Love is one of those words that can invoke many feelings or memories and gather many definitions. We humans define love as “an intense feeling of deep affection” or “a great interest and pleasure in something”, both nouns. When it is used as a verb, we say it is to “feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment to (someone)”. Who are we to define words?

We didn’t create speech. We didn’t create sound. We didn’t create lungs, our tongue, teeth, larynx, ears, brain, lips, and other body parts needed to speak; to define. So, who does have the authority to define words?

God! God created love out of love and so He alone gets to define it.

Most have heard 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. It reads, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails.” NIV

We throw the word love around like we use the word sorry; without much thought, conviction, or truth. We love our cars and covet our phones. We love TV and food. We love dolphins, sea turtles, and motorcycles. What do any of those things have to do with the above scripture? Absolutely nothing!

Often when we say, “love”, we really mean like, enjoy, admire, etc. Our human love looks more like sin, lust, betrayal, lies, stealing, want, pride, hate, anger, and selfishness. How? Because we do all those things to others and turn around in the next breath and say, “I love you.”

We do other “things” to show the world we love something or someone. We put big diamond rings on. We have elaborate ceremonies. We buff and wax our cars. We spend thousands of dollars on cards, flowers, and other fleeting objects. We even carve our names into trees as if that will somehow preserve our “love”.

Carving on trees (arborglyphs) dates back thousands of years BC. Some of the first discovered were carvings from shepherds. A couple weeks ago I wrote a poem about trees and the love lessons they can teach. Trees and love. Are they somehow connected?

Genesis 2:17 “but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.“NIV. This tree may not seem very loving. If you eat this, you will die. Doesn’t sound tempting, let alone like love. I see it as love. God gave Adam and Eve one rule; don’t eat this specific fruit. When we look back at 1 Corinthians, we see, “It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,”. When they willfully choose to eat the fruit, they dishonored God and were only thinking of self; what they could get out of it or at least the lies Satan told them they could get. God LOVED them so much, He had to show them that love means denying self. That tree can teach us obedience.

Genesis 22:3 “Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.“NIV. Abraham has been ordered by God to sacrifice his son, Issac. The son his wife had begged God for. The son born to them in their old age. It is hard to see this tree (chopped wood) as love. Exodus 20:3 says we are to have no other gods before Him. We make so many things are “gods” by allowing them to become more important to us than God. Did God want to know if He was Abraham’s first love or if Abraham remembered God’s promise in Genesis 26:4? “Love never fails.” This tree teaches us loyalty and trust.

Genesis 6:14 “Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.” NKJV. Are you starting to see a trend of how these trees don’t look much like love at first? Yet again, God is instructing one of His servants to do something outrageous. Build an enormous ark so I can destroy the world. I’m sure Noah had a lot of questions, but he obeyed. God loved His creation so much, that despite their atrocious sins, He found a few righteous and gave us another chance. Why? Because love, “it keeps no record of wrongs.” This gopher wood teaches us grace and the power of forgiveness.

The following is an excerpt of a poem I wrote titled, “If It Weren’t For A Tree” As you read them, stop and really ponder the question.

“If if weren’t for a tree…
WHERE WOULD THE BRANCH BE THAT PARTED THE RED SEA?
WHERE IS THE SHEPHERD’S STAFF TO LEAD US THROUGH DARK VALLEYS?
WHAT WOULD PETER HAVE STEPPED OUT OF IN FAITH?
HOW WOULD ZACCHAEUS EVER BEEN ABLE TO SEE?
WHERE WOULD JUDAS HAVE DISPLAYED HIS GUILT AND SHAME?”

All of these “trees” teach us something if we would try to see them from heaven’s perspective. The staff parting the read sea teaches us love “always protects” The shepherd’s staff proves love “always perseveres“. We all have our “boat” we need to step out of, step away from. It teaches us love “always trusts“. Think how different Zacchaeus’ life would have been if “it weren’t for a tree”. Salvation came to his house that day because love “always hopes” (Luke 19:9). Judas hung himself out of guilt and shame. I do believe Jesus would have forgiven him had he asked. May this tree teach us we are NEVER too far gone that the LOVE of God cannot reach us.

Then there is THE TREE! The dogwood tree. They are breathtakingly beautiful.

Jesus was a carpenter by trade and I have to wonder if He ever made crosses. The last three years of His life were spent in traveling ministry, so I doubt He made His own cross. In fact, I know He didn’t. I made His cross. My sins are responsible. Yours too.

He dragged this tree through the streets of scorners after being beating nearly to death. Jesus wasn’t rude, proud, selfish, arrogant, or even angry. Out of pure love for each and every one of us, but more importantly love for The Father, Jesus kept “no record of wrong” and asked His Father to forgive us because we don’t know what we do. (Luke 23:34)

This tree teaches us LOVE, the true meaning of LOVE!

If it weren’t for love and a tree; I know where this sinner would be.