Wilhelm Schmidt was a learned man who taught in the University of Tübingen. However, by the standards of the Holy Scriptures he was not wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and Herr Schmidt was an atheist.
However, his skepticism was not restricted to religion. He was 51 years old when Charles Darwin published “On the Origin of Species.” Since he was fluent in English, Professor Schmidt published a penetrating critique of Darwin’s work, effectively showing the weaknesses of his evolutionary theory. Thomas Huxley happened to read this letter shortly after his successful debate with Bishop Wilberforce. After reading the effective arguments adduced in the letter, Huxley thanked God that the bishop was his opponent in the debate instead of the formidable Professor Schmidt.
The learned professor was rich. He taught at the university not because he needed the money, but because he loved learning. However, he was not content. He saw weaknesses in every philosophical and religion system that had ever enjoyed currency among men. This put him in a philosophical vacuum, with no positive beliefs.
In 1870, after the close of the Franco-Prussian War and the establishment of the German Empire, Professor Schmidt got an idea. Though he did not believe the Bible, he was thoroughly acquainted with its contents, and he decided to test the veracity of the sacred book. He reasoned that if the Bible were true, it ought to be possible to find the Garden of Eden. From the description in Genesis 2, he knew that he would have to look in the Middle East, somewhere near the sources of the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers. Since Genesis 6 to 9 told of a flood that had ravaged the entire earth, he figured that Eden must have been buried by sediments. He concluded that he would have to dig deep if he wanted to find it.
Fortunately he was on friendly terms with the sultan of the Ottoman Empire, who ruled over the region in which he wanted to dig. After receiving permission, he traveled to the general area where he suspected that the Garden of Eden might be buried.
After a few days, he came upon a few acres where the foliage was richer and more verdant than the immediate surroundings. There was no reason for this. The lush area received the same amount of rain and sunshine as the surrounding terrain, and its soil was even less fertile.
Professor Schmidt reasoned that something under the ground must be causing this luxuriant growth. He thought of the tree of life, which had grown in the middle of the Garden of Eden. Could this tree be imparting vibrant life to the vegetation above the spot where it was buried?
Professor Schmidt decided to dig. He hired a multitude of local men who welcomed the generous wages that the professor paid. After two years they uncovered some fossilized trees. Since the trees were in good condition and still standing upright, the activity of the flood waters must have been especially gentle in the general area.
Professor Schmidt noticed that there were two especially handsome trees in the middle of the site. He concluded that the more comely of the two must be the tree of life.
Professor Schmidt now had greater respect for the Bible, but he did not immediately embrace the spiritual benefits it offered. Instead, it occurred to him that the discovery might confer ample earthly benefits on him. He was not concerned about the added wealth that he might receive. Even the consequent fame was only a secondary attraction. His primary thought was the effect that the tree of life might have upon him personally. He was getting old, and he wondered whether the tree of life might ward off death, even in its fossilized condition. After all, it had exerted a profound effect on the vegetation that had been growing above it.
Professor Schmidt scraped some material off the tree of life, ground it into a fine powder, and incorporated into a soup. After drinking its contents, he felt good. However, his scientific mind warned him that this might be a mere placebo effect.
As the years passed, he found that he was healthier than most people his age, but he still suffered aches and pains. He began to suspect that he was just as mortal as his friends and neighbors. But he did not die. He lived to see the fall of the German Empire during the Great War. During World War 2, Hitler threw him into a concentration camp because he refused to use his knowledge to help the Nazis develop effective weapons. He saw the rise and fall of Communism in Russia and Eastern Europe.
What thrilled him was the advance of science. Though his eyes became progressively weak, the invention of the electron microscope enabled him to investigate life on a cellular level. The scanning tunneling microscope even enabled him to examine individual atoms. He quickly learned how to use computers and lasers. He was not impressed with theory. He detected flaws in both quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity. But he gloried in solid facts. The synthesis of new elements and the discovery of new celestial bodies especially intrigued him.
As the years passed, his progressively suffered the deleterious effects of old age. In despair, he remembered the fate of Tithonus in Greek mythology. The crushing blow was blindness. As he entered the world of darkness, he lost interest in life and longed for deliverance.
In 2026 A. D., Karl Krause became a pastor of in Berlin, where Wilhelm Schmidt happened to be residing at the time. Karl was sincerely concerned about the souls of his countrymen; and like the parson in Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales,” he preached Christ; but first he followed it himself.
He decided to pay Herr Schmidt a visit. He gently reminded the professor of his discovery of the Garden of Eden, which conclusively demonstrated the existence of the Creator who fashioned this wonderful paradise. He then explained the significance of Christ’s crucifixion and His resurrection from the dead. He pointed out that God had blessed the professor with an especially long time on earth, so that he had ample time to learn about the love of his Savior, who daily extended the gracious invitation: “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Since Schmidt was weary with age, this promise of Jesus struck a responsive cord in his heart. He gave up His atheism, and firmly believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and the Savior of the world. He attended church regularly until old age and infirmity prevented him from walking or even moving about in a wheel chair. He waited with anticipation for the time when Jesus would come and relieve him of his earthly burdens. He wanted to greet Jesus as a friend.