The tree of Life

God loves to give us rewards when we bear His fruit in our lives.  In Matthew 25 we read about a servant whose Master gave him talents to use.  Because of the servant’s faithfulness, the Lord put him over all He owned and said to him, “share your Master’s happiness” (Mt 25:21). Some versions say “enter into My joy.” The servant had yielded good fruit and the Lord wanted to share more of His Life with him.

When we have difficulties and trials it is easy to think that all our rewards will come in the next life.  “Surely this is a place dedicated to hardship,” or so we think. And “Where is that place of happiness, anyway?”

Besides the parable of the faithful servant, Jesus also spoke to John in the book of Revelation about faithfulness. We read that the Ephesians had not been faithful to God, losing their first love. Though they had “deeds, hard work, and perseverance” they had forsaken love (Rev 2:2-4). Their motive for serving God wasn’t grounded in love of God. Yet, if they returned to their first love, Jesus would give them the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Rev 2:7).  The paradise of God is also called a “pleasure garden” in the Persian language.  I believe it is the place of joy and happiness Jesus spoke about in His parable about the faithful servant. 

The Tree of Life is located in the place of God’s joy and happiness. By overcoming our tendencies to serve ourselves by doing works to be seen, we can enter into this place and eat of the Tree of Life. Or more simply put, if we are “religious” we will miss God’s joy during our trials.

There is more written about the Tree of Life in Revelation. Jesus invites the overcomers to come into the City of God, where the Tree of Life grows around the “river of the water of life.” (Rev 22:1-2). The Tree of Life bears “twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.  And the leaves of the Tree are for the healing of the nations.” (Rev 22:2).

I believe God’s plan for us is to bear more than one kind of fruit. During each month, or season of our lives, God has some fruit for us to bear.  It may be wisdom, or knowledge.  It may be kindness or longsuffering.  But each season will bring forth its fruit in us if we do not leave our first love of God during our difficulties.  Since He offers the Tree of Life to overcomers as a reward for our faithfulness to His love, we should bear fruit from that Tree during the different circumstances of our lives.