Trees give us fruit and flowers to enjoy, shade to shield us from the sun, wood to build houses or to burn in cozy fireplaces-oh, yes, trees are good. We like trees!
But-can you imagine a tree that is bad through and through? A tree that has been nicknamed the “Enemy in the Everglades”? There is such a tree: the Manchineel. It is altogether poisonous, both to man and to many animals. Even rainwater dripping from the leaves becomes so poisonous that it blisters the skin, while smoke from the burning wood causes temporary blindness.
Dr. W. M. Lauter, a pharmaceutical chemist with the University of Florida, used to laugh at the Manchineel’s reputation, but he found that it was all too true. His first experience was with a 50-foot-tall, wide-branched specimen on its home grounds in the vast, swampy Everglades. The first blow was delivered at long range: Water dripping from a branch fell on Lauter’s ear and immediately raised excruciating blisters.
The chemist then protected himself with rubber gloves to examine the fruit and had an even worse experience. A pinhole in the rubber allowed a little juice of the fruit to come into contact with his arm, and his whole arm became paralyzed and was covered for days with ulcers.
It is said that the Indians used to drop Manchineel fruit down the Spaniards’ wells to poison them. Even to take shelter under one during a rain shower can be a fatal mistake. The tree is just poisonous throughout!
This reminds us of the description in Rom. 3:10-1810As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17And the way of peace have they not known: 18There is no fear of God before their eyes. (Romans 3:10‑18) of what man is by nature: “There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit, the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace they have not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes.”
We have often heard it said: “There is some good in everybody.” That is only true according to man’s standard. In the presence of God there is none who can rightly be called good. We are all sinners before God-sinners who need a Savior. It is not only a matter of sinning a little now and then, but of being totally unfit for God’s presence.
The Manchineel tree is surely a tree fit for destruction if there ever was one. A man in his right mind would not want it on his property. Listen to these words from Matt. 3:1010And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (Matthew 3:10): “And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is [cut] down, and cast into the fire.”
John the Baptist, who spoke these words, was not concerned with literal trees but with those people who came to listen to him and to be baptized by him. The cutting down speaks of being removed from the earth, and casting into the fire speaks of being cast into the lake of fire forever.
Unless we know Christ as our personal Savior, we are not only incapable of bearing fruit for God, but are actually enemies of God. Although the “Enemy in the Everglades” cannot be made good, while we were enemies Christ died for us. Yes, Christ died for us so that we might be reconciled to God. Have you been reconciled? If not, you are still His enemy. What a dreadful position to be in! Don’t let another day pass before you come to the Lord as a sinner and receive Him as your own Savior. Then, and not until then, can you bear fruit for God.
We are all incurably bad by nature; we all need to be made new creatures in Christ Jesus. Only God Himself knows how bad we are, and only He can meet our desperate need. This He has done by sending His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who bore “our sins in His own body on the tree [the cross of Calvary]” (1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)). Will you not believe in a Savior who has loved you so much that He died in order to save your soul?
To be a child of God instead of an “enemy”-what a marvelous change! Trust Him now, and be happy and fruitful for God for time and eternity.