Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Grafted into God’s Family
But 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. (Rom. 11:17)
In the medical field, Physicians use the term ‘grafting’ to
repair the damaged skin. In botany grafting is used for better fruitfulness.
Here in this Bible portion Romans 11: 16-24 St. Paul describes a kind of
grafting. Paul uses the metaphor of Olive tree to explain the Spiritual realm.
When we are saved, God spiritually grafts us into His family. Here let us
look the process, this grafting.
A Root : Here the grafting is
done to the root. The root is the most important part of any
plant. It gives foundation, strength and stability. For the Jewish,
they considered Abraham their root. He was the one whom they saw made them
righteous. But the thing is that Abraham believed God and was saved by his own
faith. And it was the faith of Abraham which gave his descendants, the Jews, a
great assurance about their status before God. While Abraham is a root
for the Jews, Jesus is the root for all.
A tree: Throughout the Bible Olive Tree is a symbolic
representation of Israel. Here we have two types of Olive trees: a wild Olive
and cultured Olive. Wild Olive is the symbol of Gentiles. Wild Olive is
being grafted into cultured olive. Normally a wild olive branch is
not grafted into cultured olive tree unless the tree becomes fruitless or
barren. The very reason for this is wild olive branch impact the rest of the tree
in becoming fruitful and useful once again. When God made covenant with
Abraham, God offered his blessing not only to the descendants of Abraham but
also to the people belonging to his race. So the Jews who have rejected
Christ are the branches broken of the real Root. In the same place
Gentiles are been engrafted. But the Gentile should not forget the fact
that it was solely through God’s grace they had been grafted in. ; they should
not boast of themselves
Connecting Factor: The branches are broken
off by unbelief. It was the unbelief that kept the children of Israel
from entering Canaan. It was the unbelief that kept Jesus from doing miracles
in Nazareth (Mt.13:58). Belief in Christ is the connecting factor to
God’s family. When a wild olive branch is grafted to a cultured olive, we
cut off the barren tree and join a fruitful tree so that it may bear fruit.
Thus the two become one. So in this grafting the branches are being
given a new transformation in its nature.
In our natural, fleshly and normal conditions we, like
Israel, have become fruitless. Left to our own we will remain spiritually
fruitless and either dry up die or be cursed and die like the tree in Matthew
21. However upon hearing the Gospel, the sword the Holy Spirit will lance the
very core of our hearts. Once our hearts are pricked, sensitive, and tender,
God places His sensitive heart upon ours, and tightly wraps them with His Holy
Spirit and then the grafting process begins. Our Heavenly Father’s goal is to
change us from our dried up condition into a beautiful, fruit-bearing plant to
enjoy His blessings and give glory to Him.
Prayer: Gracious God, Thank You for grafting me into Your
Family. Forgive my spiritual pride, and keep me mindful that it is only
by Your Grace that I am saved. In Jesus’ name Amen
Thought for the day: We are called to
bear fruit for Christ.
Rev. John Mathew, South Florida
MTC