Post 103

Today's thought is brought to you by Jacob chapter 5.

I love the allegory of the olive trees. Every time I finish Jacob 4, I feel daunted, and it usually takes me a while to start in on chapter 5 because it's so freaking huge. But every time I get around to reading Jacob 5, I get something new out of it. People often say that about the entirety of the Book of Mormon, but I find it's really true for me for this chapter. Maybe it's because my attention span is so abysmally small, so I only get snatches of the chapter whenever I read it--and probably different collections of snatches each time--but for whatever reason, this chapter always brings me insights, so I'd like to share the couple I just got right now.

Insight #1: The poorest spot in all the land (v21)

Something that's been on my mind a lot lately (see Post 97) is the place of trials in our lives. I look around at the people I know, and I see people who have had some really terrible experiences and yet have turned out to be some of the most enthusiastically optimistic and friendly people I know. On the other hand, there're always those people who don't know how good they have it. I know that it's common for people to wonder why bad stuff happens to good people or to curse the heavens, screaming, "Why me?" Lately, I've been looking back on my life and had to wonder why I've had it so easy--not complaining; don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that life has been so kind to me, but I sometimes wonder how it all works out in the end.

Having these thoughts rattling around in the back of my head, Jacob 5:19-23 become most intriguing. In these verses, the Lord of the vineyard takes his servant to see some of the branches of the olive tree that he planted in a far corner of the vineyard. The branches have thrived and produced "much fruit; and [...] it was good" (v20). The servant asks the Lord, "How comest thou hither to plant this tree[...]? For behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of they vineyard" (v21). The Lord answers, "Counsel me not; I knew that it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore [...] I have nourished it this long time, and thou beholdest that it hath brought forth much fruit" (v22).

It is not for us to question why God does things the way He does. Sure, He puts some amazing people in some terrible circumstances, but He also nourishes them if they'll let Him. Sometimes the best trees grow in the worst soil; the Lord of the vineyard knows what He's doing.

Insight #2: Spare it a little longer (v50)

I have often been confused by the behavior of the Lord of the vineyard in the latter half of the chapter: he always seems to eager to just tear down his vineyard and burn it all, but his servant always manages to talk him out of it. The way I read the allegory, the Lord of the vineyard is God the Father, and the servant is Jesus Christ. I believe in a loving and patient God, but this allegory seems to imply that He isn't.

I have misunderstood. This allegory really is a beautiful representation of what the Atonement means for us. God is loving and patient, but He is also absolutely just. As I read the allegory today, I realized that the Lord of the vineyard is completely justified in wanting to tear down his vineyard--I mean, if your trees start to produce useless fruit, what's the point of keeping them around, right? But the servant always intercedes, persuading the Lord of the vineyard to hold off just a little longer. Isn't that what the Atonement is? We all start producing this horrible fruit, but Jesus gives us a way to change and start being what we were meant to be (I supposed a reference to St John 15:1-2 might be apropos here).

I always have to smile when people complain about how unfair life is--'cuz they're right, but they don't understand their own wisdom: life is unfair, but it's unfair to our advantage. If life were perfectly fair, we'd all go to hell because there isn't a single one of us who really deserves to go to heaven. But, because of the grace of Jesus Christ and the wisdom of God's plan, anyone can go to heaven if they're willing to let Jesus change their carnal natures into something better. All we like sheep have gone astray--we all bear bad fruit--but Jesus can save us if we'll let Him.

God doesn't want to send us all to hell, but, in order to maintain justice, every sin must have its punishment. So God, being perfectly just, will send people to hell if they are unwilling to follow the plan He's set up for us, but Jesus, being perfectly merciful, will save the people who are willing to follow that plan.

Anyway. Those are my thoughts for the day. Wish I had some powerful conclusion to tack on to the end, but what I have said satisfies me, so I make an end.