Makarios in Minnesota
The Cottonwood Connection
With eyes locked on the mysterious man, I walked across the field as he played the violin with reckless joy beneath a Cottonwood tree. The sound coming from his instrument could only be described as blessing upon indescribable blessing; the kind that transforms the soul. Curiosity drew me closer as I felt the power of “makarios” moving like a river across the landscape of my being. It was I Am who played the sound, and in this setting, His name was Mr. Thomas.
What is this ineffable, mystical makarios?
Step into Matthew chapter five where Jesus taught His disciples something we too often skim over, missing the power behind His words:
5 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
He went on to say “You are the light of the world.” That line alone is enough to meditate on for years…
But take note of the repetition of the word we often dismiss, as if it’s merely a cute, little well-wishing of sorts: “Blessed”. “Blessed are” in Jesus’ address carries something far greater than we could ever imagine. Let’s take a look at the definition of the word before revisiting Mr. Thomas.
Makarios, according to Strong’s Concordance:
μακάριος makários, mak-ar'-ee-os; a prolonged form of the poetical μάκαρ mákar (meaning the same); supremely blest; by extension, fortunate, well off:—blessed, happy(X -ier)
Digging deeper, we find that makarios was the kind of blessing only the gods (in ancient Greek thinking) could attain. Makarios meant lacking nothing. It was the kind of blessing reserved for the elite, a supreme blessing in all areas of life on earth and the hereafter.
Jesus spoke these words in the presence of people who were considered to be cursed (the sick, the poor, etcetera). The world considered them to be accursed but Jesus repeated a truth over and over again to make a point: they were blessed. Supremely blessed!
I love the way this was summed up by the author who made this observation: The only one truly blessed of God, who in himself is God’s incarnate makarios, surrounds himself with a multitude of the accursed, the non-makarios. (See the full article here: https://www.1517.org/articles/the-scandalous-blessing-of-makarios-an-introduction-to-the-beatitudes ) What a mind-blowing picture of the Redeemer redeeming what mankind considered unredeemable. Love Himself poured endless blessing upon those considered to be unlovable and He elevated their status in a way that would have offended those who considered them to be cursed.
This was the makarios the mysterious Mr. Thomas released in Presence and sound beneath the Cottonwood tree. It was an unexpected vision from God. The tree was a place where the Father meets children who are bearing the weight of the world, the weight of words from broken parents and broken relationships. The vision led to me write my first children’s book, Mr. Thomas and the Cottonwood Tree in 2014. What’s been interesting is that adults are the ones who’ve been touched and healed by the Makarios-Giver as they’ve read the story to their own children. It’s a simple read, yet far-reaching into the soul.
Here’s a funny thing. At the time, I didn’t know what a Cottonwood tree was, yet I kept hearing these words in my spirit: “Mr. Thomas and the Cottonwood Tree,” so I began researching and diving into the mystery. To my surprise, I learned that the Cottonwood tree exudes a resin that some refer to as a “Balm of Gilead”. Healing properties exist within! That was all the confirmation I needed.
Eventually I found myself sitting beneath a Cottonwood tree in Pipestone, Minnesota, chatting with a young Lakota man who told me a sweet story: “There was a star that heard my peoples’ song long ago. The star wanted to come down and live among us, so it asked Creator if it could dwell there. Creator replied, ‘But you’re a star and live above.’ The star longed to live among us to hear our songs so Creator said, ‘You can live among them.’ He sent the star as a Cottonwood tree, planted in the middle of the village where it could be with us.”
As he spoke, I looked up at the towering tree, taking notice of its sound. Lightweight, heart-shaped leaves fluttered in the breeze, creating the sound of a gentle waterfall. I listened as the Lakota man continued. “Today, if you were to break a large branch from the tree, you’ll find a star inside.”
“Its heart-shaped leaves catch the wind and if you see it dancing in the sunlight, you’ll notice it looks like the tree is twinkling like stars in the sky.”
And it’s true! Now I can’t help but notice Cottonwood leaves flapping wildly in the midst of other trees whose leaves move more slowly. When other trees are barely moving in the breeze, you’ll usually find the Cottonwood is the most extravagant dancer, flickering and clapping as one side of her leaves casts a silvery flash over the land.
While every tree is special, the Cottonwood has become one of my favorites because it’s where the Father chose to reveal His healing song and word of “makarios” with me.
Blessed are you. You are a recipient of what you could never earn. While there are promises in the scriptures for those whose hearts are turned toward God, we could never do enough to gain the kind of “makarios” He so willingly speaks over us.
While we could never earn the blessing bestowed upon us, meditate on Psalm 1:1-3 and consider what your daily life looks like. It’s not about trying to earn blessing. The blessing is there; we just have to open the door to it. Sometimes this means making a shift to remove blocks from what’s been given.
“How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand in the pathway with sinners,
or sit in the assembly of scoffers.
Instead he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands;
he meditates on his commands day and night.
He is like a tree planted by flowing streams;
it yields its fruit at the proper time,
and its leaves never fall off.
He succeeds in everything he attempts.”
Close your eyes and look across that field of green. Do you see Mr. Thomas smiling as he plays the violin? Can you hear the sound of Divine blessing surrounding you, note by note? Go ahead. Have a seat beneath the Cottonwood tree and let the Father reveal His love.
Beautiful