Hebrews 12:25-29
25 See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking, for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.” 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what is shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe, 29 for indeed our God is a consuming fire.
27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what is shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
When we visited Spain, we stayed in a guesthouse on an olive farm. While we were there, they showed us how they harvest the olives by shaking the trees. They use a truck fitted with a long arm that has a clamp on the end. The truck is anchored to the ground, the arm is extended, and the clamp shakes the trunk.
The image of those “olive tree shakers” popped into my mind as I read today’s passage from Hebrews. There have been plenty of times in my life when it felt as though God was shaking me by the trunk to free me from those things that were hanging on to me and weighing down my branches.
This is a bit of a flawed metaphor because the olives that are shaken from the tree are the prize. It’s worth some meditation though. When the ripe olives are removed from the branches, the way is cleared for the trees to produce again. In the same way, God sometimes harvests “stuff” from us that is useful for God’s purposes but, if left where it is, will keep us from growing and flourishing.
Prayer: Lord of the Harvest: You know exactly when to water and feed us, when to prune us, and when to harvest what you’ve grown in us for the life of the world. Keep us open and receptive to your care. AMEN