THE STRANGLER!

   ‘Strangler Fig Tree’ photo by Svetlana Egorova, own work, CC BY-SA 4.0. 

The ‘strangler fig tree’, native to the coastal areas of South Florida, the Keys and the West Indies is a parasitical plant that begins its life as a sticky seed deposited high up in the canopy of a tree by birds or monkeys.  The seed begins its life in the cracks and crevices of the bark of the host tree, typically Cabbage Palms, its favorite host.

The seed germinates and begins to send its roots down the sides of the host tree to the ground, eventually completely engulfing the tree.  Once the roots reach the ground, they enter the soil and begin to pull in nutrients and water cutting off the supply to the host tree.  Meanwhile, the roots surround and constrict the host tree’s trunk and the leaves of the ‘strangler fig’ high up in the canopy cut off its sunlight.  The host tree eventually dies leaving a hollow center that provides a habitat for birds and bats.  The fig tree is also known as a ‘keystone species’ because their fruit provides an important source of food for a host of critters!

So, what we have here is a tree that gives its life for another.  AND the new tree, ‘a keystone species’, is actually more valuable to the forest than the original tree.  The Cabbage Palm host that dies only produces a ‘black fruit of about ¼ inch in diameter in late summer.  They contain little flesh and only consumed by a few animals including raccoons.’  UF IFAS, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. 

The host tree gives its life for another!!!  Sound familiar?  

It is another interesting metaphor!  Jesus said in John 15:13, ‘Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’  And He did just that! 

‘But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’  Romans 5:8.

Not only did He lay down His life for us, but He said, 

‘Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.’  John 14:12.

Like the Strangler Tree, ‘a keystone species’ that provides even more for the forest than its host that died for it, those people who believe in Jesus will, as the scripture says, ‘do even greater things than these’ (the works Jesus has been doing) and potentially be even more valuable to the Kingdom of God and those around them because Jesus, the one who died for them ‘was going to the Father.’

GO DO THOSE GREATER THINGS, AFTER ALL CHRIST GAVE HIS LIFE FOR YOU!!!