Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow
every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food;
the tree of life also in the midst of the garden,
and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:9 NAS

Two Trees were placed in the "midst of the garden."
Two doors, they were. One into life, one into death.
    
Eden's centrality was freedom of choice,
presented to Adam and Eve.
A life-giving tree versus a death-dealing tree.

Adam made his choice, Eve made hers.
And since those first-parents, every human being
has chosen the wrong tree
by an inborn preference for the juice of death.

Every person meets those towering trees,
makes a choice
and eats the fruit.
Life or Poison.
    
The two Trees are the sentinels of choice still . . .
standing at the center of our inmost being.

The freedom to choose is a sacred prize,
absolute and without restriction.

The Gift of Choice is given and will never be revoked.
The clay-made creations of God can choose Him or leave Him
without His interference . . . until the end, that is.
Frightening freedom, unlimited and absolute.
    
The Trees were statues of decision.
Without the option of the Trees, humanity would not be free.

Of God's creation on earth,
only human beings can choose to reject God.
Autonomy makes us the masterpiece of His Creation.

In heaven,
Angels and seraphim have one option, no choice.
They were created only to serve and worship God.
On earth
All plant and animal life follows the instinct of their creation
and no alternative is possible.
    
In all the universe, only we humans
are free to worship anything we choose.
Any foolish thing.
    
We are entirely free to spit on the Creator who
dreamed our being and framed us in the womb.
We are autonomous people who can set our own course
and God's respect for our right to do this
is such that He will let us eat the poison
of self-sufficiency
and die if that is what we really want.

God has risked losing His own Created Beings,
focus of His meticulous care and infinite love.
He will have only those who want Him enough
to reject the Wrong Tree.   
 
God honors the issue of free will as entirely sacred,
a trust given to mankind that He will not violate.
We can choose to go to hell, or live there now,
if that is what we really want.   

The gift of choice is a gift of Love . . .
only freedom is Love.

We do not understand that Love is absolute liberty,
and is not Love unless it is that
degree of freedom - total.   

We defend our choice, demand our right to choose,
and seldom comprehend the accountability
it implies.
Our responsibility is exactly as great as our liberty.
Because the choice is entirely ours
the result is our own . . . creation.
    
Our Lord did not run after the Rich . . . Young . . . Ruler
to beg his change of mind.
Riches, youth, and ruling . . .
treasures of man's sphere in the unlit world.

Jesus merely made the choice clear,
watched the young man with love . . .
and let him go.

Judas had his choice down to the last warning in the
Upper Room. When Jesus saw his choice was made,
He said, "What you do, do quickly." John 13:27 NAS

Was Judas necessary for the story's completion?
Not at all, the cross was inevitable.
He had a choice and he chose . . . against.

Copyright © 2001 Martha Blaney Kilpatrick