What Does a Flower Mean to You?

How do flowers take on a special meaning? How did the rose first become associated with 'love'? Or who selected the white carnation to represent 'remembrance'? Or the black-eyed Susan to symbolize 'encouragement'?

The rose is barely even mentioned in the Bible – if the rose was in the Garden of Eden, certainly it went to extinction by the flood during Noah's time. The bride in the Song of Songs states she is Sharon's rose (S of S 2:1), but that is the only reference to the rose.

Throughout the western hemisphere and perhaps around the world, the rose seems to be the most popular flower. Perhaps it began something like this fictional account:

One day the queen's granddaughter found a lovely little flower along a multicolored path of pinks, red, and white blossoms. She picked one for the queen as an expression of her love for this elegant woman. Soon the king picked one for her as well, as did all the queen's attendants. Within a matter of days, the rose went viral within the palace – everyone was selecting a gorgeous rose as an expression of their adoration of this gracious woman. Even palace visitors picked up on this beautiful representation of love.

I believe that the beauty of flowers is in the eye of the beholder. When I gave my ex-wife a large bouquet of chrysanthemums immediately following the court's ruling on the divorce, I suspect it had a different meaning than you might suggest (the bunch of flowers were not in a vase and were not discovered for several days). To me the chrysanthemums will always represent reconciliation which in this case never happened; I am now happily remarried.

In my book A Garden of Love, I attempt to describe the symbolic meaning that the Holy Spirit inspired me to see, using thirty spectacular flowers. This is an endearing gift book and devotional that Christian women greatly enjoy. Written from my perspective as a gardener, the flowers provide a symbolic look at what it means to be a Christian that loves.

On a related note, have you seen that I moved those blog articles not related to flowers to a new blog named Bible Discernments? If you particularly enjoyed one of the Bible-related articles that do not discuss flowers or gardening, you will find them there – you may also enroll in an eMail subscription at that site. My article today is entitled What Would You Do?

The flower that is shown as a background on the Bible Discernments blog is the gaura. In my personal life and my writings, I often use the gaura to symbolize wisdom. In the A Garden of Love book, I associate the gaura with how The Holy Spirit Helps Us Love. As a Christian author that thoroughly enjoys gardening, the association of flowers to Biblical truths seem somehow only too natural to me.

Oak Tree: A Place for God's Redemptive Process

Have you ever tried to prune the bottom branches of an oak tree? If you have, you know how each branch twists and turns in seemingly unpredictable ways. My clothes, and most particularly my hat if I am wearing one, always seems to somehow get caught in these branches. Later in this article is a description of how the oak tree caught me in a different way.

Absalom in the Bible had the same problem. The story in 2 Samuel 18 describes how he was pursued by David's army, was caught "under the thick branches of a great oak" (2 Sam 18:9). The verse continues by explaining that his head was "caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on."

If you are familiar with this story, you will recall that his father David wanted the army to be gentle with his highly rebellious son. When a soldier found him, he protected Absalom from harm – Joab then was informed, offered no mercy, and had him killed. When David was eventually told Absalom's fate, he cried, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!" (2 Sam 18:33).

The vivid imagery in this story helps us put it into a New Testament perspective – a perspective of God's grace and His redemptive process. Absalom was the rebel; he did not pursue God in any way but attempted to persuade Israel to follow him as king instead of his father David. Absalom is a typological picture of who we are before coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

David is a picture of Christ in this story. He wanted mercy for his son but none was given. In a chiastic sense, David wailed in grief over his son, "Would I had died instead of you" (v33). Just as David would have substituted himself in death for his son, so Christ gave himself in death for the world. (See my article What is a chiasm? if you don't understand the chiastic structure).

The oak tree, that very gnarly yet tall and strong plant, represents the place of change. Remember how Absalom was "suspended between heaven and earth" (v9)? The oak is the place of truth: he either lived or he died. The wicked Absalom no longer had any say about his fate, for that was left in the hands of others. He would either receive grace or get what he deserved. Joab, representing the executioner, gave him what he deserved.

In 1996, I met my oak tree. It was Easter Sunday and I had just returned my daughter Becky to her mother, for we were now separated from each other. I had not been the husband or the father that I should have been, and it was pay-up time. My blue Honda Accord suddenly died about 30 miles from her house; I had the car towed to a service station and then took a motel room where I could wait until morning. I had come to the oak tree.

In that motel room, I opened my Bible to 2 Samuel where I had been reading. I read many chapters that evening; one that I particularly remember was the story of David and Bathsheba which was followed by the prophet Nathan's rebuke. Another that I recall was the one described above where David would have died for his son Absalom. In each of the many stories that evening, I was confronted with who I had become. I made a decision, a very conscious and personal vow, that I needed to get my act together.

Like Absalom, I found myself "suspended between heaven and earth". Absalom did not have a choice that day but I did – I choose life and I'm so very glad I did. The Promise Keepers event was later that same year which gave added reinforcement to this new way of living. My wife unfortunately either did not see or did not believe the change, so we were divorced that fall.

I am now a new man in Christ, thank God. I am remarried and I trust in the salvation that I have received. Life is a process and the life with Jesus is well worth it. Amen.

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If you enjoyed this analysis of 2 Samuel 18, you should also appreciate the many Biblical insights in my book Joshua's Spiritual Warfare: Understanding the Chiasms of Joshua. You can also see this book on Amazon.

John 15:2 - Pruning Produced Better Grapes

The Bible once again is shown to be correct: pruned grape vines produce better fruit. The Scripture is based on John 15:2 which states,

"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." (John 15:2 NKJV)

In December 2012, I wrote a blog article entitled Grape Trellis Based on John 15:2. We had just finished building a two-trellis grape structure in the Gethsemane Prayer Garden. The intent was to prune the vines on one trellis and not prune the other trellis. It was our expectation that the ones that were pruned would "bear more fruit."

We planted four vines: two under the to-be-pruned trellis, and two under the not-to-be-pruned trellis. Otherwise, the vines were treated in an identical fashion.

The vines were too small to prune in January so I waited until May. I more aggressively pruned the vine on the left but the vine on the right was pruned less heavily: there were four small branches – I removed one of the four but unfortunately left another because it had some flowers.

The vine on the left was pruned more than the other

Conversely the vines that were not pruned are much smaller and one appears sickly:

These two vines were not pruned

To me, the real proof is in the size of the fruit:

The two on the left are from the pruned vines,
while the two on the right are from the not-pruned

The most heavily pruned vine produced large and very robust fruit. All of the other vines, including the one that was partially pruned, have small and weak appearing fruit:

Fruit from the most heavily pruned vine

Is the experiment conclusive? Well no, it is only indicative. We intend to repeat this experiment each year. Yet we already know the results for the Bible is always true: better fruit is produced when vine branches are pruned.

Purple Smokebush: Cloud-like, great for prayer gardens

I see the purple smokebush as a stunning shrub with a kingly sense of royalty, a great plant for a prayer garden. We planted four purple smokebushes 'Cotinus Coggygria Attropurpurea' in the Gethsemane Prayer Garden in May, 2013. Also known as smoketrees, those familiar with them know that their small size (currently four-feet tall) will someday be far larger and will sprawl over a wide area. I have seen some as large as twenty feet tall and wide; ours will be pruned to ten or twelve feet to maintain a full effect.

Purple smokebush planted this year


Mature 15' tall purple smokebush in a neighbor's yard

The four purple smokebushes are part of a larger planting based on Exodus 33:7-34:35. Located near the cross in the Grace Prayer Room, these royal purple smokebushes are complimented by seven flame-shaped upright junipers, five stiff upright junipers, two pieces of stone, a round boulder, a prostrate blue spruce, and a brilliant red-flowering weigela. Together these objects portray a pictorial representation of the encounter that Moses had with the Lord while in the cleft of the rock.

The purpose of this blog entry is to explain how the smokebush fits the role of the cloud from the Bible. Future blog entries are intended to focus on other portions of this Exodus story. But for now, the question becomes, "What is the purpose of the cloud as seen in Exodus and other books of the Bible?"

Royalty
Whenever this cloud was mentioned in the Bible, God was present. For example:

• When the Israelites left Egypt, God's presence was there in the cloud by day
• When Moses went up the mountain, God was there in the cloud
• When the cloud shifted location in the wilderness, God was directing them to pick up camp and move to another place
• When Moses went in the tent of meeting to meet with God, the pillar of cloud stood outside the tent
• When the High Priest went into the Most Holy of Holies in the tabernacle, the cloud was there and God was in the midst
• When the temple was dedicated by Solomon, he recalled the Lord's proclamation that He would dwell in the cloud (1 Kings 8:12)
• When Jesus went up the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, John, and James to meet with Moses and Elijah, God spoke out of the cloud

"Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." Exodus 40:34-35 NKJV

The purple leaves of the Gethsemane Prayer Garden's smokebush indicate royalty – the presence of God.

Visibility
From outside the cloud, it is very difficult if not impossible to see through it; from within the cloud, objects may be seen. We have planted the smokebush as a visual screen between those praying within the garden and those "outside the camp."

Purple smokebush flower

The heavy amount of moisture in a cloud restricts the ability to see into it. To the Israelites at the base of the mountain in Exodus 19, they knew God was in the cloud but they could not see Him. They were looking towards God from a distance. Moses could not initially see the Lord in the cloud while on top of Mount Sinai, yet from within the cloud, he saw the Lord pass by (Exodus 34). In Revelation 14:14-16, John beheld One like the Son of Man from within the cloud. The cloud is formed by loosely coupled masses, much like the flowers of the smokebush. Within this eight-inch blossom, there are little dots which are the seeds for next year's plants. It is striking how much space remains between the tiny branches and seeds, yet the massive effect of the efflorescence prevents seeing through the plant.

Protection
As the Egyptian army pursued the Israelites, the pillar of cloud protected His people by providing darkness between the two groups. As the cloud later moved them from place to place, the Lord was both directing and protecting them in their journey across the wilderness. The purple smokebushes are planted as a reminder of the Lord's protection over us.

The Voice of the Lord
The Lord spoke to Moses out of the cloud as a man speaks to a friend. About Himself, the Lord stated He is,

"Merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation." Exodus 34:6-7 NKJV

The purple smokebush, planted near the cross in the Grace Prayer Room, is a reminder that we can hear His voice. We do not have to turn to the smokebush to hear it, but it is a reminder, a picture if you will, of how God speaks to us. He is speaking no matter where we are.

Therefore, the purple smokebush is placed in this quiet and restful place to help us know His royal presence, seek His face, understand His protection, and hear His voice.

Sea Holly: You Will Recognize Them By Their Fruit

The Sea Holly (Eryngium planum) is an amazingly showy thistle-like plant – adorned with steel-blue stems and petals from June to September, this 30" tall plant can quickly become a main conversation piece in most any garden. It is truly stunning to look at; in a different sense, it is also stunning to touch.

Jesus compared the thistle to a false prophet in his Sermon on the Mount. I find that the Sea Holly with its thistle-like appearance is an excellent example of this metaphor:

¹⁵ "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
¹⁶ You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
¹⁷ So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
¹⁸ A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
²⁰ Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:15-20 ESV)

This brilliant blue color is rarely found in the landscape; that is why I purchased them for the Gethsemane Prayer Garden. They are just like false prophets, for deception is one of their the main characteristics.

Look closely at the fruit!

This fruit must be very carefully touched. All over the plant are very sharp needles that have only one purpose: to hurt. Even the deer stay away all year long, for this "tree" bears bad fruit.

Adjacent to the Sea Holly in the prayer garden is a beech tree which can be seen with its soft fur-covered nuts. These are good fruit for they come from a good tree. I believe Jesus would have called the Sea Holly "a bad tree" because it bears bad fruit.

Please allow me to ask a question: "According to the above Bible text, how do you recognize a false prophet?" I must admit that the answer to that question, based on these verses from Matthew, broadened my understanding of what a false prophet is. Inwardly they are like ravenous wolves; outwardly they produce bad fruit.

But also understand the implications: if a child is not showing evidence of being good fruit, that does not mean that either the child or the parent is going to be thrown in the fire. The factor of time also plays a part as does the power of prayer and the power of appropriate parenting. The value of the fruit may turn out good as it moves towards maturity.

The Mayapple is Like a Hidden Treasure (Proverbs 2:1-5)

Proverbs 2:1-5 (NASB):
¹ My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you,
² Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding;
³ For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding;
⁴ If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures;
⁵ Then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.

The search for wisdom is like the search for hidden treasure. It is like the sudden discovery of the treasures of the Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum), a plant of the forest that looks somewhat like an umbrella. Many will pass this beauty by, and some will find the secret it beholds.

In our Gethsemane Prayer Garden, we have a section of Mayapple that grows under the tall canopy of some black willow trees. Other flowers such as astilbe, vinca minor, hosta, and bush clover are also planted in this area. It is a refreshing and relaxing spot, somewhat secluded from the rest of the garden. This location was selected to preserve the May apples that have been growing there many years before this prayer garden was ever conceived.

Sitting above this peaceful area is a wooden bench where one's mind can wander away from the fast activity of life. The Scripture above states, "Make your ear attentive", and "incline your heart", and "cry for discernment", and "lift your voice", and "seek … and search", then you will "discern … and discover".

Most people do not know the flower is there although some will hear about it from someone else. We do not normally find it because we are not looking for it. Yet an attitude of diligently seeking allows us to uncover hidden treasures such as the Mayapple. It is an attitude that says, "Lord, I want all you have for me."


I believe that the wisdom described in Proverbs 2:1-5 is supernatural wisdom. To me, it is not what is generated from the intelligence of our minds, but rather it is what is given by our Lord. It is a gift from our most generous and loving God.

Many people have heard about the gifts of the Holy Spirit; some reject it with steadfast authority, some seek it but do not discern anything unusual or different, and some receive it as the hidden treasure that God intended.

I am convinced that finding and then opening this gift is because of the attitude we have in approaching the Holy Spirit. Yes there is certainly the aspect that it is hidden, but there is also the aspect of sudden discovery that is far more beautiful, wonderful, and powerful than one would have expected.

Proverbs 2:6-11 (NASB):
⁶ For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷ He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
⁸ Guarding the paths of justice, and He preserves the way of His godly ones.
⁹ Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course.
¹⁰ For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
¹¹ Discretion will guard you, understanding will watch over you.

Cushion Spurge Sings Praise to Yahweh (Psalm 113)

When I initially look at the cushion spurge (Euphorbia polychroma), the brilliant yellow clusters remind me of the sun in its fullness. Even though this photo was taken in the early morning, the abundance of golden hues fill the spectrum. Contrasted to the browns and greens that provide a backdrop to any landscape, these bright groupings draw attention to themselves.

Beyond the initial look, a closer look at the clusters reveal a more fascinating aspect of this flower: many are in groups of five. Not all have five, but many.

For those that look into the meaning of numbers in the Scriptures, five is the number of grace. That is why Psalm 113 was selected for this flower. Yahweh raises the poor and lifts the needy; He gives help to the childless woman. Positions are changed, not because we deserve it, but because He is Yahweh!

Psalm 113:1-9 (HCSB):

¹ Hallelujah! Give praise, servants of Yahweh; praise the name of Yahweh.
² Let the name of Yahweh be praised both now and forever.
³ From the rising of the sun to its setting, let the name of Yahweh be praised.
⁴ Yahweh is exalted above all the nations, His glory above the heavens.
⁵ Who is like Yahweh our God — the One enthroned on high,
⁶ who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?
⁷ He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the garbage pile
⁸ in order to seat them with nobles — with the nobles of His people.
⁹ He gives the childless woman a household, making her the joyful mother of children.
Hallelujah!

This Psalm points to our need – without Yahweh, we are all needy. Yahweh is the grace giver, not because we are entitled to it, but because of who He is.

Primrose Symbolizes Humility (James 4:6,7)

As the Scriptures say, 'God opposes the proud but favors the humble.' So humble yourselves before God (James 4:6,7 NLT)

As the snow begins to recede in the Gethsemane Prayer Garden each spring, the first flower to show itself is the primrose. Their splashes of color sends a joyous message which continues from late March through June. Consistently people stop me to speak in some way about the brilliant colors yet their very short 6-inch height. To me, it reminds me of the favor that the Lord grants to those that exhibit humility.

We have a small but vibrant area dedicated to our Pacific Giant Primroses. The names of our individual cultivars were never recorded – it is the bold red, violet, yellow, pink, blue, and white pigmentation with brilliant yellow centers that brought us to the decision to purchase each one.

Primrose (Primula X polyantha) generally prefer a shady location. We grow ours in the full sun until July when a large cluster of Russian sage adds considerable shade to the primrose bed. At that point, most visitors never see the primrose as it is hidden by the much larger Russian sage. That is the way of humility, is it not?

Every four or five years we have to replenish our inventory of primroses. Possibly some get pulled by the naive volunteer that is zealous to weed. Recently we discovered that spider mites may be attacking the primrose, possibly causing the weaker ones to die off. We will spray – I do not believe that humility means we allow ourselves to be eaten alive.

Bleeding Heart Flower Suggests A Heart of Compassion (1 Peter 3:8)

"All of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with one another. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude."
(1 Peter 3:8)


Spring means many things to many people: a time of new beginnings as green growth emerges from last year's exhausted splendor; a time to enjoy short or sometimes long walks as the days are warmer and usually not too hot; a time to listen to birds with their many melodies of happiness, some that sing for a mate and some that sing because they just want to; for the flowers that emerge early, a time to bathe in their wholeness that are unhampered by outdoor insects that chew away at the leaves or petals; and for the gardener, a time to accomplish a tremendous amount of cleanup and preparation work while the soil is still moist and most perennials are small.

In April and May, I typically spend more hours in the perennial garden than all other months combined. Our Gethsemane Prayer Garden is a half-acre of flower beds, an acre of lawn, and another half-acre of undeveloped brush land that is yet to be cleared. After the winter debris was removed, nearly forty yards of mulch were applied to eight of the flower beds. I try to do this early, before the new plant growth gets in the way of mulch application – that is, before the bleeding heart open.

I use the old-fashioned bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) as my measure to see if I can get it all done in time – this year I did and I am thankful for the help that was provided. The bleeding heart is a delicate pink and white flower that prefers to grow in the shade. The heart-shaped pendulums remind us of compassion and love.

Grape Trellis Based on John 15:2

NOTE: An update to this article from August 31, 2013 may be found at John 15:2 - Pruning Produced Better Grapes.


Today we finished the construction of a grape trellis in the Gethsemane Prayer Garden. Using John 15:2 as a basis, the two trellis structures are intended to illustrate the power of pruning. The trellis on the right will be pruned each January or February, while the one on the left will not. It is our expectation that the one on the right will "bear more fruit."

The verses in John 15 symbolically compare the grape vine with our abiding presence with the Lord and the commandment to love one another. Jesus begins by describing Himself and His relationship to His Father:

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser." (John 15:1 NKJV)

Then He includes those who abide with Him:

"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." (John 15:2 NKJV)

When the pruning is performed in mid-winter, the grapes have already been harvested but the new growth has not yet started. As a gardener, I can easily understand these two types of pruning. If a branch has not produced fruit, get rid of that branch because it will be less productive and may not bear any fruit at all. For the branch that has produced, excess branches are cleanly removed so that more energy will be directed to new flowers – when insects fertilize those flowers, they become more and potentially larger grapes.

Our hope with this dual trellis system is to see the abrupt difference between the two types of treatment. We should see more fruit on the first, and we should see more leaves on the second. The branches on the first should be more organized because they have been instructed (via the pruners) how to grow; the branches on the second should be much more wild in appearance.

Many interpretations have been put forth regarding what John 15:2 means. When Jesus stated, "I am the vine; you are the branches" (John 15:5 NKJV), I believe he was stating that each plant represents a Jesus/person combination. The plant near the right post is one person that abides in Christ, and the plant near the left post represents a second person in Christ. The branches on each plant get pruned based on the fruit that they do or do not produce.

The timing of the pruning also seems pertinent to understanding John 15:2; it is after the growing season has ended but not at the end of the plant's life. Springtime will soon arrive and the hope is that it will produce more fruit next year. Each person in Christ goes through seasons; the Father removes from each plant that which is unproductive, and He cleans those other branches in preparation for the next season:

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me." (John 15:4 NKJV)

Note the similarity of John 15:2b with John 15:5b for there is synergy between them:

"He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5b NKJV)

For example, in Joshua 7, the leader Joshua was pruned at Ai when his forces lost the battle – he lost prestige with his people. Rather than run or be discouraged, Joshua chose to abide – he fell on his face and sought the Lord. After Achan was exposed, Joshua became more fruitful in the next chapters because he was pruned and he abided.

Gardeners also have the responsibility of promoting the plant's health throughout the year. We will train the plants so that their branches remain attached to the trellis system. If a branch is too wild, it will be cut off and discarded:

"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned." (John 15:6 NKJV)

The Jesus/person plant is not discarded, only that portion that is not bearing fruit. Just as dross is removed from silver or gold, the branch is put through the refiner's fire.

The grape's branches are secured to the vine by arms that are called cordons. In this way, the green growth abides to the vine and allows it to bear much fruit:

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples." (John 15:7,8 NKJV)

The grape vine analogy concludes with the command for those who abide in Christ to love one another:

"You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another." (John 15:16,17 NKJV)

This answers the question, "Based on these verses, what is the fruit?" It is love. The fruit is not good things that we do as some suggest – concentrating on performing good works can be done without any evidence of love. And the fruit is not the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) as others suggest, although love is an aspect of each of those nine fruits.

Rather, I suggest that those things that we do (good works) are intended to exhibit love. The text says the fruit should remain – the groceries that were left for the needy person will be consumed, but the love that went with the groceries should remain. The pruning removes those things that may inhibit a better revelation of love, and the abiding promotes the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22) to help us manifest love.

Daffodils Bow Down on Palm Sunday

In Upstate New York as well as large sections of the eastern United States, we are having an exceptionally warm spring that has started much earlier than most years. For those of us that enjoy being outdoors, it has been a most welcome change from what we normally experience.

The daffodils, flowers that express their early springtime joy, first opened about four weeks earlier than normal during a week when the temperatures reached into the mid-eighties! But a week later, on March 28th, we had a killing freeze that brought morning low temperatures around 20 or 21 degrees. Daffodils can easily handle a frost, but a heavy freeze made the plants weak. In particular, the stalks on many flowers bent leaving the brilliant yellow flower heads touching or nearly touching the ground.

Palm Sunday was just four days later on April 1, and the daffodils looked no different that day than they did on the day of the freeze. The yellow flowers just drooped from their normal perky self.

Look again at the photograph above. Palm Sunday is the day that we remember Jesus making his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The people lined the streets, placed palms and even their cloaks on the road as the donkey passed by carrying the Christ that was soon to be crucified. They cried out, "Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna to the son of David!"

I love this image of the daffodils, reverent of the Messiah coming into Jerusalem with their flower heads on their face, giving the highest respect for Jesus Christ who would soon bring salvation for the sinner.

Some see the daffodils in an unfortunate position, broken as if they had lost their joy and their hope. I see reverence in this most appropriate position, in awe and respect of our Jesus Messiah.

Happy Resurrection Day in the life we have today and the hope for tomorrow. He's alive!
Tom

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End Note: The overall theme for this series of articles is flowers and plants, showing how they point to love. Sometimes I write 'how to' do something, other times the emphasis is a status update, or the article will be about how a plant or flower touched my heart. All of these writings are based on plants from the Gethsemane Prayer Garden in Syracuse, NY. Please consider some of the other blog articles: Index of Articles About the Gethsemane Prayer Garden.

The Magnificent Honeysuckle Vine

In my opinion, the honeysuckle vine is one of the world's prettiest flowers. This week, this beautiful and relatively unknown flower species opened in the Gethsemane Prayer Garden. As a result, I felt led to share this writing about this most ornate flower, as taken from my book A Garden of Love.


Peace Outstanding! I am so captivated by this most intricate and lovely vine. Do you see the little two-inch long pink trumpets? I can imagine hearing them boldly declare their warmest greeting, "Enter, for the Lord is in this place, offering peace to you!" As Paul wrote many times in his epistles, "May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace" (Ephesians 1:2).

One of the loveliest of the newer plants to be introduced in many years is the ornate trumpet honeysuckle vine, hybridized with other twining honeysuckles to create a flower of immense beauty. Elongated tubes of either rosy-pink or pastel-orange are offset with a soft cream colored throat, more intricate than any glass blower could prepare. The stamen protrudes in an extended form from the trumpet-shaped throat in hopes of luring a passing insect as an open invitation for pollination. The many trumpets seem to be calling out to both the insect and the garden visitor, "Come and enter in, welcome to a special place, a place of new beginnings, a place of satisfaction and peace."

All of the varieties of honeysuckle vines grow tall, often up to twenty or twenty-five feet, as they search for full sun on a strong supporting structure. Some vines are more fragrant than others – the European honeysuckle is considered the sweetest. The hummingbirds with their long needle-like beak seem to particularly enjoy the nectar from all the twining honeysuckles vines, darting from flower to flower, from cluster to cluster.

If the honeysuckle vine is positioned at the entrance to the garden, the trumpet-shaped flowers seem to herald the visitor, "You are about to enter a most special place." In some ways this is reminiscent of the armies of angels at the birth of Jesus, "praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased'" (Luke 2:13, 14). The peace and presence of our Lord is in the garden.

Jesus came to earth to give a gift of peace, and his expectation was and is that the gift would be used. "I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid" (John 14:27). Then, only a few days later, that gift was received.

"'Peace be with you,' he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said,'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.' Then he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'" (John 20:19-22).

These verses indicate that the gift of the Holy Spirit is a gift of peace. Many times the Scriptures associate the Holy Spirit with power – the power of supernatural healing, for example. Here, however, the peace that the Holy Spirit brings is peace of mind and heart in oneness with God – this deep fellowship is one that is immersed in love.

"Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you" (2 Corinthians 13:11).


Copyright © 2009 Bible Discernments. Excerpt from A Garden of Love by Thomas B. Clarke, a gift book about love for anyone that enjoys flowers.A Garden of Love is available on Amazon as well as at www.agardenoflove.com.

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End Note: The overall theme for this series of articles is flowers and plants, showing how they point to love. Sometimes I write 'how to' do something, other times the emphasis is a status update, or the article will be about how a plant or flower touched my heart. All of these writings are based on plants from the Gethsemane Prayer Garden in Syracuse, NY. Please consider some of the other blog articles: Index of Articles About the Gethsemane Prayer Garden.

The Beautiful 'Bonica' Roses

In June, the roses in Central New York come into their glory. Whatever the type, hybrid or not, roses seem to peak around Father's Day each year. Some last until the first heavy freeze, while others last just a few weeks. But it seems appropriate that the rose, in some ways representing the deep and profound love between God the Father and Christ the Son, would be seen best at Father's Day.

As Caretaker of the Gethsemane Prayer Garden at Faith Chapel, I often have the opportunity to tell and show people about how the flowers can take on special meanings. Many times, people encouraged me to write this down, so finally in the fall of 2009, I wrote "A Garden of Love." The following is an excerpt from that book which uses the 'Bonica' rose for its subject:

Oh the exquisite rose! I take such pleasure in how the hue changes on each flower as it matures – intense colors when they first open, leading to muted but still beautiful tones over time. Through the rose, possibly more than with any other flowers, God's awesome love extends, reveals, and touches us in greater intimacy with him.

The Jackson-Perkins catalog describes their roses as stunning, striking, luscious, fragrant, elegant, graceful, dramatic, captivating, fabulous, vibrant, exceptional, long-lasting, delightful, and irresistible. These same words could be applied even more to Jesus.

The roses are the stunning centerpiece of the garden: the pink ones remind us of his softness and gentleness; the white ones bring to mind his purity and elegance; and the red roses remind us of his unfailing love for us. Our perfect rose, "crucified in weakness" (2 Cor 13:4), without spot or blemish, was jeered at, mocked, beaten, flogged, and tortured. He loves us that much.

He is also loved by his Father that much. Immediately after Jesus was baptized, a voice from heaven said, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy" (Matthew 3:17). The same words were spoken at the Mount of Transfiguration where Peter, James, and John heard God's voice from a bright cloud: "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him" (Matthew 17:5). God spoke of his great love of Jesus, his Son. Here are some other verses to consider:

"The Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing" (John 5:20).

"The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded" (John 10:17,18).

[Father,] "you and I are one – as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. … you loved me even before the world began!" (John 17:21,24).

Collectively, these verses assure us of the true and deeply intimate love relationship between God the Father and Christ the Son, even before the world began. The love relationship that was established between God and his people began as he created the world – the profound love between God and his Son began even before that.

Love is contagious – this love does not end with the Father / Son, for it includes us:

[Father,] "I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me" (John 17:22,23).

Bob Sorge, in his marvelous book "The Fire of God's Love," describes God's love:

The most sublime theme in all of Scripture is the love of God. There is nothing higher or nobler toward which we can direct our meditation. God's love is altogether wonderful, beyond our complete comprehension, and entirely inexhaustible in its scope and intensity.

Many of the attributes of the rose help remind us of these same attributes in Jesus. He is infectiously beautiful and his love is contagious beyond all measure. His love is profuse and his love is profound.


Copyright © 2009 Bible Discernments

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End Note: The overall theme for this series of articles is flowers and plants, showing how they point to love. Sometimes I write 'how to' do something, other times the emphasis is a status update, or the article will be about how a plant or flower touched my heart. All of these writings are based on plants from the Gethsemane Prayer Garden in Syracuse, NY. Please consider some of the other blog articles: Index of Articles About the Gethsemane Prayer Garden.