It is probably true that almost all people live with a sense of failure. Very few of us are able to accomplish everything we would like to do. Even the things we do accomplish rarely reach the level of perfection we would like. In a more profound sense, we fail to reach our full potential. We are not the people we know we ought to be. We know that there is still room for growth in our character. For example, we are not as wise as we should be.
We not only fail to measure up to our own ideals, we do not reach the standards God has for us. In his inspired letter to the church at Rome, the Apostle Paul writes, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23 NIV) To put it another way, our goodness is less than God expects of us, our love falls short of God’s standard and our righteousness is incomplete.
God chose the nation of Israel to be His special people. It was through them that the Savior, Jesus Christ came. Yet, the Israelites failed to fulfill God’s purpose and expectation for them. Though Christ came from them, for the most part they refused to accept Him. They tried to obtain righteousness by their own efforts instead of through faith in Christ as God intended. Christ became a stumbling block for them and their unbelief hardened them so they could no longer see or hear the truth.
This raises a question. Are the Israelites now beyond hope? Can they never be redeemed? In chapter 11, verses 11 through 24 Paul writes, “I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy. Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness? For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry; if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them. For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead? If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree; don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.” True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear; for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off. They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?”
Earlier in his letter Paul wrote that God brings good out of all situations for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). In this passage we see an illustration of this. God intended the Israelites to accept Christ. However, their disobedience resulted in salvation coming to the Gentiles. For example, Paul said this to the Jews in the city of Antioch when they rejected the Gospel, “…We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.” (Acts 13:46 NIV) Paul writes that he hopes seeing Gentiles receive salvation will stir up envy among the Jews so that they will seek it as well.
Even though God brought good from the Israelites’ disobedience, it was not the same good as would have occurred if the Israelites had obeyed. It is true that God wishes everyone, including the Gentiles, to be saved. While the disobedience of the Israelites did bring salvation to the Gentiles, their obedience would have been even more beneficial. Paul writes that their obedience will bring even greater riches to the world. The difference is so great that he likens it to life from the dead. There are many in the world who hate the Jewish people and long for their destruction. In reality, we ought to pray that they will accept Christ. When they accept Him, the whole world will benefit from their obedience.
Though the Gentile peoples benefited from the Israelites’ disobedience to the Gospel, there is also a danger. It is easy for non-Jewish people to become proud of the fact that they now occupy the place which God intended for the Jews. Paul uses the analogy of an olive tree to make his point. It’s like the tree’s natural branches were cut off and branches from a wild tree were grafted into the tree in their place. The wild branches need to remember that they do not support the tree. Instead it is the tree which supports and sustains the branches. What Paul means by this is that in regard to the history of God’s redeeming work, the Jews owe nothing to the Gentiles. In contrast, the Gentile peoples are deeply indebted to the Jews. It is the Jews who preserved God’s holy word through the centuries. It is to the Jews that God revealed the promises of the coming Savior. Christ was born to a Jewish woman. Christ’s disciples were Jewish. Jews are the ones who first proclaimed the Gospel. As Jesus said, “…salvation is from the Jews.” (John 4:22 NIV)
With this in mind, Paul issues a warning. If God cut off the natural branches of the tree, that is the Israelites, when they proved unfaithful, why would He spare the Gentile branches He has grafted into the tree if they become unfaithful? Inclusion into the tree should not generate pride, but a reverent humility. God has allowed the Gentile peoples to participate in salvation not because they are better than anyone else, but because of His kindness. Unless the Gentiles continue in God’s kindness, that is unless they continue to have faith in the Savior, they too will be cut off.
The natural branches, that is the Jewish people, have been cut off from the tree. Is there any hope of them being grafted back in? Don’t branches which are separated from the tree die? Paul indicates that it is no harder for God to graft the natural branches back into the tree than it is for Him to graft in branches that didn’t belong. Earlier in his letter Paul wrote that we all, both Jew and Gentile are dead because of our sins. God gives us new life in Christ. If the Jews do not persist in their unbelief, God will graft them back into the tree. The question is: will the Israelites come to believe in Christ?