And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree. Romans 11:17
My experience with grafting is with apple and pear trees, not olives. But the principle is usually to graft good quality branches into a wild or inferior stalk. From the root and stalk of a wild and almost useless tree can come forth excellent fruit. But the principle that the apostle Paul is addressing in today’s text is the opposite: the root and stalk are perfect and wild branches are being grafted in. In the case of olive trees, it is common for grafting to be used when the root is good but the branches are weak. In such a case, the weak branches are removed to allow the grafted branches to thrive. That is what Paul is referring to when he speaks of the removal of the branches of Israel from the root and stalk of Christ, and the grafting in of the Gentile branches. The temporary removal of Israel from God’s program is the reason why you and I are brought into His blessings.
When a branch is grafted into a stalk, it keeps its own characteristics. That is why good fruit varieties are grafted onto an inferior quality stalk. So when Gentiles are grafted into the root and stalk of Christ, we do not take on the nature of the Jews. We are an entirely different species, and we are not subject to the ordinances and laws that were given to apply to the Jewish nation. That is why, when Jewish people are saved today, they are grafted in the same way as the Gentiles, and are not related to God in the same way as the Jews were in the Old Testament. So Christians in our day are much different from the obedient Jews of old, and function according to an entirely different covenant. But we are grafted into the same root and stalk, and are subject to the same God as of old.
Our text speaks of us being brought into the fatness of the olive tree. In the Word of God, fatness refers to the good, the profitable, and the blessing. And that is what we receive as those who as wild olives have been grafted into the root and stalk of Christ. The good that we receive is from a God Who can be only good. We have as His purchased possessions received His righteousness. Although we still reside in sinful bodies, our souls have been delivered into eternal life and our spirits are enabled to function in harmony with the Holy Spirit who dwells within. Our position is so perfect that Scripture can refer to us as holy brethren. As such, we can be profitable to God. We are capable of serving Him and living lives that please Him. This can be and should be the desire of every believer. As for the blessing into which our grafting has brought us, we will require all of eternity to explore and measure. Our blessings in Christ overflow us every day and give us the joy and hope that mark the believer who appreciates his grafting.
What a blessing to be part of the great olive tree that is our eternal relationship to our Lord! -Jim MacIntosh