By: Lorraine Eastman, Legacy Pastor
When we moved into our home over 15 years ago, one of our favorite features was the beautiful ash tree in the front yard. In the summer months, it shades the entire driveway and a good portion of the front yard. Soon after moving in, we noticed something unusual about the tree. On closer inspection, we realized it has been grafted with two different types of ash trees. The main part of the tree, supported by a thick truck, had very large, wide leaves. However, a smaller section in the middle of the tree seemed to have its own smaller trunk, supporting only a few branches. This part of the ash tree produced very long, thin leaves. It is definitely a unique tree!
Grafting plants has been a common practice for ages. Paul used the metaphor of an olive branch being grafted to an olive tree to explain how we, the Gentiles, became part of God’s family in Romans 11:17 (NLT): “But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessings God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.” There are a few important things we can glean from just this verse. But first we need to understand what happens in grafting and also how integrated the simple olive was in the lives of the Jewish people.
With grafting, the main rule is that the fruit produced is always determined by the branch that is grafted in, not by the tree. If you were to take an apricot branch and graft it to a nectarine tree, the branch would continue to produce apricots even though the rest of the tree would produce nectarines. The laws of nature and grafting are definitely interesting!
Olive trees were a staple in Jewish communities. They provided fruit that they ate in many different forms, including drying, pickling, and just eating. They were also pressed to create oil that was used for cooking, lighting their lamps, making soap and medicine, and also used when they made sacrifices. The oil produced from the trees in the Garden of Gethsemane was considered sacred. When the trees became very old, they were used for furniture, tools, and for carvings. Olive trees in general were considered powerful symbols of peace, prosperity, and represented the continuing covenant between God and Israel.
Now we have an understanding of how grafting works and just how important olives and olive trees were to the Jewish community. Let’s take a look at part of the scripture from above where Paul said, “And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessings God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.” The Gentiles mentioned in the verse were referred to as branches from a wild olive tree which were grafted into God’s special olive tree. Unfortunately, wild olive trees were not sought after at all for their fruit, for it was known to be bitter and very hard. That means, if nature had its way, we would continue to produce fruit that was hard and bitter and pretty much useless. Thankfully, nature is not in control. Jesus is, and he produced a miracle. When we were grafted into God’s special olive tree, our fruit began to be produced by the Holy Spirit, not a branch or a tree. Our fruit is no longer bitter and hard; our fruit is now prized, not because of what we have done, but because of what the Holy Spirit has done through us.
At the very end of the verse Paul shares, “So now you also receive the blessings God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.” So how do we receive this special nourishment? Hopefully, we’ve grown beyond the infant stage where we need to be fed by someone else and can now learn to feed ourselves. Because of God’s blessing, we now have access to the rich nourishment that is available to us through God’s word. We simply have to dive in one verse at a time to access it! No matter whether you choose to simply read the word, to get commentaries and study God’s word, or to read a verse and journal — whatever it is, choose to do something. We are children of Abraham now and have been given special access and understanding to the Word, the root. Don’t waste it!
The last part of the verse we want to look at is actually at the very beginning where Paul says, “But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off.” What he is referring to is the people of Israel who have chosen not to believe in Jesus Christ. Honestly, our hearts should break for our lost Jewish brothers and sisters. I hope you will join me in praying daily for their hearts to be softened, and their eyes to be opened and for the entire nation of Israel to find Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior before he returns. A few verses later Paul encourages us as he continues in Romans 11:23 (NLT), “If the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree.” Our job is to have faith and to pray! For once they accept Christ, they are grafted back into God’s special olive tree and we become a family again.
As we step into a new year, I hope you’ll take some time to remember how blessed we truly are. Pray for the branches that were cut off of God’s special olive tree to make room for us. They need to know Jesus just as much as we do. God has a plan, and he’s made room for all of the branches on his special olive tree. Even though we came from a wild olive tree whose fruit was known to be hard and bitter, Jesus chose us. He made us part of his family. He grafted us into his special olive tree. He gave us access to countless blessings and covered us with grace. He performed a miracle, making our fruit not only good but prized. As we go into this year, remember we have been not only grafted, but we have been grafted with love.