Branches Don't Boast

“Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.” (Ro 11:18 AV)

 

Many think the book of Romans is limited to salvation.  They believe the main theme of the book is strictly salvation.  But it is not.  The theme of Romans is the struggle between the Jew and the Gentile as pertains to God using them for gospel ministry.  Chapters nine through eleven are Paul’s argument of mutual and cooperative unity between both for the furtherance of the gospel.  In our passage above, the branches are the Gentiles and the root is Israel.  Because Israel rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah, God opened the door of the gospel to the Gentiles.  Several Old Testament books allude to this reality.  However, Israel expects this to be part of the Messianic kingdom and not necessarily the New Testament church.  One can only imagine the cultural stress this placed on any church located in a mixed culture.  Rome, being the capital city of the kingdom was multi-cultural.  The church there was as well.  So, Paul had to explain the plan of God in including the Gentiles and what that would entail for both groups. 

Since the time of Jacob, Israel and the Gentiles have been at odds.  Slavery in Egypt didn’t help any.  When Jacob’s two sons took vengeance for their sister Dinah, this also worked to separate God’s people from the rest of the world.  This separation, which was never intended to become prejudice, ended up that way.  Israel was supposed to be separated unto the LORD that they might attract the Gentiles to Him rather than repel them away.  Over centuries of this warped idea of separation, Israel and the Gentiles became ever more abrasive.  Looking ahead several thousand years to the New Testament church, one can understand the conflict that would arise between these two camps.  On one hand, there is Israel.  God’s chosen people to whom the written word came and for which they were the stewards.  Inspiration, preservation, and interpretation would have gone through Israel.  For the Gentiles to entirely know the gospel, they would have to rely on the ministry of the Jews.  However, as a nation, they disqualified themselves because they rejected the savior.  This would entice the Gentiles to think they would now be more privileged than Israel.  The thought being if God rejected Israel and accepted the Gentiles then the Gentiles were more right with God than Israel.  Hence the warning above.

The root and branches of a plant live and thrive under mutual cooperation.  The root system provides water and minerals.  The branches provide sunlight.  Both are necessary for the plant to grow.  If the branches of Israel were cut off to graft in the saved of the Gentiles, the Gentiles still need the root of saved Israel to grow.  And if the branches of lost Israel were removed, then the root of saved Israel need the branches of the saved Gentiles to complete the plant of the New Testament church.  However, I want to place this principle more practically.  If we benefit from the failure of another, we have better be sure we do not rejoice over that failure.  There is a moral responsibility to take what is left and incorporate the root into the blessings of God bestowed upon us.  There is no room for competition in the body of Christ.  When one fails, we all hurt.  When one succeeds, we all rejoice.  Just because God alters His plan does not mean He is making a moral judgment on those impacted by it.  Our spirit should be one of unity and cooperation.  Not division and strife.