When Christina Koch returned to earth from being one of the longest orbiting astronauts in history, she would miss sunrises and sunsets, (at least the frequency of them, she had 16 of those each 24 hour period). Other astronauts had reported missing “earth” even though they had an eyeful of it each day. There is something about the remoteness from the earthiness they missed. Among the things that she missed most in her almost one year in space was green plants.
Our cement, steel, and glass forests of cities have been gardens of “green” of another sort. But when major concentrations of people are forced to stay inside, in the same steel high-rises, the smell of money doesn’t seem to refresh as does the smell of soil, a rose, or freshly cut grass. Many people are seeking out sub-urban areas with more green space, breathing room, and capacity for rest then they have found in the city. And many more who say that if they could find a way to continue to work remotely, they would work remotely away from the city.
Moses was inspired to write that the first vocation on earth was gardening. And the first command given was to rest and enjoy the garden, along with the rest of creation and The Creator of the garden, Who Himself was resting and walking in its goodness.
Being commanded to “rest” in a beautiful garden turns out to be not such a bad deal. 10 years ago, a Dutch study by Van Den Burg and Custers identified reduced stress hormones when people gardened at least 30 minutes a day. Imagine what gardening full-time could do?
When my wife and I had the opportunity to go to Israel a few years ago, since restaurants and shopping malls shut down completely for the Sabbath, we discovered that people went out to the parks. In fact the parks were so full they felt a little less parklike than normal. Maybe it’s not just the green, but also the freedom to move. When you think about the astronauts there is no lack of space — they are floating in it — but they too have the confinement of the apartment of their spaceship.
We don’t know how big the Garden of Eden was, but located in the Mesopotamian River Valley, it seems as though Adam and Eve – and God – had room to stretch, cultivate the garden, then take a stroll. But as we know stress can develop even in a garden. It’s not just the environment that reduces stress. In the case of the first gardeners, it was the gardeners themselves who were responsible for elevating stress, although they had a job in Paradise.
We ourselves can make the most pleasurable environments toxic, by our selfish and ungrateful attitudes. Simply focusing upon what we don’t have no matter how alien or unnecessary that desire might be, can turn atriums into prison cells. I have always appreciated the account of St. Paul’s imprisonment in Acts 16. Thrown into the inner prison, and placed in painful stocks… We find Paul and Barnabas singing and praying at around midnight. Instead of complaining about the racket, and the hour, and the pain in the confinement… We find the other prisoners listening to them. What was it about these men that turned a torturous environment a place where they could pray and praise?
Maybe it was another garden? Or another calling?
One of the three verses which I make confirmands learn verbatim is Ephesians 2:10 “For we are created in Christ Jesus, to do good works, which He prepared in advance for us to do.” There it is! “Created in Christ Jesus!” It’s the new creation of forgiveness, and the Paradise of the soul – walking by the Spirit in the new garden of grace.
The Sabbath of holy week was sandwiched between “It is finished…” (John 19:30b), and “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth…” (Matthew 28:18b). In the middle of that holy sandwich between old and new we have the meaty vantage point of resting in redemption – knowing that our old man was crucified with Christ, and the judgment which we deserved was completed in His gruesome suffering and death. We are able to rest in that perfect forgiveness through the gift of faith. We meditate on our shocking innocent verdict proclaimed by the Judge of the Universe, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
That’s a relief! Someone removed the weeds for us! Roots, seeds, and all. God did all of that work on Good Friday, and we get to rest in that very good work.
But where’s the fruit? That’s what we look forward to. A weed-less garden is wonderful, but it’s that first fruit that always seems so sweet. Where is the fruit of all of that labor on Friday?
Because of the mystery of redemption, and the foggy brains of forgetfulness and trauma in the minds of the earliest disciples, they were not able to fully appreciate Good Friday’s gracious verdict, because they were not able to see the firstfruits of Easter.
When I was in seminary, one of my classmates who had worked for Jews for Jesus told me about a festival that was always right before my eyes but never known, or appreciated. The Old Testament Easter! So to speak.
The Festival of firstfruits, or actually more specifically the “Day of firstfruits,” is mentioned in Leviticus 23:9 – 11. It was to be the day after the Sabbath after the Passover. That would be Easter Sunday – the Day of firstfruits. Even the dough of the bread was to be leavened on this day – everything gets to rise! This is why St. Paul would twice connect Jesus’ resurrection as the firstfruits of that celebration (I Corinthians 15:20, 23).
If Jesus resurrection is the “first,” fruit there must be more!
And there is, which is why St. Paul would say that Christians have “the firstfruits of the Spirit…” (Romans 8:23). We are walking around with the resurrection seeded and germinating daily in our hearts. It is interesting to me that that particular reference is in a chapter which describes “the groaning of creation,” with references to “suffering” and “childbirth.” Never having given birth myself I cannot really relate to the pain empathetically, but I certainly saw my wife in pain during the delivery of our children. All the while we know what’s going on, we know that the miracle of new life emerging is happening in the midst of that pain.
This new creation in Christ Jesus, enables us to focus on the life, rather than the groaning, even while creation is in its death throes. We know what’s coming… more life!
In Hebrews 4 Jesus is called our Sabbath Rest. In Him we get the Garden of Good Friday, with its pain, and death, and weeding out of sin. And in Him we also get the sweet joy of Easter – the firstfruits of the new creation tasted right now by faith… And waiting the “redemption of our bodies…” (Romans 8:23c).
Jesus’ body was planted in the garden on Good Friday, just before sundown on the Sabbath. Three days later His would be a glorious Easter lily of a glorified body! And who did they think He was? The gardener! I think they were right! He was growing new souls and future new bodies, by sowing the seed of forgiveness, faith in Him, and the firstfruits of the resurrection into the heart of anyone who would believe.
Whether we be in the sterile and isolated beauty of space, or the constrained urban areas of intense pandemics… Or in the wide open green space of suburbia… God has given us a garden which enables us to sing in prison, or celebrate celestial sunsets… And sunrises.
We are “created in Christ Jesus!”
Peace, Pastor Foote