Pieces of Coloured Glass - Palm Tree #2

 

 

 

 

"The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar on Lebanon."
Psalm 92:12

 

The straight palm tree signifies all that is wondrous about the manger scene in Bethlehem.
In Middle Eastern culture, the palm tree signified victory - we remember the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as the crowds laid palm leaves down before Him - along with peace and eternal life.

 

 

With its crown of healthy green leaves and its strong, straight trunk that points towards heaven, this vigorous palm tree is a symbol of power and righteousness as it stands next to the manger.
But where is the victory in this humble manger, with only some straw, a few farm animals, a weary, pregnant woman and her exhausted husband and a companion palm that has been bent by the power of the wind?

For Christians, that is the best part.

For this tiny baby born on Christmas Day signifies power, triumph, peace and eternal life: the power of God, the triumph of hope and a promising future over the hardship suffered by Mary and Joseph, and the peace and eternal life that humankind longs for.
All we can hope for delivered in the form of a newborn in a simple manger, a thriving palm tree as His sentinel.

It is wondrous, indeed.

God in heaven, in this season of Advent, keep fresh in our hearts the power, joy and celebration inspired by the image of this helpless infant who triumphs over ignorance, pain, adversity and evil and brings us into your everlasting peace and the hope of eternal life. Amen.

                                                                                                            -Claire McIlveen