March 22: Grafting and God

By Marissa  Danney

Romans 11:16b – 20

“…if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy.

¹⁷But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree, ¹⁸do not vaunt yourselves over the branches. If you do vaunt yourselves, remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you. ¹⁹You will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe.”

You can’t begin to understand this passage of scripture if you don’t know what grafting is. I would recommend youtube.com to find a good grafting video!

My amateur understanding is that grafting is done when a fruit tree is not producing fruit. In ancient Israel, the common tree was the olive tree. One would graft a more fruitful branch on to an unfruitful tree to try to help it produce fruit.

This passage is meant to advise the grafted branches, which represent the people. So, who is the holy root?

What I find particularly interesting about this passage is the image of the holy roots. Roots pull nutrients from the surrounding area to feed the branches. Roots stabilize the entire plant so that a mighty wind or shift of earth doesn’t knock us over. Roots store what the branches needs so that when something is not in abundance, we have something to draw from.

We, you and I, have Divine roots. God provides what we need. God stabilizes us, so that when we go through trials we aren’t overcome to the point of destruction. God cares for us so that when we encounter difficult times, we have something to draw from to sustain us.

It is so hard to resist “vaunting” ourselves (READ: boasting) over others based on our good works.

We try and we try, and then we feel really good about what we’ve done.

And yet, this passage reminds us that all of our good comes from the roots! It is God who sustains us, who builds us with instincts and a conscience that helps us tell right from wrong, and better from best. Therefore, none of our “fruits” would happen if we didn’t have the Source of Life as our roots.