“There shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of its root.” (Isaiah 11:1)

“Jeremiah, what do you see? I see an almond branch. You have seen well, for I am watching to fulfill my word.” (Jeremiah 1:11-12)

Props: menorah, shepherd’s rod, almond tree, almonds

“You are the apple of God’s eye.” So says the psalmist in psalm 17:8.

God is watching over you.

God is protecting you.

God is watchful of what happens to you in your life. And at certain key moments, God will leave God’s watch and intervene. That’s when miracles occur in your life and in mine.

God’s watchful eye is always awake and on you!

For the Jewish people in biblical times, the sign of God’s “watchful eye” is the almond tree.

The almond’s name in Hebrew is “shaked.” Let’s say that together, “shaked.” But not only does shaked mean almond, but its root verb also means “to be wakeful or watchful.” In Jeremiah, we see this play on words, as God says to Jeremiah,

“Jeremiah, what do you see?”

Jeremiah answers, “I see an almond branch.”

God replies: “You have seen well, for I am watching over my Word to perform it.”

The almond is a symbol of God’s watchful presence, God’s always wakeful eye upon us, God’s ever vigilant attention on our lives and our world, ready to intervene when the time is ripe.

The almond tree is the first tree in Israel to bloom after winter’s sleep. It awakens first, blooms and buds first, bears fruit first. It is a beautiful tree with bright pink blossoms and clusters of almonds that grow heavy on the tree. When the pods burst, the almonds are ready for harvest.

God too waits for the time to be ripe in order to fulfill God’s eternal promise in Jesus. And we see this in Jesus’ last weeks. Each incident, each occurrence in Jesus’ life leads up to that one final moment on the cross and His subsequent resurrection, in which God wakes up the world from its deep sleep and proclaims victory over sin and death!

The almond tree is a sign of God’s promise waiting to be fulfilled. For this reason, the menorah is said to represent the almond tree, blooming and budding, and bearing fruit under God’s watchful eye. The lighted candles represent the fiery gaze of God, lighting our paths, and assuring us of heaven’s promise of life and abundance.

We see no better example of God’s enduring love and our fickle response than in Jesus’ time He spent praying in Gethsemane. Jesus is overcome with grief at what He knows He must endure. And He asks His disciples to “watch” with Him. To stay awake, and to keep watch over what will come.

None of them do. None of them recognize the severity of the situation, nor do they foresee the road Jesus will travel. Even though they’ve been with Him for three years, still, they do not see it, cannot fathom it, refuse to look at it, doubt His message and His prophecy.

Throughout time, this has been our challenge as human beings, hasn’t it? To be able to “see” what God is up to in our lives and in our world, to be “aware” of God’s presence and promise, to stay alert and awake to God’s love and mercy, to be ready for God’s intervening power and grace.

Instead, we turn our heads and try to figure things out for ourselves. And as we know all too well, that usually results in fighting, bickering, disagreements, and distraction from God, our faith, our commitment to Jesus, and our mission.

It was no different in biblical times. In the Book of Numbers, our Hebrew scripture for today, we see members of the tribes squabbling over who will be the lead priests for the people. Everyone wants to be in charge. Everyone wants the status of being the “one” who can stand with God over the people of Israel.

Tired of the grumbling and fighting, God instructs all leaders of the tribes to place their rods (the symbols of their leadership) into a tent. The one that sprouts, God says, is the one chosen to lead. Sounds like a King Arthur story, right? The one who can pull the sword from the stone…..?

And so it is. In the morning, when Moses goes into the tent, lo and behold, Aaron’s rod, a dead, disconnected almond branch, has not only sprouted, but budded, flowered, and is bearing clusters of almonds –all simultaneously!

God chooses prophets, priests, and healers. We don’t do it ourselves, we don’t assume power on our own, we don’t claim status over others, we don’t “deserve” to be at the head of the table, Jesus reminds us in his parable of the Great Dinner. Only God with God’s watchful and wakeful eye, will choose the one with a humble and gentle heart, to be “shepherd” over God’s people and interceder for God’s mercy. For only God atones. Only God forgives. Only God can offer the gift of promise and eternal life.

The flowering and fruitful rod, like the staff Moses lifted up, is a symbol of God’s sovereignty and promise that God is watching. We may be asleep, but God is awake and sees us in our sin, sees us in our pain.

The “wakeful” rod, the resurrection tree is a sign that God’s love and covenant are everlasting and present. God’s “eye” is not only on the past, nor only guilded toward the future. But God is watching over us in the present, interceding in the present, awake to our situations, our sins, and our frustrations, and offers us a symbol to remind us that the Holy Spirit is here.

It’s a reminder to us too to “stay awake” and believe! To have faith in an ever present, ever active God who sees and pays attention to what is happening in our lives and in the world. It reminds us to wake up and smell the flowers, that resurrection day is right around the corner. God is ready to do something fantastic and amazing in our lives!

Often when we feel our life is a failure, or we have not done what we should have, or we have not lived up to what we wished we could be or do, we become “sleepers.” To avoid facing our sins and ourselves and God, we allow ourselves to “fall asleep” to the message of the Gospel. We turn away from God’s presence. We look away even when Jesus is calling us to pay attention to His power and presence.

Jesus asks us to “watch and pray,” but we are too busy fighting, vying for our own power, turning away from what is right before our eyes. We allow ourselves to become mere “sleepers” to the resurrection power of Jesus and to the ordeal He faced for us.

Human beings hate to feel bad. We all know that right? We will do anything to feel good. Just look around in our world today. We drink. We take mood enhancing drugs. We engage in endless busy-ness, we shop ‘til we drop, we go from relationship to relationship, we pretend we’re happy when we’re not. We will do anything not to feel the sadness and pain of mourning or the mounting guilt and shame of sin.

Ever notice that when someone loses a spouse or gets divorced, many people, instead of rushing to their friends’ side, will actually flee? Or when their friend is in the hospital, they will do everything they can, make every excuse not to go and see them, because it makes them uncomfortable with their own mortality.

Ever notice that when people are in pain, the first thing out of someone’s mouth is….”it will be better soon!” or “Look at the bright side.” Or “Think happy thoughts!”

We have great difficulty and aversion to feeling pain, sadness, mourning, almost as though, if we allow ourselves to feel badly, the world will come crashing in.

But Jesus asks us to stay awake….and pray…..in the darkest times, to open our eyes and see….to allow ourselves to see the reality of His sacrifice and the truth of His pain and suffering.

For without opening our eyes to Jesus’ sacrifice, we cannot truly experience the joy of His victory! Nor the great gift of God given to an undeserving people.

But there is one thing about being a sleeper –God is master of bringing life from death and awareness from the blind and deaf. Jesus is master and Lord of Life and His authority reigns over all with a Light that refuses to be ignored, and a Truth that refuses to be kept quiet.

The almond is a sign that we must “wake up” to the truth of what it means to follow Jesus both to cross and garden. Taking up the cross is hard. You will feel sadness, pain, emptiness in your repenting spirit, but God’s watchful eye is upon you. And God’s promise tells you that beyond that sadness and pain will come joy. For “sadness may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning!”

God is in charge of Life. And God is in charge of giving life to you.

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good.” Proverbs 15:3

The almond is one of the world’s healthiest foods. It nourishes and sustains. In the shape of a teardrop, the almond reminds us that our tears nourish and revive the heart. And our sorrow turns to joy, as we take to heart the sacrifice of Jesus and the victory of His resurrection.

Today, take an almond with you as a reminder of God’s promise in your life. For you may for now be a “sleeper,” but no one can hide their heart from God. God sees you, watches you, forgives you, and blesses you. And when the almond branch blossoms, you will know, God has not forgotten you. You wil have a place in His heavenly kingdom…when the time is ripe. Just open your almond eyes.

Based on the Story Lectionary

Major Text

The Budding of Aaron’s Rod (Numbers 17)

Minor Text

The Fourth Sunday in Jesus’ Lenten Journey

The Priest of Melchizedek, King of Salem (Genesis 14:14-18)

The Priestly Garments of Holiness (Exodus 28)

The Ordination of Aaron (Leviticus 8)

Aaron’s Priestly Blessing (Numbers 6:22-27)

The Lord Speaks to Some in Dreams and Visions, to Moses Face to Face (Numbers 12:6-8)

Micaiah’s Vision (1 Kings 22)

David’s Prayer (1 Chronicles 17:16-27)

Psalm 69: David’s Prayer for Help in the Midst of Persecution

Psalm 109: David’s Prayer to God as He Stands Before Accusers

Psalm 110: The Priest of Melchizedek at the Right Hand of God

Daniel’s Vision of the Son of God (Daniel 7:13-14)

Daniel’s Prayer and the Vision of Temple and Messiah (Daniel 9:1-19 and 20-27)

The Prayer of Azariah in the Fiery Furnace and His Song of Praise

Mordechai’s Prophetic Dream (Greek Esther 10:4-13)

A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death (Sirach 51:1-12)

The Prophecy of the Coming Priest (The Testament of Levi)

The Priest in the Order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5 and 7)

Zechariah’s Vision About His Son John (To Be Called the Baptist) (Luke 1:5-17)

Jesus’ Prayer in Gethsemane, His Arrest, and His Confrontation by Caiaphas the High Priest (Matthew 26:36-56 and 57-75; Mark 14:32-51 and 53-72; Luke 22:39-53 and 54-71)

Caiaphas’ Dream of the Messiah, Jesus’ Prayer in Gethsemane, and His Arrest by Jewish Officials (John 11:45-57 and 18:1-27)