Paul asks and answers his own question, is God rejecting his chosen people? He reminds the reader that he too an Israelite, descended from Abraham and Benjamin, just like Jesus, with a personal stake in this debate. God is not rejecting his people, even though as a group they have acted against his ways many times historically. (Christians wading into this debate can also meditate on our own spotty history as well.)

Paul reminds the reader, that there is a faithful remnant, just like in the time of the prophet Elijah. In the book of 1 Kings, after fighting the pagan priests and being pursued by corrupt royals, Elijah had been feeling sorry for himself, and thought that he was the lone, surviving believer. “But what is God’s reply to him? ‘I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’” Romans 11:4 & 1 Kings 19:18

Here Paul speaks of those God foreknew as the Elect. In Christian circles, a debate has gone on for many years about whether God picks Christian individuals for grace ahead of time, but in the context, he’s talking about the chosen people of Israel, not sects within Christianity. That being said, the tension between choosing and being chosen may still apply. 

As we approach this holiday week, I can’t help but reflect on how this relates to our own personal families. Some family members are born in, some are married in, and some are adopted in. There has also been divorce and estrangement. Some birth parents have a kid, but choose not to raise them, while others do the work and become “Mom” and “Dad” by practice. We can even petition a judge to make it legal, making them “real parents” by adding their names to the birth certificate.

Returning to the orchard metaphor, Paul likens the situation to that of an olive tree that has old branches pruned and new branches grafted in. He says the new branch should not be arrogant towards the root stock where it takes its sustenance. The wild shoot should remember that it also may be trimmed up or cut off entirely by God, who is ultimately sovereign over the whole plant. Here, Paul is speaking of new believers versus old believers, the Jews and Christians.  Additionally, he reminds us all have been disobedient on some level, so we all require some grace. Doesn’t that sum up family dynamics as well? Instead of judging each other, we should learn how to honor and care for one other with gratitude and a heart of reconciliation in our great, big family of God.