One
of the most powerful concepts in the Book of Mormon is something the
prophet Jacob called the secret - or "mystery" - to building on the rock of the
Redeemer.
For most of us, when we realize we've let some aspect of our lives slip, we decide to set a goal to work on that specific weakness. In my own struggles to overcome, and in coming to know my Savior, one of the hardest, most counter-intuitive lessons I've had to learn - and continue to need to re-learn - is that this is actually the wrong approach. The right approach is to focus on getting help and power from on high, first and foremost.
Most of us think of the Lord's injunction to "resist temptation" as an instruction to say "no" to ourselves, to white-knuckle force ourselves into compliance with God's will. While I do believe saying "no" is an essential part of fighting temptation, it is only one of a broad set of tools the Lord has given us. If we fail to make use of these other tools, we can unwittingly expect too much of ourselves, and then end up being unhelpfully hard on ourselves when we fail. I don't believe for one second that the God of love expects us to beat ourselves up for our shortcomings. But I do believe He expects us to make use of the power and the tools He has given us for overcoming our challenges.
Saying "no" is a great place to start. But in my own experience, there is a far more effective defense and a weapon against the fiery darts of the adversary. Resisting temptation has more to do with building on the rock of your Redeemer than interacting with the temptation itself.
So many of us struggle to live the way we know we should. We don't realize the power that's available to help us. I don't think most of us fully realize just how important it is - how much a part of the actual process of overcoming weakness it is - that we learn to build upon the rock of our Redeemer!
A Sure Foundation
During His mortal ministry, the Savior taught the people:
"...whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." (Matthew 7:24-27)
A prophet by the name of Helaman taught his sons about the importance of building on the rock of the Redeemer:
"...And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." (Helaman 5:12)
It's pretty clear that learning to build on the rock of our Redeemer is a critical part of our spiritual growth. But what does the phrase mean exactly, and how do you go about it?
A Mystery Unfolded
The prophet Jacob gave a great sermon in which he taught his people many things. For part of that sermon, he told the people he wanted to "unfold [a] mystery" unto them:
"I, Jacob, am led on by the Spirit unto prophesying; for I perceive by the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that by... stumbling... [they] will reject the stone upon which they might build and have safe foundation. But behold, according to the scriptures, this stone shall become the great, and the last, and the only sure foundation, upon which [they] can build. And now, my beloved, how is it possible that these, after having rejected the sure foundation, can ever build upon it, that it may become the head of their corner? Behold, my beloved brethren, I will unfold this mystery unto you..." (Jacob 4:15-18)
Jacob then went on to give us the most skipped-over, most misunderstood, most under-valued bit of scripture in the entire Book of Mormon - the prophet Zenos' Allegory of the Olive Tree! It seems evident that the prophets of the Old Testament were familiar with - and understood - the symbols in the Allegory of the Olive Tree. If we connect those symbols with the way other prophets used them, we eventually come to realize that the Allegory of the Olive Tree - misunderstood though it be - is also potentially the most powerful, life-changing lesson on the saving power of Jesus Christ to be found anywhere in scripture!
The Power in the Allegory of the Olive Tree
The last half of the allegory consists of Zenos' prophecies about the Jews, from his time forward, to the end of the world. Many of those prophecies have since come true, many remain to be fulfilled, but are corroborated by the likes of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zephaniah, and even Jesus.
It is the first half we need to focus on in this post. The first half of the Allegory of the Olive Tree is what I like to call a tutorial on how to work with the Lord of the vineyard to get your tree changed.
What do I mean by that?
Most of us at some point in our lives awake to the realization that we don't like the fruit that's growing on our branches - we don't like what we've become. We can fight to change the fruit all we want, but until we get our tree changed, we'll continue to grow the same ugly stuff.
So how does the Allegory of the Olive Tree help us get our tree changed?
To put it in a nutshell, it teaches us how to build upon the Rock of the Redeemer.
What you are about to read is one interpretation of the Allegory of the Olive Tree. I won't claim that this is canonized church doctrine; however, I arrived at this interpretation through much study, and prayer, and help from my Heavenly Father. When I began to interpret it in this way, this beautiful allegory taught me how to find power that has helped me overcome some big things in my life. To this day, it drives me to work harder than I otherwise would to prepare throughout each week to partake of the sacrament on Sunday. For me, understanding Zenos' allegory in this way has truly been a life changer. Let's dive in.
The Meaning of Trees
As I mentioned before, the trick to understanding the symbols in the Allegory of the Olive Tree is to connect them with the prophets' use of them in other places.
Jeremiah told his people that the Lord lamented their having gone astray:
"I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?" (Jeremiah 2:21)
Compare this with the allegory:
"...they beheld that the fruit of the natural branches had become corrupt..." (Jacob 5:39)
Isaiah prophesied that God would send His Son into the world to "preach good tidings to the meek" and "the opening of the prison to them that are bound", that they might become "trees of righteousness":
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." (Isaiah 61:1-3)
In other words, I take the trees to be representative of individuals. The Lord has His job to do, and we have ours. The choice as to whether we will fail to work with the Lord and become a "degenerate plant", or begin to work with Him in earnest to become "trees of righteousness" is ours to make.
The Meaning of Fruit
Fruit is what the trees "bring forth". All over scripture you see the Lord and his prophets talk about "bringing forth fruit meet for repentance". (Matthew 3:8, Alma 13:13, Alma 34:30, Luke 3:8, Alma 12:15)
The fruit represents our actions. We think of trees as producing only one kind of fruit - "each after its own kind". Apple trees produce apples; orange trees produce oranges; and pear trees produce pears. Similarly, in warning the people about false prophets - namely the Sadducees and Pharisees of the time - the Savior said:
"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit... Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:16-20)
Most of us try to change our actions directly - we try to change the fruit. The reason we face so much frustration and even despair is because we focus on doing open-heart surgery, trying to change a pear into an orange over here, while on the other side of our tree, a hundred more pears are busily growing. The only way we can effectively change our actions is this: we have got to learn to work with the Lord of the vineyard to get our tree changed! Become the right kind of tree, and you'll grow the right kind of fruit. The process isn't quite that straightforward; there's a lot of work and effort, and there are some steps to it. But that's the major lesson of the Allegory of the Olive Tree.
The Meaning of Roots
Let's look at the way the Lord thinks about roots, according to the Allegory of the Olive Tree.
"And the Lord of the vineyard caused that [the tree] should be digged about, and pruned, and nourished, saying unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, that perhaps I might preserve the roots thereof that they perish not, that I might preserve them unto myself, I have done this thing." (Jacob 5:11)
The Lord strives to preserve good roots. It grieves Him greatly to lose so much as one soul.
"...and the servant said unto his master: Behold, because thou didst graft in the branches of the wild olive tree they have nourished the roots, that they are alive and they have not perished; wherefore thou beholdest that they are yet good." (Jacob 5:34)
The Lord and His servants rejoice in the preservation of good roots. They celebrate when we pull through hard times without giving up.
"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: The tree profiteth me nothing, and the roots thereof profit me nothing so long as it shall bring forth evil fruit. Nevertheless, I know that the roots are good, and for mine own purpose I have preserved them; and because of their much strength they have hitherto brought forth, from the wild branches, good fruit." (Jacob 5:35-36)
The Lord looks at the roots for any signs of hope that the tree will someday bring forth good fruit. The Lord "looketh on the heart". (1 Samuel 16:7) He also notices and gives credit for the good things we do, even if we haven't yet "had our tree changed".
"But behold, the wild branches have grown and have overrun the roots thereof; and because that the wild branches have overcome the roots thereof it hath brought forth much evil fruit; and because that it hath brought forth so much evil fruit thou beholdest that it beginneth to perish; and it will soon become ripened, that it may be cast into the fire, except we should do something for it to preserve it." (Jacob 5:37)
If we're not careful, our wild branches can overcome our good roots, and we can lose our faith. Even so, the Lord and His servants are more inclined think on us with mercy than to give up on us.
"And this will I do that the tree may not perish, that, perhaps, I may preserve unto myself the roots thereof for mine own purpose." (Jacob 5:53)
The Lord will do anything to save us and to encourage us to just keep trying! That's His primary goal. Why? Because under the law of mercy, there's a lot He's allowed to do for a soul that's still trying.
"And we will nourish again the trees of the vineyard, and we will trim up the branches thereof; and we will pluck from the trees those branches which are ripened, that must perish, and cast them into the fire. And this I do that, perhaps, the roots thereof may take strength because of their goodness; and because of the change of the branches, that the good may overcome the evil." (Jacob 5:58-59)
If the roots are strong enough, the Lord will "trim up [your] branches" or, in other words, change your nature. Sometimes He allows us to experience a degree of change, knowing that it will give us hope and keep us trying. Having your nature changed is what makes you into a "tree of righteousness".
The people of king Benjamin experienced having strong enough faith - or roots - for the Lord to bring about a "mighty change of heart" unto them:
"And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had thus spoken to his people, he sent among them, desiring to know of his people if they believed the words which he had spoken unto them. And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually." (Mosiah 5:1-2)
In the Allegory of the Olive Tree, the roots symbolize what's going on in our hearts. The Lord will do anything to help someone who is trying. The Lord and His servants will not give up on people who are still trying. What's more, the Lord will do what it takes to encourage us, to keep us trying. In my mind, the roots symbolize faith - heartfelt, motivated effort to live the gospel. If our faith is strong enough, and we work hard enough and long enough for it, and we ask Him to do it, the Lord will pour out saving grace and "trim up our branches".
The Meaning of Branches
"And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard went forth, and he saw that his olive tree began to decay; and he said: I will prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it, that perhaps it may shoot forth young and tender branches, and it perish not." (Jacob 5:4)
The Lord is willing to work with us, to get us to start trying to make changes in our lives. King Benjamin taught his people that the Savior sends us the whisperings of the Holy Spirit to invite us and entice us to do good, and to seek Him:
"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord..." (Mosiah 3:19)
This is something that Zenos - and subsequently, Jacob - obviously wanted us to get into our heads. He repeated examples of the the master of the vineyard grafting branches from this tree to that, inviting and enticing us to keep trying and keep changing for the better, dozens of times! Ultimately, the decision is ours.
"And the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Pluck not the wild branches from the trees, save it be those which are most bitter" (Jacob 5:57)
To put it another way, when Alma the Elder was cleansing the church, the Lord gave him extensive counsel on how he should approach the matter, but He included this statement:
"...as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me." (Mosiah 26:30)
No matter how often our branches go bad, if we're still trying, and if we repent, the Lord will forgive us.
In other words, the branches represent the changes that we're making in our lives, whether good or bad.
Sometimes, the only way to help us change is to cut away the bitter, ugly branches. The prophets of the Book of Mormon and of the New Testament have referred to this process as a "circumcision of heart":
"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard looked and beheld the tree in the which the wild olive branches had been grafted; and it had sprung forth and begun to bear fruit. And he beheld that it was good; and the fruit thereof was like unto the natural fruit." (Jacob 5:17)
The wild branches were taken from a tree that had become corrupted, and grafted into a tree that was struggling to survive. The wild branches gave the roots strength, and then the roots were able to make the tree into a good one, bringing forth natural fruit.
It's not healthy to be in "spiritual mode" twenty-four-seven. The Lord will not allow us to become addicted to grace. Being "too spiritual" can cause the Lord to question our sincerity - our roots. We may be the spirit sons and daughters of God, here in mortality on a mission, but we are also here to have physical experiences in a world full of wonderful things that aren't all spiritual in nature. The trick is to learn to enjoy those things within the bounds the Lord has set, without diminishing in the process our ability to feel spiritual things. We all need to let our hair down and live a little once in a while! In doing so, we may find our personal emotional reserves restored, which helps us get back into the fray of the spiritual battle.
"Wherefore, let us take of the branches of these which I have planted in the nethermost parts of my vineyard, and let us graft them into the tree from whence they came; and let us pluck from the tree those branches whose fruit is most bitter, and graft in the natural branches of the tree in the stead thereof." (Jacob 5:52)
Sometimes, the Lord doesn't just change our nature, He resets us back to factory default, back to what we were when we departed His presence to be born into this world.
Jesus taught Nicodemus, a Pharisee:
"...Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:3-5)
The "reset button" that restores our nature - our "disposition" - back to factory default is baptism. See my articles about baptism in the Church of Jesus Christ, both ancient and latter-day.
In my mind, the branches represent spiritual and behavioral evidences that the Lord is beginning to do in our lives what it is He does to help us become trees of righteousness. When you see your branches miraculously begin to bear good fruit and you find yourself "casting off the works of darkness", "putting on the armour of light", freedom from sin and a complete change in you are "nearer than when we believed!" (Romans 13:11-14)
Working With the Lord of the Vineyard
His Job
The Lord has two categories of things that he does for us: one is to dig and prune and nourish; the other is to graft in good branches and cut out bad ones.
Digging is the Lord's way of trying our faith. Digging can be stressful for the roots, but if we'll trust Him and pull through, we'll find our faith has air to breathe. In other words, as we submit to His digging, we become more appreciative and sensitive to spiritual things - our faith has become all the stronger for the trial.
Nourishing directly benefits the roots, giving them fuel to perform their function of supplying strength to the tree. Similarly, feeling His influence in our lives gives us faith and conviction that drives our efforts and our determination to change for the better. As the hymn says, "Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, feed us 'til the Savior comes!" (LDS Hymns #83 - Guide Us O, Thou Great Jehovah)
Pruning is the Lord's way of letting us know when we've done right or wrong. When we've "put forth wild fruit", we can feel His displeasure - not just our natural social conscience, but the witness of the Holy Ghost indicating that we have done wrong. When we do right - or put forth good fruit - we feel the warmth of that same Spirit expressing approval for our actions.
Grafting is how the Lord rewards our efforts - He changes our nature. He changes our tree, which changes the fruit we produce, causing us to become "steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works". (see Mosiah 5:15) We lose our "disposition to do evil" and desire "to do good continually". (see Mosiah 5:1-2 again)
This change in our natures isn't just a "waking up on the right side of the bed". We've all felt the fact that when we give into temptation, it's always easier to give into it a second time. The more we give into it, the easier it gets. Then, one day, we awake to the awful realization that all that has to happen is for the right circumstances to line up, and we just react, without even thinking. Doing wrong is no longer a choice - it's automatic. What's worse, as we begin to exercise our will to fight that reaction, we find ourselves unable to maintain consistent good behavior. We find out the hard way that, in giving into temptation that first time, we've gotten ourselves into a sticky situation from which we are utterly unable to save ourselves. We've grown bad branches that are putting forth wild fruit, and now we feel the oppressive weight of sin. Having our tree changed - or being "born again" - involves having our bad branches cut away, and good branches grafted in their places, so that growing good fruit becomes the thing we just naturally tend to do again, and we once again have the freedom to choose what kind of fruit we will put forth. This does not change the fact that we are still subject to temptation, and we still have to work hard with the Lord's help to stay free; it just means that temptation is a suggestion knocking on your door, waiting for you to open, instead of a burglar rummaging through your living room at will, whether you want him there or not.
In the scriptures, this concept is referred to as salvation from sin.
In my experience, grafting and circumcision of heart take place when I partake of the sacrament as administered by those who are in authority to do so. I've felt the Holy Spirit cutting away ugly things that needed to go, leaving me emotionally tender and even physically weak - a circumcision of heart!
I've seen people who had much to repent of, who experienced the great joy of having the Lord push their "reset button" by way of the ordinance of baptism. I've felt the cleansing power of the Holy Ghost, washing away old sins, replacing bad branches with good ones, and causing incredible, great joy in the process! Having been given priesthood authority to do so, I have laid my hands on the heads of those just baptized and given them the gift of the Holy Ghost, and, in so doing, I have felt the winds of Pentecost blow in my heart! Those receiving it have felt it in theirs! (see Acts 2)
You can still feel degrees of change as you work at it, with or without the ordinances of the sacrament and baptism. However, baptism allows you to experience a complete "spiritual reset" all at once - incredible joy! Thereafter, partaking of the sacrament, when you've been working hard to have it, brings accelerated change that also is cause for great joy!
Such is the power of the grafting process - something only the Lord of the vineyard can do.
Our Job
We have to learn to trust the Lord when He's digging. It can be hard to do when life takes a turn for the worse, but if we'll learn to trust Him, we can see what it is he's trying to have us learn or gain for our trouble. Knowing that, we become willing to submit and endure to the end, and we have His help to do it.
We have to invite Him to nourish through daily prayer and scripture study. I cannot stress this point enough. Those simple acts seem so insignificant that it's easy to say you're too tired, or it won't matter if you miss a day or week, or maybe never get started at all. But this is just not true. Daily prayer and scripture study are only insignificant habits until something happens in your life that causes you to need to tap into the reservoir of faith that has been quietly building with each minute spent on your knees, each turn of the pages of scripture. The degree of our humility is the readiness with which we say to ourselves, "This is a moment the Lord can help with!" We tend to wait until something "bad" happens before we consult the Lord. But why not prayerfully have the Lord help us turn every opportunity to sin and every tiny little temptation into something good?!
Given the things I personally have struggled with, I don't know where - or who - I would be if it had not been for a habit of frequent prayer and scripture study that was well in place when trouble hit. We have to learn to involve our hearts in our scripture study to a degree that causes us to think back on things we've studied throughout each day. Doing this brings little spiritual moments into our day that give us the reminders and much of the strength we need to go up against temptation. Those who are able need regular temple attendance. We need to seek opportunities to do good in the world. In my experience, I find that these things need to take enough priority so that spiritual things are our main reason for getting up in the morning. I've heard it said, "In mortality, we are spiritual beings having physical experiences, not physical beings having spiritual ones!"
Feed the tree, and it will live!
We have to be diligent in putting forth our efforts until the Lord sees fit to do some badly needed, long awaited grafting. I don't know about you, but if I were in the Lord's shoes, I don't think I'd suffer infinitely to help out poor lost souls and then give out the benefits of that to just anybody. I would want to know that the people receiving this incredible gift value it deeply. How badly do they want out of their captivity? How badly do they want out of their dark situation? Are they willing to work for it? Are they willing to sacrifice for it? Will they keep at it, day after day, and week after week?
Do you want something the Lord has to offer badly enough that it will be worth His going to Gethsemane and Golgotha to get it for you?
King Limhi taught his people:
"if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage." (Mosiah 7:33)
Having our natures change - becoming new creatures in Christ - starts and ends with us doing the best we can to work with the Lord of the vineyard toward the day when He deems us ready for that change.
The Power of Being Loved by God
There is another aspect to the rock upon which we must build - one that is only briefly mentioned a few places in scripture: the importance of experiencing God's love for us. It doesn't take much to realize that in moments when we are showing love, we have in times past brought out the best in others, that when others show love to us, it does the same for us.
But what about being loved by an almighty, all-knowing, all-powerful God who has a universe to run - an infinitely full schedule? What happens when such a loving Heavenly Father takes a moment out of His eternal existence to just let you feel of His love for you personally? More importantly, how do you and I come to have that experience?
In the scriptures, the love of God is called charity. So important is this charity - both feeling it come from God and feeling and sharing it with others - that Moroni tells us:
"Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity. And except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God" (Moroni 10:20-21)
Mormon taught his son Moroni that this charity, this feeling of the love of God was so important that without it, our spiritual journey hasn't even really begun:
"...none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity." (Moroni 7:44)
Mormon continues:
"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." (Moroni 7:48)
In other words, this experience is something the prophets have counseled us to seek by the prayer of faith. The reason? Having this intimate and deeply personal knowledge of the love of God is the single most powerful force in the universe. It is the power to help us become the sons of God in a way that only the life-changing power of the Atonement itself can match. His is a love so very deep and sweet and powerful that we can't help but want to be loyal to Him at all cost! This experience is so powerful that, if we seek and experience enough of it, it begins to change us, to overflow out of us and into the lives of those around us. Feeling God's love for you and for me doesn't just bring out the best in us; it motivates us to become as He is!
Trees of Righteousness Are Built Upon the Rock!
After wandering for way too long in the emptiness and captivity of sin, struggling in vain to overcome, only to fail time and time again, there is no greater joy in the universe than that of looking out and seeing natural fruit - the fruit of the Tree of Life - growing on your branches! There is no greater joy than having the ugly cancer of sin put back into remission, your spiritual freedom fully restored! There is no greater joy than being made a new creature in Christ through the awe-inspiring, saving power of His infinite Atonement!
There's nothing quite like desperately needing a change in our lives to give us the drive to study these things deeply, take them seriously, and put them into practice. For anyone who finds themselves wearing these shoes, I don't think it's possible to put these things into practice without eventually running headlong into the realization that all of the various symbols given in the Allegory of the Olive Tree are really just hints, given to point us toward a much bigger, more all-encompassing step in our lives: that of losing ourselves in Christ. When you combine the various steps involved in building on the Rock of our Redeemer with the ultimate goal of losing yourself in Christ, you put yourself on a collision course with the powers of heaven - powers that somehow just bring about change in your life, change in you!
As long as you keep feeding the tree and seeking your Savior, your tree will keep slowly changing, and you will find yourself becoming a new creature in Christ, despite the temporary setbacks that all of us face. There is something very reassuring about knowing that, with our tree growing the right way, for the right reasons, our ultimate success in making badly needed changes in our lives is secured and ensured in Christ!
What more sure foundation could we ever hope to be built on?!
For most of us, when we realize we've let some aspect of our lives slip, we decide to set a goal to work on that specific weakness. In my own struggles to overcome, and in coming to know my Savior, one of the hardest, most counter-intuitive lessons I've had to learn - and continue to need to re-learn - is that this is actually the wrong approach. The right approach is to focus on getting help and power from on high, first and foremost.
Most of us think of the Lord's injunction to "resist temptation" as an instruction to say "no" to ourselves, to white-knuckle force ourselves into compliance with God's will. While I do believe saying "no" is an essential part of fighting temptation, it is only one of a broad set of tools the Lord has given us. If we fail to make use of these other tools, we can unwittingly expect too much of ourselves, and then end up being unhelpfully hard on ourselves when we fail. I don't believe for one second that the God of love expects us to beat ourselves up for our shortcomings. But I do believe He expects us to make use of the power and the tools He has given us for overcoming our challenges.
Saying "no" is a great place to start. But in my own experience, there is a far more effective defense and a weapon against the fiery darts of the adversary. Resisting temptation has more to do with building on the rock of your Redeemer than interacting with the temptation itself.
So many of us struggle to live the way we know we should. We don't realize the power that's available to help us. I don't think most of us fully realize just how important it is - how much a part of the actual process of overcoming weakness it is - that we learn to build upon the rock of our Redeemer!
A Sure Foundation
During His mortal ministry, the Savior taught the people:
"...whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." (Matthew 7:24-27)
A prophet by the name of Helaman taught his sons about the importance of building on the rock of the Redeemer:
"...And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." (Helaman 5:12)
It's pretty clear that learning to build on the rock of our Redeemer is a critical part of our spiritual growth. But what does the phrase mean exactly, and how do you go about it?
A Mystery Unfolded
The prophet Jacob gave a great sermon in which he taught his people many things. For part of that sermon, he told the people he wanted to "unfold [a] mystery" unto them:
"I, Jacob, am led on by the Spirit unto prophesying; for I perceive by the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that by... stumbling... [they] will reject the stone upon which they might build and have safe foundation. But behold, according to the scriptures, this stone shall become the great, and the last, and the only sure foundation, upon which [they] can build. And now, my beloved, how is it possible that these, after having rejected the sure foundation, can ever build upon it, that it may become the head of their corner? Behold, my beloved brethren, I will unfold this mystery unto you..." (Jacob 4:15-18)
Jacob then went on to give us the most skipped-over, most misunderstood, most under-valued bit of scripture in the entire Book of Mormon - the prophet Zenos' Allegory of the Olive Tree! It seems evident that the prophets of the Old Testament were familiar with - and understood - the symbols in the Allegory of the Olive Tree. If we connect those symbols with the way other prophets used them, we eventually come to realize that the Allegory of the Olive Tree - misunderstood though it be - is also potentially the most powerful, life-changing lesson on the saving power of Jesus Christ to be found anywhere in scripture!
The Power in the Allegory of the Olive Tree
The last half of the allegory consists of Zenos' prophecies about the Jews, from his time forward, to the end of the world. Many of those prophecies have since come true, many remain to be fulfilled, but are corroborated by the likes of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zephaniah, and even Jesus.
It is the first half we need to focus on in this post. The first half of the Allegory of the Olive Tree is what I like to call a tutorial on how to work with the Lord of the vineyard to get your tree changed.
What do I mean by that?
Most of us at some point in our lives awake to the realization that we don't like the fruit that's growing on our branches - we don't like what we've become. We can fight to change the fruit all we want, but until we get our tree changed, we'll continue to grow the same ugly stuff.
So how does the Allegory of the Olive Tree help us get our tree changed?
To put it in a nutshell, it teaches us how to build upon the Rock of the Redeemer.
What you are about to read is one interpretation of the Allegory of the Olive Tree. I won't claim that this is canonized church doctrine; however, I arrived at this interpretation through much study, and prayer, and help from my Heavenly Father. When I began to interpret it in this way, this beautiful allegory taught me how to find power that has helped me overcome some big things in my life. To this day, it drives me to work harder than I otherwise would to prepare throughout each week to partake of the sacrament on Sunday. For me, understanding Zenos' allegory in this way has truly been a life changer. Let's dive in.
The Meaning of Trees
As I mentioned before, the trick to understanding the symbols in the Allegory of the Olive Tree is to connect them with the prophets' use of them in other places.
Jeremiah told his people that the Lord lamented their having gone astray:
"I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?" (Jeremiah 2:21)
Compare this with the allegory:
"...they beheld that the fruit of the natural branches had become corrupt..." (Jacob 5:39)
Isaiah prophesied that God would send His Son into the world to "preach good tidings to the meek" and "the opening of the prison to them that are bound", that they might become "trees of righteousness":
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." (Isaiah 61:1-3)
In other words, I take the trees to be representative of individuals. The Lord has His job to do, and we have ours. The choice as to whether we will fail to work with the Lord and become a "degenerate plant", or begin to work with Him in earnest to become "trees of righteousness" is ours to make.
The Meaning of Fruit
Fruit is what the trees "bring forth". All over scripture you see the Lord and his prophets talk about "bringing forth fruit meet for repentance". (Matthew 3:8, Alma 13:13, Alma 34:30, Luke 3:8, Alma 12:15)
The fruit represents our actions. We think of trees as producing only one kind of fruit - "each after its own kind". Apple trees produce apples; orange trees produce oranges; and pear trees produce pears. Similarly, in warning the people about false prophets - namely the Sadducees and Pharisees of the time - the Savior said:
"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit... Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:16-20)
Most of us try to change our actions directly - we try to change the fruit. The reason we face so much frustration and even despair is because we focus on doing open-heart surgery, trying to change a pear into an orange over here, while on the other side of our tree, a hundred more pears are busily growing. The only way we can effectively change our actions is this: we have got to learn to work with the Lord of the vineyard to get our tree changed! Become the right kind of tree, and you'll grow the right kind of fruit. The process isn't quite that straightforward; there's a lot of work and effort, and there are some steps to it. But that's the major lesson of the Allegory of the Olive Tree.
The Meaning of Roots
Let's look at the way the Lord thinks about roots, according to the Allegory of the Olive Tree.
"And the Lord of the vineyard caused that [the tree] should be digged about, and pruned, and nourished, saying unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, that perhaps I might preserve the roots thereof that they perish not, that I might preserve them unto myself, I have done this thing." (Jacob 5:11)
The Lord strives to preserve good roots. It grieves Him greatly to lose so much as one soul.
"...and the servant said unto his master: Behold, because thou didst graft in the branches of the wild olive tree they have nourished the roots, that they are alive and they have not perished; wherefore thou beholdest that they are yet good." (Jacob 5:34)
The Lord and His servants rejoice in the preservation of good roots. They celebrate when we pull through hard times without giving up.
"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: The tree profiteth me nothing, and the roots thereof profit me nothing so long as it shall bring forth evil fruit. Nevertheless, I know that the roots are good, and for mine own purpose I have preserved them; and because of their much strength they have hitherto brought forth, from the wild branches, good fruit." (Jacob 5:35-36)
The Lord looks at the roots for any signs of hope that the tree will someday bring forth good fruit. The Lord "looketh on the heart". (1 Samuel 16:7) He also notices and gives credit for the good things we do, even if we haven't yet "had our tree changed".
"But behold, the wild branches have grown and have overrun the roots thereof; and because that the wild branches have overcome the roots thereof it hath brought forth much evil fruit; and because that it hath brought forth so much evil fruit thou beholdest that it beginneth to perish; and it will soon become ripened, that it may be cast into the fire, except we should do something for it to preserve it." (Jacob 5:37)
If we're not careful, our wild branches can overcome our good roots, and we can lose our faith. Even so, the Lord and His servants are more inclined think on us with mercy than to give up on us.
"And this will I do that the tree may not perish, that, perhaps, I may preserve unto myself the roots thereof for mine own purpose." (Jacob 5:53)
The Lord will do anything to save us and to encourage us to just keep trying! That's His primary goal. Why? Because under the law of mercy, there's a lot He's allowed to do for a soul that's still trying.
"And we will nourish again the trees of the vineyard, and we will trim up the branches thereof; and we will pluck from the trees those branches which are ripened, that must perish, and cast them into the fire. And this I do that, perhaps, the roots thereof may take strength because of their goodness; and because of the change of the branches, that the good may overcome the evil." (Jacob 5:58-59)
If the roots are strong enough, the Lord will "trim up [your] branches" or, in other words, change your nature. Sometimes He allows us to experience a degree of change, knowing that it will give us hope and keep us trying. Having your nature changed is what makes you into a "tree of righteousness".
The people of king Benjamin experienced having strong enough faith - or roots - for the Lord to bring about a "mighty change of heart" unto them:
"And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had thus spoken to his people, he sent among them, desiring to know of his people if they believed the words which he had spoken unto them. And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually." (Mosiah 5:1-2)
In the Allegory of the Olive Tree, the roots symbolize what's going on in our hearts. The Lord will do anything to help someone who is trying. The Lord and His servants will not give up on people who are still trying. What's more, the Lord will do what it takes to encourage us, to keep us trying. In my mind, the roots symbolize faith - heartfelt, motivated effort to live the gospel. If our faith is strong enough, and we work hard enough and long enough for it, and we ask Him to do it, the Lord will pour out saving grace and "trim up our branches".
The Meaning of Branches
"And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard went forth, and he saw that his olive tree began to decay; and he said: I will prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it, that perhaps it may shoot forth young and tender branches, and it perish not." (Jacob 5:4)
The Lord is willing to work with us, to get us to start trying to make changes in our lives. King Benjamin taught his people that the Savior sends us the whisperings of the Holy Spirit to invite us and entice us to do good, and to seek Him:
"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord..." (Mosiah 3:19)
This is something that Zenos - and subsequently, Jacob - obviously wanted us to get into our heads. He repeated examples of the the master of the vineyard grafting branches from this tree to that, inviting and enticing us to keep trying and keep changing for the better, dozens of times! Ultimately, the decision is ours.
"And the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Pluck not the wild branches from the trees, save it be those which are most bitter" (Jacob 5:57)
To put it another way, when Alma the Elder was cleansing the church, the Lord gave him extensive counsel on how he should approach the matter, but He included this statement:
"...as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me." (Mosiah 26:30)
No matter how often our branches go bad, if we're still trying, and if we repent, the Lord will forgive us.
In other words, the branches represent the changes that we're making in our lives, whether good or bad.
Sometimes, the only way to help us change is to cut away the bitter, ugly branches. The prophets of the Book of Mormon and of the New Testament have referred to this process as a "circumcision of heart":
- "Wo unto the uncircumcised of heart, for a knowledge of their iniquities shall smite them at the last day." (2 Nephi 9:33)
- "And ye are complete in [Christ], which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ" (Colossians 2:10-11)
- "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." (Philippians 3:3)
- "...and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter..." (Romans 2:29)
"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard looked and beheld the tree in the which the wild olive branches had been grafted; and it had sprung forth and begun to bear fruit. And he beheld that it was good; and the fruit thereof was like unto the natural fruit." (Jacob 5:17)
The wild branches were taken from a tree that had become corrupted, and grafted into a tree that was struggling to survive. The wild branches gave the roots strength, and then the roots were able to make the tree into a good one, bringing forth natural fruit.
It's not healthy to be in "spiritual mode" twenty-four-seven. The Lord will not allow us to become addicted to grace. Being "too spiritual" can cause the Lord to question our sincerity - our roots. We may be the spirit sons and daughters of God, here in mortality on a mission, but we are also here to have physical experiences in a world full of wonderful things that aren't all spiritual in nature. The trick is to learn to enjoy those things within the bounds the Lord has set, without diminishing in the process our ability to feel spiritual things. We all need to let our hair down and live a little once in a while! In doing so, we may find our personal emotional reserves restored, which helps us get back into the fray of the spiritual battle.
"Wherefore, let us take of the branches of these which I have planted in the nethermost parts of my vineyard, and let us graft them into the tree from whence they came; and let us pluck from the tree those branches whose fruit is most bitter, and graft in the natural branches of the tree in the stead thereof." (Jacob 5:52)
Sometimes, the Lord doesn't just change our nature, He resets us back to factory default, back to what we were when we departed His presence to be born into this world.
Jesus taught Nicodemus, a Pharisee:
"...Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:3-5)
The "reset button" that restores our nature - our "disposition" - back to factory default is baptism. See my articles about baptism in the Church of Jesus Christ, both ancient and latter-day.
In my mind, the branches represent spiritual and behavioral evidences that the Lord is beginning to do in our lives what it is He does to help us become trees of righteousness. When you see your branches miraculously begin to bear good fruit and you find yourself "casting off the works of darkness", "putting on the armour of light", freedom from sin and a complete change in you are "nearer than when we believed!" (Romans 13:11-14)
Working With the Lord of the Vineyard
His Job
The Lord has two categories of things that he does for us: one is to dig and prune and nourish; the other is to graft in good branches and cut out bad ones.
Digging is the Lord's way of trying our faith. Digging can be stressful for the roots, but if we'll trust Him and pull through, we'll find our faith has air to breathe. In other words, as we submit to His digging, we become more appreciative and sensitive to spiritual things - our faith has become all the stronger for the trial.
Nourishing directly benefits the roots, giving them fuel to perform their function of supplying strength to the tree. Similarly, feeling His influence in our lives gives us faith and conviction that drives our efforts and our determination to change for the better. As the hymn says, "Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, feed us 'til the Savior comes!" (LDS Hymns #83 - Guide Us O, Thou Great Jehovah)
Pruning is the Lord's way of letting us know when we've done right or wrong. When we've "put forth wild fruit", we can feel His displeasure - not just our natural social conscience, but the witness of the Holy Ghost indicating that we have done wrong. When we do right - or put forth good fruit - we feel the warmth of that same Spirit expressing approval for our actions.
Grafting is how the Lord rewards our efforts - He changes our nature. He changes our tree, which changes the fruit we produce, causing us to become "steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works". (see Mosiah 5:15) We lose our "disposition to do evil" and desire "to do good continually". (see Mosiah 5:1-2 again)
This change in our natures isn't just a "waking up on the right side of the bed". We've all felt the fact that when we give into temptation, it's always easier to give into it a second time. The more we give into it, the easier it gets. Then, one day, we awake to the awful realization that all that has to happen is for the right circumstances to line up, and we just react, without even thinking. Doing wrong is no longer a choice - it's automatic. What's worse, as we begin to exercise our will to fight that reaction, we find ourselves unable to maintain consistent good behavior. We find out the hard way that, in giving into temptation that first time, we've gotten ourselves into a sticky situation from which we are utterly unable to save ourselves. We've grown bad branches that are putting forth wild fruit, and now we feel the oppressive weight of sin. Having our tree changed - or being "born again" - involves having our bad branches cut away, and good branches grafted in their places, so that growing good fruit becomes the thing we just naturally tend to do again, and we once again have the freedom to choose what kind of fruit we will put forth. This does not change the fact that we are still subject to temptation, and we still have to work hard with the Lord's help to stay free; it just means that temptation is a suggestion knocking on your door, waiting for you to open, instead of a burglar rummaging through your living room at will, whether you want him there or not.
In the scriptures, this concept is referred to as salvation from sin.
In my experience, grafting and circumcision of heart take place when I partake of the sacrament as administered by those who are in authority to do so. I've felt the Holy Spirit cutting away ugly things that needed to go, leaving me emotionally tender and even physically weak - a circumcision of heart!
I've seen people who had much to repent of, who experienced the great joy of having the Lord push their "reset button" by way of the ordinance of baptism. I've felt the cleansing power of the Holy Ghost, washing away old sins, replacing bad branches with good ones, and causing incredible, great joy in the process! Having been given priesthood authority to do so, I have laid my hands on the heads of those just baptized and given them the gift of the Holy Ghost, and, in so doing, I have felt the winds of Pentecost blow in my heart! Those receiving it have felt it in theirs! (see Acts 2)
You can still feel degrees of change as you work at it, with or without the ordinances of the sacrament and baptism. However, baptism allows you to experience a complete "spiritual reset" all at once - incredible joy! Thereafter, partaking of the sacrament, when you've been working hard to have it, brings accelerated change that also is cause for great joy!
Such is the power of the grafting process - something only the Lord of the vineyard can do.
Our Job
We have to learn to trust the Lord when He's digging. It can be hard to do when life takes a turn for the worse, but if we'll learn to trust Him, we can see what it is he's trying to have us learn or gain for our trouble. Knowing that, we become willing to submit and endure to the end, and we have His help to do it.
We have to invite Him to nourish through daily prayer and scripture study. I cannot stress this point enough. Those simple acts seem so insignificant that it's easy to say you're too tired, or it won't matter if you miss a day or week, or maybe never get started at all. But this is just not true. Daily prayer and scripture study are only insignificant habits until something happens in your life that causes you to need to tap into the reservoir of faith that has been quietly building with each minute spent on your knees, each turn of the pages of scripture. The degree of our humility is the readiness with which we say to ourselves, "This is a moment the Lord can help with!" We tend to wait until something "bad" happens before we consult the Lord. But why not prayerfully have the Lord help us turn every opportunity to sin and every tiny little temptation into something good?!
Given the things I personally have struggled with, I don't know where - or who - I would be if it had not been for a habit of frequent prayer and scripture study that was well in place when trouble hit. We have to learn to involve our hearts in our scripture study to a degree that causes us to think back on things we've studied throughout each day. Doing this brings little spiritual moments into our day that give us the reminders and much of the strength we need to go up against temptation. Those who are able need regular temple attendance. We need to seek opportunities to do good in the world. In my experience, I find that these things need to take enough priority so that spiritual things are our main reason for getting up in the morning. I've heard it said, "In mortality, we are spiritual beings having physical experiences, not physical beings having spiritual ones!"
Feed the tree, and it will live!
We have to be diligent in putting forth our efforts until the Lord sees fit to do some badly needed, long awaited grafting. I don't know about you, but if I were in the Lord's shoes, I don't think I'd suffer infinitely to help out poor lost souls and then give out the benefits of that to just anybody. I would want to know that the people receiving this incredible gift value it deeply. How badly do they want out of their captivity? How badly do they want out of their dark situation? Are they willing to work for it? Are they willing to sacrifice for it? Will they keep at it, day after day, and week after week?
Do you want something the Lord has to offer badly enough that it will be worth His going to Gethsemane and Golgotha to get it for you?
King Limhi taught his people:
"if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage." (Mosiah 7:33)
Having our natures change - becoming new creatures in Christ - starts and ends with us doing the best we can to work with the Lord of the vineyard toward the day when He deems us ready for that change.
The Power of Being Loved by God
There is another aspect to the rock upon which we must build - one that is only briefly mentioned a few places in scripture: the importance of experiencing God's love for us. It doesn't take much to realize that in moments when we are showing love, we have in times past brought out the best in others, that when others show love to us, it does the same for us.
But what about being loved by an almighty, all-knowing, all-powerful God who has a universe to run - an infinitely full schedule? What happens when such a loving Heavenly Father takes a moment out of His eternal existence to just let you feel of His love for you personally? More importantly, how do you and I come to have that experience?
In the scriptures, the love of God is called charity. So important is this charity - both feeling it come from God and feeling and sharing it with others - that Moroni tells us:
"Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity. And except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God" (Moroni 10:20-21)
Mormon taught his son Moroni that this charity, this feeling of the love of God was so important that without it, our spiritual journey hasn't even really begun:
"...none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity." (Moroni 7:44)
Mormon continues:
"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." (Moroni 7:48)
In other words, this experience is something the prophets have counseled us to seek by the prayer of faith. The reason? Having this intimate and deeply personal knowledge of the love of God is the single most powerful force in the universe. It is the power to help us become the sons of God in a way that only the life-changing power of the Atonement itself can match. His is a love so very deep and sweet and powerful that we can't help but want to be loyal to Him at all cost! This experience is so powerful that, if we seek and experience enough of it, it begins to change us, to overflow out of us and into the lives of those around us. Feeling God's love for you and for me doesn't just bring out the best in us; it motivates us to become as He is!
Trees of Righteousness Are Built Upon the Rock!
After wandering for way too long in the emptiness and captivity of sin, struggling in vain to overcome, only to fail time and time again, there is no greater joy in the universe than that of looking out and seeing natural fruit - the fruit of the Tree of Life - growing on your branches! There is no greater joy than having the ugly cancer of sin put back into remission, your spiritual freedom fully restored! There is no greater joy than being made a new creature in Christ through the awe-inspiring, saving power of His infinite Atonement!
There's nothing quite like desperately needing a change in our lives to give us the drive to study these things deeply, take them seriously, and put them into practice. For anyone who finds themselves wearing these shoes, I don't think it's possible to put these things into practice without eventually running headlong into the realization that all of the various symbols given in the Allegory of the Olive Tree are really just hints, given to point us toward a much bigger, more all-encompassing step in our lives: that of losing ourselves in Christ. When you combine the various steps involved in building on the Rock of our Redeemer with the ultimate goal of losing yourself in Christ, you put yourself on a collision course with the powers of heaven - powers that somehow just bring about change in your life, change in you!
As long as you keep feeding the tree and seeking your Savior, your tree will keep slowly changing, and you will find yourself becoming a new creature in Christ, despite the temporary setbacks that all of us face. There is something very reassuring about knowing that, with our tree growing the right way, for the right reasons, our ultimate success in making badly needed changes in our lives is secured and ensured in Christ!
What more sure foundation could we ever hope to be built on?!
Nice - My son has grown up! The student is now the teacher. :) Great insights.
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