Feb 8 - Romans 11:17-18

If you, a wild olive shoot,

were grafted in to share

the rich root of the olive tree,

do not boast over the branches.

If you do boast, remember that

it is not you that support the root,

but the root that supports you.

Romans 11:17-18

In John 15:15, Jesus famously says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit."

That's the part that we know. But we forget the last few words of this verse -- "because apart from me you can do nothing."

We forget these words because most of us really argue with these words. "I can too do things on my own!!!"

Intellectual Christians will say, "That statement's false because lots on non-Christians do lots of good things."

Pious Christians say, "We can surely do more with God's help. But it's up to us to choose good or bad. And I strive to do good."

Paul, however, agrees with this statement. He echoes Jesus. In fact, he says that on our own, we are untamed, barbarous, primative, uncivilized, and wild. Indeed, the Apostle calls us wild shoots that Jesus has grafted onto the rich taproot of life. And like Jesus in John 15, he tells us "not [to] boast" of our own accomplishments.

Why? According to Paul, it's because the root supports us ... We don't support the root. According to Jesus, fruit is not fruit unless it comes from him.

For example, say that we feed the poor. That's a good human work, right? And good people can do that without even knowing God, right? But who created the food. God! Feeding the poor is simply sharing God's abundance. (And unfortunately that's very necessary in a world that robs the poor and hoards earthly resources.) But we only call this good because too many people don't share. It's good in comparison to other sinners, but we are the ones who create the scarcity anyway.

So if even feeding the poor is not "good," what is the fruit that we're called to bear ... and share? It's connecting others to the branch, to the root, to the tree, to the cross, to the Savior. (And that's what we absolutely cannot do without God!)

Think about this ... Even if we save someone from starvation, they'll still eventually die, and then where will they be? Jesus wants to send out laborers into the eternal harvest.

BUT lest we quit feeding the hungry, food (and other forms of physical help like medical care) are a great way to gain access to a person's heart. We love them (and feed them) until they ask us why!!!

In Christ's Love,

a guy who doesn't

want to be "good"

(just godly)