Once upon a time, there was a tree that grew along the road to the Holy City. It wasn't a very big and mighty tree, nor was it a beautiful one that bore delicious fruit. In fact, compared to his neighbors around him like the Oak tree or the Olive tree, there was nothing special about him at all. They all laughed at him for being small and useless, and worse of all, dogs came to pee at his feet often! Thus he was aptly named the Dogwood tree.
One day, there was news that Jesus would be walking past, but from afar. Oh, how he wanted to see that great man who was the big talk of town, but his feet were rooted to the ground. It didn't help that the mighty Oak tree was tall enough to see that great man, and the Olive tree was constantly boasting about how she heard from her relatives at the nearby mount about the stories that Jesus told. Everyone wanted to see Jesus, the Dogwood tree most of all. But alas, the things that we cannot have, only burn our hearts with desire even more for them.
One rainy day, the Oak tree remarked, "Oh, how I love Jesus. I'll do anything for Him." The Olive tree chipped in too, "I'll do absolutely anything for Jesus too. He's the most wonderful person in the world." The Dogwood tree said nothing. He was too embarrassed. After all, who would want him? What would Jesus ever want to do with a ugly, stunted tree full of dog urine at his feet? Tears streamed down from his face, but his neighbors didn't notice anything. After all, it was raining, and they were too engrossed in their conversation to notice his feelings.
One month before the Passover celebration, some woodcutters came to chop down the mighty Oak tree. The Dogwood tree was horrified, but the Oak tree looked at him and said reassuringly, "Don't worry about me, Dogwood. Jesus came to me in a dream last night, and He asked, 'Oak, would you give all of yourself to me?' I looked at Him and replied, 'Lord, I can give 10% of myself to You, the rest I would like to choose what I can be.' Jesus smiled and nodded His head. So now, 10% of me will be used to build the huge beam on which the glorious curtain of the Holy Temple will be hung on. The other 90% will be used as furniture in homes, to be useful to mankind." As he finished, the woodcutters took him away.
A week before the Passover celebration, some women came to the Olive tree to collect her fruit. They looked mighty delicious, and the Olive tree was proud of them. "Dogwood, Jesus came to me in a dream last night too, and He asked, 'Olive, would you give all of yourself to me?' I look at Him and replied, 'Lord, I can give 50% of myself to You, the rest I would like to choose what I can be.' Jesus smiled and nodded His head. So now, 50% of me, specifically the fruits that I have bore for this season, will be used as the base solution for the perfume to be poured on Jesus' feet. The other 50% I will live on for one more harvesting season to bear fruit for mankind before I die." As she finished, the women took her fruits away and into the city where it was mixed with some of the most wonderful spices the world had ever known in an alabaster jar.
The night of the Passover celebration, Jesus appeared to the Dogwood tree. He asked, "Dogwood, would you give all of yourself to me?" The Dogwood tree began to cry. He really didn't know what he could ever contribute to Jesus. He wasn't like the Oak, whose wood was strong and sturdy, nor was He like the Olive whose fruit was so precious to the people. "Lord," he replied in-between sobs, "I don't know what You could possibly want to do with an ugly, useless tree like me. But if I may, I would give 100% of myself to You, and so much more if I could only afford to. Use me as You will." Jesus smiled and nodded His head. "Dogwood, your reply means so much more to me than you will ever know." And then He left.
Suddenly from nowhere, a few soldiers came to chop down the Dogwood tree. Their axes were sharp and their hands brutal, tearing down his branches and chopping off his roots. The pain was excruciating, and Dogwood began to doubt if Jesus really meant what He said. But he bore the agony, and before long, he found himself transported into a prison.
There, Dogwood saw a man flogged and forced to carry his body up the hill. The people were jeering, and Dogwood realized that he was used as an instrument of execution. The man carrying him was going to die! At the top of the hill, the arms and feet of this criminal were hammered in to his body with rusty nails and lifted up into the darkening sky. Dogwood looked around, this wasn't how he wanted to be used! This wasn't what Jesus promised him!
Then he heard a voice. The criminal was speaking, his voice soft and weak. And that voice, oh that familiar voice, where did he hear it from? That's right, his dream! It was Jesus that was nailed to him. His beloved Jesus was dying right upon him, and there he was, lifting Jesus up on Mount Golgotha for the whole world to see and know that a Savior had come to give man God's gift of salvation and hope for all eternity.
Jesus was breathing heavily now. He won't last much longer. But Dogwood vowed to continue holding Him up, till His last breath. No, he won't collapse now, no he'll continue to stand strong. Then finally, Jesus whispered the most beautiful words that anyone had ever said to him.
"Thank you."
As the raindrops fell, the beautiful Oak beam on which the curtain in the temple was hung on was broken into two. The lingering scent of the perfume made from the Olive oil gradually faded as blood poured down over feet nailed to the cross. At that moment, Dogwood knew that there was no way he could have had made a mistake by choosing to give everything he had to Jesus.
Jesus came for 100% of you, nothing more, and nothing less.
I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on. -Jesus (Mark 12:43-44)
For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. -Romans 8:29-30
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