Opgemerkt: Uit het verhaal blijkt dat de maretak de voedingssappen, die een boom nodig heeft voor gezonde wortels en groei, aan de boom ontrooft, waardoor de gezondheid van de boom ondermijnd wordt. Zullen we de maretak daarom maar eens vergelijken met organisaties en voorgangers die parasiteren op de gemeente van onze Heer en haar leden. De maretakken zelf zien er juist in een tijd van dorheid opvallend groen en fris en vruchtdragend uit en kunnen daarom de indruk wekken dat ze dat frisse groen en die vruchten aan zichzelf te danken hebben, maar niets is minder waar. Lees ook het Engelstalige verhaal onder deze afbeelding van de mistletoe.

Bron (afbeelding en tekst): Biblical Creation

MISTLETOE – THE “TREE THIEF”

The scientific name for mistletoe is Phoradendron, meaning “tree thief”. Mistletoe is commonly used as a Christmas decoration, popularized by its bright white berries and green foliage during the Christmas season when other vegetation has turned brown. The custom of kissing under mistletoe may be a carry-over from an older custom requiring enemies who met under a clump of mistletoe (whose extract is extremely poisonous) to disarm, embrace, and refrain from combat.
Mistletoe is actually an agent of death in more ways than having poisonous leaves. It is a parasite that burrows its wedge-shaped roots into the limbs of host trees and gradually sucks all of the moisture and nutrients out of its host. With each passing year, the tree weakens and produces fewer leaves while the mistletoe spreads and produces more leaves. Eventually, the only green left upon the tree is the mistletoe leaves. Once this happens, the mistletoe also dies. Why would evolution develop a process that automatically results in the organism’s own death?
Parasites exist only because we live in a fallen, death-filled, sin-influenced world. Plants such as mistletoe would not be expected from evolutionary processes, but they testify to the reality of an intelligent designer who allowed death to enter creation because of mankind’s actions. Yet, this same Designer entered into creation as a babe in a manger, Jesus Christ, in order to conquer death by taking that penalty upon Himself. He then rose victorious over death. This is the real message and meaning of the Christmas season.