DAY ONE: A Partridge in a Pear Tree
For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (I Corinthians 2:2 ESV)
The Cross
Christianity has become associated with a lot of things, lately. When the world thinks of Christianity, they often think of legalism, hypocrisy, more rules than sense, and insensitivity. The world is probably not accurate, we hope. But yet, one wonders if the problem is more in us, than in our viewers.
Paul says the core of Christianity is Christ, and Him crucified. But we seem to have many cores.
The first day in the song refers to a partridge in a pear tree. Partridges are fascinating birds. When a mother partridge is threatened, she will step in front of the predator and fall down, faking her own death so her family can escape.
Other than the faking part, that sounds a lot like Jesus dying to save His family.
And when the Old Testament foretells the Messiah’s cross, that cross is usually referred to as a tree.
It is interesting that this illustration is repeated more than any other metaphor in the song. Twelve times, each verse, each rendition, we repeat that the beloved received a partridge in a pear tree.
That can remind us, like Paul, that the cross is the center of our salvation, our lives, and our hope.
A lot of things claim our attention as centers. Money, popularity, career, heritage, our plans. But only Christ is really necessary, really central, really all.
We try to cling to many centers, but only Jesus is that center.