Grafted

Romans 11:11-24

¹¹So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.

¹²Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!

¹³Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry

¹⁴in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.

¹⁵For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

¹⁶If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,

¹⁸do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.

¹⁹Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”

²⁰That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.

²¹For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.

²²Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

²³And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.

²⁴For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

“The overarching theme of chapters 9 to 11 has been Paul’s loving concern for his fellow Jews, who by and large have refused to accept Paul’s gospel. God had fulfilled his Old Testament covenant, but many Jews—in fact, the majority—were insisting on continuing under the Old Testament regulations. They remained preoccupied with keeping the Mosaic regulations as they still awaited the Messiah, who had already come. Disheartening and depressing as this was for Paul, he never lost sight of the fact that God’s grace was retaining a remnant for salvation. Furthermore, that remnant would increase in number when many Jews would join the Christian ranks out of envy over seeing Gentiles receiving God’s gospel blessings.”

Panning, A. J. ©1999. Romans (p. 187). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House.

Paul continues in his plea to the Jews to recognize that they are very much a part of God’s plan. His heart still breaks for those who would reject the Lord because He doesn’t fit into their self-created box. In his attempt to finally get their attention, Paul uses a rather convoluted path to their hearts and minds. God uses the Jew’s denial of Christ’s redeeming work for two glorious purposes. First, the message, having been rejected by the first audience is now sent to the Gentiles. The whole world benefits from the work of Jesus on the cross. Second, all of that attention paid to Jesus by the Gentiles serves the purpose of hopefully bringing the Jews back around to the fullness of their heritage and God’s grace. It may seem to trivialize the theology, but my mind goes to children playing with their toys. A toy looks boring and not worth their time until another child picks it up and makes something fun out of it; all of sudden that once boring toy takes on new life. I know – way too trivial of an object lesson. But it really is what Paul is saying. The attention paid to Jesus by the Gentiles did indeed get the attention of a few in the Jewish community and that is still happening today.

Grafted Olive Branch

Then Paul uses an interesting object lesson from the field of olive production. Everyone in his audience would be familiar with the idea of grafting wild olive branches onto domesticated ones to improve the strength of the tree. This concept has been taken to a new level today as totally different plants are being grafted together to better utilize resources (and because there are some  people who just don’t have enough to do.) In 2015 grafting of plants has gone to a new level. Last week I heard about the Tomtato; tomatoes on the top of the plant and potatoes underground. These two plants are grafted together when the seedlings are only 2 inches high and something new emerges.

Tomtatoes!

God has grafted the Gentiles onto the tree that is His Kingdom. Paul makes sure we all know that it is still the main branch and roots (God) that supports the plant. The branches (us) merely bear the fruit, they don’t actually produce it. God still does all the work and gets all the glory. God’s perfect plan continues to unfold and it is a blessings to all who would seek Him.