Romans 11 - 1.12.26
Scripture: Romans 11:11-24
11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
Observation
In this Epistle, the Apostle Paul was writing to Jewish and Gentile believers in the Roman Church. He was addressing the unique and diverse relationship that had grown in the Church as more Gentiles were being saved by the Messiah who was Jewish, fulfilling the promise that God had made with Abraham in Genesis 22:18, “and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Paul depicted the Israelites as the cultivated olive tree branches and the Gentiles as wild olive tree branches. Cultivated fruit trees tend to be more healthy due to proper watering, fertilization schedule and planted in the right area to get sunlight, so those branches should bear abundant fruit. Wild fruit trees must survive the elements without proper care and will produce fruit but the fruit may be substandard. Since the Israelites, who were the cultivated branches, did not produce fruit, many were pruned by being cut off due to their unbelief. We Gentiles were grafted into the healthy cultivated tree having the ability to produce quality fruit with the same growing conditions as the natural branches. The grafting process involves the cutting away of a branch from its entire source of life, location, environment, and even identity to be placed unto another. The grafted branch must then be placed and wrapped where the previous branch was cut off. It takes some time for the grafted branch to connect and merge with the tree. Once the grafted branch is established with the tree, it will no longer need to be protected and wrapped but will spring forth new stems and produce fruit. We read in this passage that unbelief will stop the production of fruit which is what the Father is seeking. If Christ is the Vine, the Trunk, and the Root, we all have life and connected to the Life Source, and every branch should bear fruit.
Application
Paul gives a warning to Gentile believers to not be arrogant about our part in our salvation because God can prune us and cut off just as He did the Israelites. We must bear the fruit that God is seeking. In Mark 11:12-13, Christ cursed the fig tree who did not have fruit growing at the proper time to be harvested later in the season; it looked the part and had the leaves but no fruit nor any indication of budding on its branches. Our requirement as Christians is to bear fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Our DSC mission statement also sums up fruit production by loving God, loving people and making disciples.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I thank You for salvation. I thank You for cutting us off from the world (wild olive tree) and placing us among Your branches to be well watered, fed (fertilized), and placed in the light to produce the fruit that You are seeking. Help us to not be arrogant but pruned in areas of our life that we may not be completely cut off from You. Let us use our fruit that You’ve helped us produce to attract others to Your goodness. We thank You for fulfilling Your promises that You made thousands of years ago to Abraham to reconnect us all back to You. Help us to walk in our calling to ultimately glorify You, in Jesus name, Amen.
- Darrence Hamilton
