Broken Branches
ROMANS 11: 13-36
(July 28)
I read a book recently that was filled with colorful characters and many surprises. A side note in the story was the apple orchard business that one of the families owned.
They had created these exquisite apples that were being sold all across the United States and Europe. It had started as a teenager's interest in fruit, specifically in grafting. This teen had taken this interest, applied a whole lot of studying, and much trial and error. The result was these much-sought-after apples.
This specific type of apple was created by grafting small limbs of various apple trees together. These limbs would "take root" to the tree, becoming part of that tree, even though they were actually foreign to the tree.
These limbs would merge with the tree, resulting in a crossbreeding of the apples, which created this entirely new type of apple. This sounds like a lot of time and work to me, but then ... I sure do love a good apple!
Paul explains to us that the Gentiles are much like those grafted limbs. They are not who salvation was originally offered to. The original beneficiaries were supposed to be the Israelites. But their rejection caused God to offer that salvation to the Gentiles.
In other words, he broke of the "Israelite" branches, and grafted on the "Gentile" branches to his tree of salvation. They now receive the blessing that was once offered to Abraham and his children. They will be nourished from the root of God's special tree.
You and I are much like them. When we believe, we are grafted to God, sharing in his love and grace. We are branches of his family tree.
But we are warned not to get too "full of ourselves". You become a part of that tree, not because of anything you have done to earn it, but because of your faith. If God can break off the branches of the "originals", he can surely do the same to us.
But what about those broken branches? Do they get tossed in the fire to be fruitful no more? If they were branches of the apple tree, the answer would be "YES".
But God is a graceful, loving God. If those who don't believe would turn back to him, he would lovingly graft their branch back to the tree. As eagerly as he joined the Gentiles to the tree, he would even more eagerly reunite the Israelites who would turn to him.
Picture yourself, a branch on the tree created by God. Maybe you are one of the deep, thick branches that extend from the trunk. Many leaves have grown from your arm.
Perhaps you are just a slim branch that extends from the very tips of the tallest arm. No leaves have budded yet, but you are gaining strength day by day, and soon your branch will bloom.
Either way, you are in the right place. You are connected to the best root. Stay strong. Keep growing. Start blooming. Let there be no broken branches in your life.