams I never thought I’d hold a Baby like this. This is better than all my plan ning. Why, I am part of a miracle!” And out on the hillside, all the trees of the forest clapped their hands because their brother, the little man ger, had seen his wish come true. Months passed by, and again men came to the forest to cut down the second little tree. “ I wonder whether I shall be made into a great vessel now,” this one thought, “ I have waited so long. Now, perhaps I shall do great things of which I have dreamed.”
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DECEMBER, 1960
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