The Half-Way Oak

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (Psalm 1 ESV). Our part of Texas is home to some of the sturdiest trees in the world. Thirteen miles south of Breckenridge, a gnarled, old live oak stands sentry on the windswept plains. The only visible tree for miles, the tree’s name tells its location: roughly halfway between Breckenridge to the north and Cisco to the south, as well as a halfway rest stop on the original Fort Griffin to Stephenville stage coach passage. Having provided travelers a refuge for centuries, its location is noted on maps as early as 1858 and may well have sheltered Doc Holliday or Wyatt Earp while they made their famous run to end the careers of the red-sashed Cowboys. Throughout history trees have been used to commemorate some special event. One such event a bit more impacting was the bravery of Frederik Kabbes. In 1985, a tree was planted in Jerusalem in honor of Kabbes. He had won Israel’s highest award for bravery for saving the life of a Jewish family during World War II. When the Dutch Underground asked Kabbes to hide the Jewish salesman, his wife and two young boys, He knew the enormity of the risk. Shortly before, the Nazis had forced six members of his village council to dig their own graves and then shot them, as an example to them that hiding Jews would result in severe judgment. Undaunted, Kabbes first hid the Jewish family in a straw-lined hole dug into the side of a hill, and later beneath a false floor in his chicken coop. Twice a day he brought them food prepared by his wife, and on cold nights they took further risks by bringing the family into their home’s one heated room. Our reading talks about such a man. Their lives were fruitful because of the grace and favor they received from their simply acts of faith and hope. The Kabbes are gone now, but like the tree in our reading, their lives were fruitful. The psalmist gives us the key to this faithfulness. It is having our delight in the law of the Lord. While some may take this to mean we must focus on obedience to the commandments, the real key is our trust and faith in the will and purpose of God. This begins and ends in our relationship with Christ.