Devotion #4: An Unnatural Grafting
When I was a child, it was not uncommon for me to get into fights with my sister. We would fight over anything and everything. Sometimes, things would escalate to the point that we would involve our parents. At that time in my life, there were very few things that I enjoyed more than taking an issue to my parents, only for them to take my side of the argument and tell my sister to make amends. I would express my enjoyment by sticking my tongue out at my sister and taunting her. This would sometimes lead to me getting reprimanded by my parents as well as my sister because I was being a brat.
As silly as those childish interactions were, they are a natural, fleshly desire that many of us struggle against, even as adults. In our passage today, we are going to see Paul warn us about how we compose ourselves. Specifically, he is addressing non-Jewish believers in Christ. Read Romans 11:17-27. Specifically, I want to highlight verse 18: “Do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.”
Paul is encouraging Gentile Christians, a group that we all are a part of, to be very careful when considering Jews and Israelites. It should not be in our nature to be boastful of our salvation in Christ or to rub it in the faces of unbelieving Jews. Paul is trying to help us realize, through the imagery of grafting, that we are extremely blessed. The process of grafting usually involves attaching a healthy, fruit-producing branch to a wild tree to upgrade it. The imagery Paul is using here is of the reverse. He speaks of grafting a branch with no fruit onto a tree that is healthy and producing.
It is our faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, that saves us. It is important to remind ourselves of this fact daily. By reflecting on the great sacrifice of Christ on the cross, we posture our hearts towards humility and meekness. It is not because of our works that we are saved, so we must meticulously root out any arrogance in our lives. It is also important for us to recognize that Jewish unbelievers are not our opponents; they are not to be sneered at. Instead, we must recognize them as the lost people that they are, who need a Savior all the same as every other person around us. Susan Perlman, a missionary to Jewish people, wrote, “A subtle form of anti-Semitism is to deny Jewish people a hearing of the gospel and not care about their eternal destiny.”
I challenge you today to find a way to daily remind yourself of the fact that it is through the cross that we are saved, and to humbly thank God for His sacrifice for us. Secondly, ask God to reveal to you opportunities to reach people with the Good News of salvation found in Christ, regardless of their religious background and ethnicity.