Grafted Into the Chosen People (Thurs. July 18)

 The Word of the Day (Thursday, July 18)  

The Word of the Day is "grafted." Today, in our scripture study of  Romans 11:13-24, St. Paul reminds the Gentiles in Rome of the heritage that they have received from the Jews. In contrast to Paul's teaching, our society is obsessed with novelty and innovation and lacks a sense of history. One of the results of disregarding the past is that we forget what we owe to those who have gone before us. Instead, each of our modern generations considers itself superior to the previous one. And most contemporary people would rather break tradition than follow it.

However, in our reading, St. Paul uses the metaphor of grafting to describe the debt the Christians in Rome owe the Jews. Grafting is a horticultural technique where a branch from one tree is inserted into the trunk or branch of another tree, allowing them to grow together and share nutrients. Using this image, Paul writes, 'And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree' (Romans 11:17). This image helps us grasp the importance of honoring the roots of our faith and the debt we owe to the Jews.

A Repeated Metaphor in Scripture 

We find the image of trees or vines that bear good fruit or bad in various places in scripture. The metaphor has numerous applications, but in our reading, Paul observes that the Almighty expected good fruit from His Chosen People but found bad fruit instead. The prophet Isaiah used the same image when he wrote that God "waited for it [His vineyard] to bring forth grapes, but it produced thorn-plants" (Isaiah 5:3). Consequently, He vowed to forsake the vineyard (Isaiah 5:6). Thus, Isaiah set forth the principle that John the Baptist and Jesus repeated,   "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (OSB Matthew 3:10 [John the Baptist] and Matthew 7:19 [Jesus]).  

In today's scripture, Paul extends the metaphor of trees or vines that do not bear fruit for God. He used the image of grafting to make two comparisons. First, in Paul's view, the Almighty does not intend to destroy the whole tree or vine, but some of its branches are broken off. These represent the Jews who reject the Gospel. Second, other branches are being grafted onto the root and stock of the tree. These are the believing Gentiles.  

God Has Not Cast Off His People 

Paul's first point about God's treatment of Jews and Gentiles is that the Almighty has not "cast off His people" (OSB Romans 11:1). They are like branches that have broken off a tree. Why are they torn from the tree of God's grace? St. John Chrysostom says that they refused to believe. He writes, "Grace, even though it be grace, saves the willing, not those who will not have it, and turn away from it, those who persist in fighting against it…" (NfPf1:16, 438).  

Therefore, the unbelieving Jews have nothing to complain about. But more than that, they can be spliced back on if they are split off. According to Chrysostom's teaching, the only thing necessary is their willingness. They must give up their resistance to the Gospel and accept Jesus as the Messiah. If only they would turn around to believe in Christ, they would be grafted back onto the tree of God's grace again (Romans 12:23).  

The Gentiles Owe Their Faith to the Jews

The second point is that the Gentiles owe their faith to the Jews who first believed in the promise of God. Paul teaches that the root of the olive tree and the remaining branches of the Chosen People are holy (Romans 11:15). That is, they are dedicated to God and are still His own. The Gentiles who are responding to the Gospel are a "wild branch" that God has grafted onto the root and remaining branches of the tree of the Chosen People. The Orthodox Study Bible comments, "The tree which is wild by nature refers to the pagan and godless ways of the Gentiles before their encounter with Christ. The cultivated olive tree refers to the nation of Israel, which had been prepared for Christ through the law, and the remnant of the Jews who believed in Him" (OSB comment on Romans 11:24). 

What is that root that is still faithful to God? Among various opinions, many say that the root is Father Abraham and the patriarchs. Paul said that the "righteousness" of Abraham and his heirs was achieved through their belief in God's Promise. Thus, by grace, the believing Gentiles have been grafted onto the faithful root of Abraham and his stock, his heirs. Now, these outsiders to the People of God share in the fulfillment of the promise once given to Abraham, continuing the continuity from the past to the present.

Therefore, the believing Gentiles have nothing to boast about. All believing non-Jews must recognize that their faith is based on the faith of generations of Jews in God's promise to Abraham. That heritage still nourishes and sustains them as they continue the legacy received from the Jews. However, note that they do not nurture this heritage. Paul reminds them, "You do not support the root, but the root supports you" (Romans 11:18). 

For Reflection

The 12th-century theologian and Bishop of Chartres, John of Salisbury, reflected on our debt to the past with these memorable words: "We are like dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of giants. We see more things, and things that are distant, than they did, not because our sight is superior or because we are taller than they, but because they raise us up and by their great stature add to ours." (John of Salisbury, Metalogion. Quoted in <https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/268025.html>).

We Stand On the Shoulders of the Righteous of History  

Our reading reminds us that the believing Gentiles stood on the shoulders of the giants of the People of God:  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Ruth, Elijah, the prophets, and the teachers of wisdom. Likewise, we stand on the foundation of the apostles, the Mother of God, scripture writers, martyrs, saints, church fathers, patriarchs, confessors, ascetics, and all the "righteous made perfect in faith."  

Do we see more than they as we stand on their shoulders? In one sense, yes, because the collected wisdom of all of them is available to us if we are willing to study it. But in another sense, no, we see the things of the kingdom of God through their eyes. 

Nevertheless, we would not have the blessings of the Gospel, the work of the Holy Spirit, the doctrine and order of the church, the Holy Mysteries (sacraments), and the practices of prayer and devotion, etc., apart from them. They have built the foundation on which we continue to build for the Glory of God.  

So, let us not disdain or forget the memory of those who have gone before us. But let us pray for their blessed rest in the Lord. And let us pray that we believe, live, and serve in such a way that others will thank God for us and the legacy of faith and love we have passed on to them.