It happened so slowly, imperceptible to the senses, camouflaged by the slow, yet constant ticking of the clock. The beautiful rose bush, producing gorgeous and fragrant blooms which pleased the eye and delighted the nose year after year. It blessed us with its lovely offerings, it was trimmed, fertilized, and watered regularly. But for a time it was neglected, the grass around its base was not pulled out, only cut.

After a time, a stem, resembling the branches of the rose bush grew up among the other branches. Because of the carelessness of its tender it was allowed to coexist with the host plant. And it grew, and grew, and grew, up through the branches slowly, insidiously curving its way to the  top. Beneath the ground its roots co-mingled and wrapped around the roots of the rose, vigorously surrounding the life giving, nutrient bearing foundations.

One day, it finished its climb to the top and there it produced a single leaf above the leaves of the rose. Its color cloaked the greens of the rose bush with a fuller and more vibrant green appearance. The sunlight, the wonderful power that causes growth was finally fully experienced by this alien organism. Just one shoot had finally reached the top.

In the meantime the squeezing, encircling root invisible to the eye continued to rob the rose of its ability to nourish the stems and leaves above the ground. The flowers grew smaller and lasted for shorter periods. Even the fragrance, once robust and penetrating, became dull and hardly noticeable anymore. Now the intruder had grown over the top of the rose, exalting in its new found position. The sunlight caused an exponential explosion of growth at the top of the single, previously unnoticed stem, and it flourished, spread out over the rose and soon it blocked the precious sunlight which had been the source of its growth and beauty. The rose bush became weak, wilted, and dead. It’s roots strangled below the surface, its leaves and branches covered in darkness.

In the place of the once colorful, fragrant rose bush, there is now just a bush. No flowers for beauty, no fragrance for delightful smell, just a bush.

Mark 4:3-8

Hebrews 12:15

(look it up)

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