”Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear” (Romans 11:20).
Do you know anything about grafting plants? Paul uses the metaphor in today’s verse to explain how Gentiles come to Christianity. The Jewish nation is represented by a cultivated olive tree, which had some branches broken old. The Jews who did not accept Jesus were set aside. In their place, branches from trees growing in the wild were grafted on. In other words, the privilege of being the depositories of God’s grace was given to the Gentiles, and they became participants in the plan of salvation. The church is still compared to a leafy, fruitful olive tree, and those Who do not accept the message of salvation are the wild branches, not only because they are not very fruitful but because the little fruit they produce is bitter or tasteless.
You are bitter, wild, unnamed by nature. You were grafted onto the Tree of Life, which is Jesus. You became a part of the root of David, not because you deserved it but because it pleased Jesus, yet there is no reason to become proud. Although a few branches were broken off, the trunk and the roots prevailed, showing divine grace and faithfulness to the pact that God made with Abraham. Just as the branches cannot brag about the roots, the Gentiles could not brag about having the same privileges as the Jews, or be glad about the branches that were broken so others could be grafted on. They had to treat the broken branches kindly, and be grateful to the roots and the trunk. the grafted branch was still just a branch, supported by the trunk and roots that had been loaned to it, therefore it should remain humble and grateful.
You have no merit in God’s eyes that makes you any better than anyone else. Pray for sanctified reverence to protect you from vain pride. Don’t abuse the privileges that were given to you. Keep in mind the rejection of Israel as a warning. The only condition that allows you to stay connected to Jesus, the Tree of Life, is your faith. Rejoice in the Lord, but never feel that you are superior to anyone. He who grafted you, can also break you off. Don’t be proud; be reverent before God. “As the graft receives life when united to the vine, so the sinner partakes of the divine nature when connected with Christ. Finite man is united with the infinite God.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 354.
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Taken from: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2023
“DAUGHTER OF MINE” Do Not Be Afraid
From: Arsenia Fernandez-Uckele
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Esteban Cortes
