With all of the light and glory and crystal and gold mentioned by the writer, it would easy to overlook one significant detail from our New Testament reading today. On the banks of the river of the water of life grows the tree of life, “…and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2c). For some reason those leaves strike me as the most wonderful idea in the entire scene. Finally, in the new Jerusalem, in God’s new creation, there will be a source of healing for peoples of the world. What might that mean?
The tree of life may remind us of the Garden of Eden and the early chapters of Genesis where life was good and complete and filled with grace. Humanity was unable to live according to God’s will, however, and was expelled. Jeremiah 8:22 speaks of a healing ointment, the balm of Gilead, and physicians who were skilled in using it. Yet even with it the wellbeing of God’s people could not be restored fully. Jesus was a great healer but not everyone was willing to accept him or his message about the coming reign of God. But in the New Jerusalem there will be healing that humanity cannot nullify, ignore, or turn away from, healing for entire nations, restoration for the world.
For me that healing is more precious than all the streets of gold, all the crystal waters, all the light, for in that healing we become what God intended us to be. And in the coming reign we will discover, once and for all, just how marvelous God’s will is.
Prayer: Lord, heal us of our disbelief, our ignorance, our willfulness, indeed our very sinfulness, and fill of with the hope of your coming. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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