If I Walked With Jesus

The Master Gardener’s work

Paul is appealing today to his readers not to condemn the Jews for their unbelief. They are not beyond hope and the Gentiles should not treat them so.

We have seen in both the old and new testaments that God indeed chose the Jews to send His Salvation through. He knew all along what the outcome was going to be but He gave them every chance anyway. He didn’t set them up to see them knocked down. Instead He lovingly presented them with all the options and let them make their own choice.

By including the Gentiles in His plan of salvation He set up a “rivalry.” Initially the Jews lorded it over the Gentiles because they were “excluded” from God’s plan. After the Jews rejected God’s Son, Jesus Christ, the tables turned. The Gentiles could now lord it over the Jews for missing the truth. The Gentiles could also blame the Jews for killing Jesus in the first place.

God allowed this “imbalance” to create a hunger in the other for what the one had. He wants the Jews to hunger for the full truth even now. That is the only way they will ever turn to Him. The old system doesn’t lead where they want it to.

But now that the Gentiles have the “upper position”, due to the Jew’s refusal to accept Jesus as Christ, they are not to become arrogant. God’s call is to all men; both Jew and Gentile. As for the Gentile’s condemnation of the Jews for “killing Jesus”, not the whole nation was in on this conspiracy. Also, I know for a fact that this was part of God’s plan so it wasn’t the Jews that really killed Jesus but Jesus Himself who laid His life down. There is no way they could have taken His life from Him. He had to give it willingly.

Paul brings us another illustration today; that of the olive tree. Jesus is the “Root” of this tree and its source of life. God searches all creation for branches that will produce favorable fruit when feed by this Root. MANY branches on the original tree were unable to bear good fruit. Those branches were removed and replaced by carefully selected wild branches. The two plants become one and grow together. BOTH share the same Root. The Root gives equally to all its branches. Together, all the branches learn to bear the fruit designed by the Root. None of the branches have life in themselves but receive it directly from the Root. No branch is more valuable than another. Each one is cherished by the Gardner.

ALL branches, new and old are expected to take on the expectations of the Root. If they refuse to truly be grafted in they will be removed, regardless of original source. Just joining the Root in the pot doesn’t make the graft take. It requires the Root and the branch to create a lasting bond where the two are so securely joined together that there is no longer any distinction or distance between the two.

Father God, I want my graft to be so strong and healthy that NOTHING can interrupt the flow. Let me rely fully on Jesus for my life. Please help me produce fruit honoring You and Jesus.

Thank You Father for searching for me to add to Your Son’s life. Thank You Jesus for giving me Your life and purpose. I pray I bring You glory and honor in all I do. Forgive me again Jesus for my impatience yesterday. I pray I hid it well enough not to injure my husband’s feelings. I DEFINITELY need Your fruit of patience now in my life. Thank You for giving me Your strength in my walk. I know You won’t give me any more that WE can handle together. I think I need You to take on more of “my part” at times. You know when that is. I trust You to step in just in time. Not so soon that I don’t stretch and not so late that I am crushed by the weight. But right on time and in just the right way. Thank You for Your faithfulness.