God of the universe, become the God needed in the life of this dear reader as she or he goes about their day today; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
For today's text, Romans 11:11-24, I thought The Message version would be good:
11 The next question is, "Are they down for the count? Are they out of this for good?" And the answer is a clear-cut no. Ironically when they walked out, they left the door open and the outsiders walked in. But the next thing you know, the Jews were starting to wonder if perhaps they had walked out on a good thing. 12 Now, if their leaving triggered this worldwide coming of non-Jewish outsiders to God's kingdom, just imagine the effect of their coming back! What a homecoming! 13 But I don't want to go on about them. It's you, the outsiders, that I'm concerned with now. Because my personal assignment is focused on the so-called outsiders, I make as much of this as I can 14 when I'm among my Israelite kin, the so-called insiders, hoping they'll realize what they're missing and want to get in on what God is doing. 15 If their falling out initiated this worldwide coming together, their recovery is going to set off something even better: mass homecoming! If the first thing the Jews did, even though it was wrong for them, turned out for your good, just think what's going to happen when they get it right! 16 Behind and underneath all this there is a holy, God-planted, God-tended root. If the primary root of the tree is holy, there's bound to be some holy fruit. 17 Some of the tree's branches were pruned and you wild olive shoots were grafted in. Yet the fact that you are now fed by that rich and holy root 18 gives you no cause to crow over the pruned branches. Remember, you aren't feeding the root; the root is feeding you. 19 It's certainly possible to say, "Other branches were pruned so that I could be grafted in!" 20 Well and good. But they were pruned because they were deadwood, no longer connected by belief and commitment to the root. The only reason you're on the tree is because your graft "took" when you believed, and because you're connected to that belief-nurturing root. So don't get cocky and strut your branch. Be humbly mindful of the root that keeps you lithe and green. 21 If God didn't think twice about taking pruning shears to the natural branches, why would he hesitate over you? He wouldn't give it a second thought. 22 Make sure you stay alert to these qualities of gentle kindness and ruthless severity that exist side by side in God - ruthless with the deadwood, gentle with the grafted shoot. But don't presume on this gentleness. The moment you become deadwood, you're out of there. 23 And don't get to feeling superior to those pruned branches down on the ground. If they don't persist in remaining deadwood, they could very well get grafted back in. God can do that. He can perform miracle grafts. 24 Why, if he could graft you - branches cut from a tree out in the wild - into an orchard tree, he certainly isn't going to have any trouble grafting branches back into the tree they grew from in the first place. Just be glad you're in the tree, and hope for the best for the others.
They say air conditioning ruined our society. It was before AC that people sat outside on front porches and chatted with neighbors and kept an eye on each other's children. AC made it possible for people to sit inside with doors closed and shades drawn, so that the AC wouldn't have to work so hard. Did you stop to think that AC also make it necessary for churches to close their doors and windows? I pastored a church where the stories were great about "the old days" when the pastors didn't need microphones and screens and their voice carried all through the neighborhood! I thought about the positive impact that had in reaching the unchurched who might just happen to be sitting on their front porch (in the days before Bonanza & Ed Sullivan!) who might just happen to hear the message they were lacking for their lives.
An interesting article in our denominational newspaper yesterday was about church greeters and how in one church, one Sunday, the greeters forgot to close the door and a woman heard the music and goings on, walked in and now sings in the choir and teaches Sunday school. All for leaving the door open!
Paul says in the above passage that his kinfolk, the Jews, when they walked out on God, left the door open and the Gentiles walked in. What an illustration! But thanks be to God for that open door. And the even better news is that the door is still open to all, including and especially for Jews. The open door remains as the door that leads to life. As we read the rest of the verses Paul talks about grafting and how deadwood becomes live again, thanks to "miracle grafts." If you or one of your loved ones is not "in the tree" (v. 24) pray for yourself and them and make the decision to come to life through Jesus Christ.
PRAYER: Lord, don't leave me or my loved ones on the ground about to die; lift us up to the branches where we can be grafted into life. I pray especially for those for whom I have been praying that they might come to life and the fullness of life in Jesus Christ. I ask these things in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
