THE TREE OF FORGIVENESS

The Judas Tree, circis siliquasrum, also known as the Love Tree

Forgiving brings light into the darkness. Yet to forgive is deeply challenging because first of all it involves being willing to step into the darkness of unforgiving with eyes open to see the glimmer of possibility hiding within all the hurt and negativity.  

This has been in my consciousness since just before Easter when Stephen and I attended a Tenebrae service at Trinity College in Melbourne University. Tenebrae means ‘darkness’ and it marks the coming death of Christ on Good Friday when the Light disappears from the world, followed by the wait before his resurrection. This is symbolized by candles being extinguished one by one. For many years I sang in John Rawson’s magnificent dramatic musical-choral retelling. The Trinity sung service was based on the Anglican liturgy and had its own quiet drama. The lead up to Easter is familiar for me and I would like to share why this year continues to resonate so strongly.

It's because one of the choral responses was a poem by Ruth Etchells (1931-2012) called The Ballad of the Judas Tree. You may know it. It’s a simple work but its power lies in the amazing grace of forgiveness concerning Judas, the betrayer of Christ – arch villain in Christian lore. According to the Gospel of Matthew Judas hanged himself in remorse and grief. In legend the so-called Judas tree is associated with his death. Once its flowers were white but the blood on his hands changed them to purple-pink.

There's another version of his punishment as described in chapter one of the Acts of the Apostles:

'…now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so the field was called in their language Akeldama, that is Field of Blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation become desolate, and let no one live in it.’

So gruesome and condemning, and no chance of forgiveness. But a different path is taken in Etchell’s Ballad of the Judas Tree. It connects with a tradition that over the three days when Jesus is supposedly at rest in the tomb, he is actually busy in the underworld, that cold grey place of non-being and utter stillness known as Hades, Sheol, or in the ballad Hell. Christ Jesus is ministering to the dead there. It’s a profound story that draws imaginatively on texts like Philippians 2:10, ‘…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and one earth and under the earth.’ And on the words of the resurrected One, the first and the last, to John in Revelation 1:18, ‘I have the keys of Death and Hades.’

Of couse Christ meets Judas in the underworld. So with thanks to the good poet here is the Ballad of the Judas Tree.

In Hell there grew a Judas Tree

where Judas hanged and died

because he could not bear to see

his master crucified.

Our Lord descended into Hell

and found his Judas there

forever hanging on the tree

grown from his own despair.

So Jesus cut his Judas down

and took him in his arms.

‘It was for this I came,’ he said,

‘And not to do you harm.

My father got me twelve good men

and all of them I kept

though one betrayed and one denied,

some fled and others slept.

In three days’ time I must return

to make the others glad

but first I had to come to Hell

and share the death you had.

My tree will grow in place of yours,

it’s roots lie here as well.

There is no final victory 

without this soul from Hell.’

So when we all condemned him

as of every traitor worst

remember that of all his men

our Lord forgave him first.

Forgiveness is beautiful. Forgiveness is powerful. It is a mighty act of grace towards those who wrong us and towards the wrong we do to our own soul. It is truly challenging to move beyond the hurt or anger or disappointment of our personal underworld. Yet many brave souls have done just this in the face of the worst – all the injustice, persecution and hatred the world can fling out.

This is possible through the spirit that lives in them, the Spirit of Christ which finds its home in the soul. The Judas Tree is transformed. Love has enabled the Tree of Forgiveness to grow, the tree that is also known as the Tree of Love. It’s up to each of us to water that wondrous tree so its little buds can open and flower. It is a beautiful tree whether of the world or within each soul.