Mystery & Humility

SCRIPTURE: If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. Romans 11:17-20 NIV

THOUGHT: The human need for superiority is nothing short of astonishing. Across the world, we fight and war and control and abuse and otherwise step on others just so we can have our pride. For many (including many Christians), humility is equal to humiliation – we do not want to be embarrassed or feel “less than” in any way. My point is that this is deeply human, wound as tightly into our core as it was the ancient Christians to whom Paul was writing. But regeneration flows up to us from the same root that sustained them. By some mystery that makes God deserving of words like omnipotent and omniscient, he is able to break off branches, graft branches in, and even restore branches that he has broken off.

Paul concludes, “And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again (v. 23).”

To God belongs the mystery, to us the humility. Do not be arrogant, but tremble.

PRAYER: Oh God, forgive us our need to always be “right,” our penchant to step on others to keep our pride intact, our neurotic insistence that we be seen as perfect olive branches, not wild olive shoots grafted into a root that is sustained by your power and mercy. Help us to walk in humility and trust you, rather than ourselves, for righteousness.