Friday, June 16, 2023 – Romans 11:13-36
I’m no arborist by any means. I know very little about how to keep trees, plants or even grass alive. In fact, my philosophy for my yard is that if it’s green, I mow it. But I am fascinated by the art of grafting. I once heard it said that grafting a tree is sort of like having an organ transplant.
Because trees continue to grow, you can make strategic cuts and add branches from other trees. You then wrap the area so the new branch and tree grow together, becoming connected. For an extreme example of how this can be done, an art professor named Sam Van Aken grafted what he calls the “Tree of 40 Fruits.” By strategically grafting branches of different fruit-bearing trees together onto one tree, he was able to develop a tree that grows 40 different types of fruit. His tree grows cherries, peaches, apricots, almonds, and much more.
This is a picture of what God wants to do with the world. God began his work with “a thriving olive tree, beautiful to see and full of good fruit” (Jeremiah 11:16), representing his chosen people – Israel. Yet, through Christ, more branches are grafted to this tree so that it can bear more wonderful fruit.
See, God has a bigger picture in mind. He sees things we can’t see, and he works his purposes together for good. Paul puts it like this, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” (11:33).
On Monday, I asked you to take time this week to reflect on what God is trying to say through Paul. I asked you to consider chapters 9-11 in full so you can hear Paul’s heart and, ultimately, God’s heart in what you are reading. I also brought forth for your consideration that our world seems intent to divide us. And yet the picture we get here of God grafting us into his tree is one of a God who desires all to be saved. He desires us all to be part of his family. He desires all of us to be his children. So, while these chapters may have been difficult reads, take heart in knowing that God remains forever faithful to his promises and to his nature of grace.
Paul further expounds on this truth in his letter to the Galatians, which we will study in August. Hear this good news as it relates to how we are all grafted into God’s promise through Abraham, fulfilled in Jesus:
For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you (Galatians 3:26-29).
Questions for reflection:
- As you consider God’s work in grafting more and more people into the promise, how does that impact how you view the world and your place in it?
- To graft a branch onto a tree, the branch is removed from another tree. In other words, the branch leaves behind its old life to grow in its new life. What are the things God might be calling you to leave behind in order to grow in your life with him?
- What has God been teaching you this week?