From the archives of Oral Roberts – Fourth of four parts
Again, the years passed by and the foresters came out to cut down the third tree – the little tree that just wanted to stand on the hill pointing men to God. To his dismay, he was fashioned into a crude cross, carried through old Jerusalem, and thrown into a pile of used lumber.
The little cross cried, “O God, I never wanted to be made into a cross. That’s what they hang men on. I don’t want anybody to die on me. Why did You let this happen to me, Lord?”
The Lord who loves trees said, “Patience, My child. Wait. I’m going to show you something.”
There was a huge crowd jamming the cobblestone pavement of the main street coming down from Jerusalem. In their midst was Jesus of Nazareth, carrying a crude cross on His back, which had been made from the third tree. Jesus stumbled and fell because He’d been stripped, beaten, and whipped. When He had lost so much blood He no longer had the strength to carry the cross, it was put on the back of a black man, Simon of Cyrene, who carried it to Calvary. There they nailed Jesus to the cross.
Feeling the weight of Jesus’ body, with the blood streaming down its sides, the little tree experienced great sorrow and agony. Suddenly, just before He dropped His head on a pulseless breast, the tree saw Jesus turn His eyes toward heaven, and shout with a loud voice, “It is finished! Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit.”
The earth began to quake, and the veil in the great temple was split from top to bottom, signifying that a new way of salvation has been opened to man. And the centurion in charge of the crucifixion shouted, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
The little cross cried, “God, I’m so sorry that I complained I was not able to see what an honor it would be to become the Cross for the Christ to be crucified on. All Your planning is better than mine!”
All the trees of the field began to clap their hands and shout, “Glory to God!” Now one of their brothers had become the Cross upon which Christ died and would always stand in the minds of men throughout the world as one who pointed men to God.
