/
L /
~Ome of the branches have original natural branches could once more
bear fruit, and the wild branches, formerly oken off, and you, though
olive shoot, have been untended and unwieldy, could now flourish
grafted in among the others and beautifully. What's more, with both wild and
now share in the nourishing sap cultivated branches intermingled, the whole
from the olive root, do not boast tree yielded such good and plentiful fruit as
wouid othmwise have been impossible. The over those branches. If you do,
vigor and consider this: You do not support message of the olive tree metaphor penned
the root, but the root supports by the Apostle Paul is this: When Gentile vitalitT to
you. You will say then, 'Branches branches that have been grafted into a save the Whole tree. All should
go well. But suppose, for some Jewish-rooted tree function as God intends, were broken off so that I could be
grafted in.' Granted. But they were the fruit is spectacular reason, things take a terrible turn and
I've seen some gargantuan olive trees Gentile branches sap rather than save the broken off because of unbelief,
and you stand by faith. Do not be in Israel, hundreds or perhaps thousands original tree's life. I suppose the Master could
of years old. Their gnarly toots, firmly stand idly b B doing nothing as He wistfully arrogant, but be afraid. For if aod
did not spare the natural branches, entrenched vet sturdily protruding above watches overbearing branches perish along
he will not spare you either.... ground, seemingly span half a city block. with the tree they now choke. But that is
Though breathtaking in appearance, they And if they \[the natural branches\] not the nature of our God. His heart will be
grow knott}: wild and alone, yielding fruit of moved to save the planting of His hand. I do not persist in unbelief, they
poor quality as well as quantit) In contrast, imagine He has no real choice but to sadly will be grafted in, for aod is able
the carefully planted and well-tended olive slice off and discard any unrulB engrafted to graft them in again. After all,
groves that dot the I,and produce some of branches. He then retrieves some of the if you were cut out of an olive
natural branches---those previously cut off tree that is wild by nature, and the best olives and olive oils in the world.
and set aside, but now quite read}' for re- contrary to nature were grafted Gentile Branches Save the li'ee
grafting. Recall tim loving warning: Do not into a cultivated olive tree, how
much more readily will these, the I can imagine, as did perlaaps Paul, the bo:mt; do not be arrogant: if the cultivated
Divine Husbandman caring for a cultivated branches can be cut off, so also can the wild natural branches, be grafted into
their own olive tree!" (Romans tree on the decline. First He cuts off some ones.
of tim original, natural branches, and If the original tree is ever to bear fruit 11:17-24)
In ancient Israel, if a cultivated olive tree protectively sets them aside for future use. again, it must accept and embrace the
had stopped bearing fruit, one horticultural Next, He gently lops off a few branches fl'om a transplants, freely sharing with them all
the life it has. In a very real sense, the two nearbL untamed tree. I picture Him lovingly cure to reinvigorate the faltering tree was
linking the (metaphorically Gentile) foreign must become one for their mutual survival. to graft into it branches from a wild olive
Their destinies are mutually interdependent, tree.* The fresh sap, or life-blood of the wild branches onto the (Jewish) host, oozing
a generous dab of humility between them exquisitely and inextricably intertwined. ~~live branches, would revive the
God's gr~ffting agent, humiliD, makes the ultivated tree. As a result, the His grgting agent. Then He blesses the
branches and waits. Will miracle possible. Similarly Jews and grafted-
the transplant "take?" in Believers in Yeshua (Jesus) ale to serve
one another in a reciprocal flow of life, not Jewish roots now
merely for survival's sake, but to "'bear fruit support new Gentile
branches---engrafted that will last." (John 15:16) To produce fruit
branches needed for their pleasing to the Master we're to serve and
6 Jewish Voice Today May/June 2006
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20