A Luxuriant Olive Tree in the House of God

The Symbolic Olive Tree

God's mercy is manifest in his impartiality as well as in his provision for a resurrection.  The apostle Paul used the olive tree to illustrate how Jehovah's mercy extends to people regardless of their race or background. For centuries the Jews had prided themselves on being God's chose people, 'the offspring of Abraham.' -John 8:33;  Luke 3:8. 

Being born into the Jewish nation was not in itself a requirement for obtaining divine favor.  Jesus' earliest disciples, however, were all Jews, and they had the privilege of being the first humans selected by God to make up the promise seed of Abraham.  (Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:29)  Paul likened these Jewish disciples to branches of a symbolic olive tree. 

The majority of the natural Jews rejected Jesus, disqualifying themselves as future members of the "little flock," or "the Israel of God." (Luke 12:32; Galatians 6:16)  Thus, they became like symbolic olive branches that had been lopped off. Who would take their place?  In the year 36 C.E., Gentiles were chosen to become part of Abraham's seed. It was as if Jehovah had grafted wild olive branches onto the garden olive tree. Those who would make up  the promised seed of Abraham would include people of the nations. Gentile-Christians could now become 'sharers of the olive's root of fatness.' -Romans 11:17.

For a farmer, grafting a wild olive branch onto a garden olive tree would be unthinkable and "contrary to nature." (Romans 11:24) "Graft the good upon the wild, and, as the Arabs say, it will conquer the wild," explains the work The Land and the Book, "but you cannot reverse the process with successes."  Jewish Christians were likewise amazed when Jehovah "for the first time turned his attention to the nations to take out of them a people for his name." (Acts 10:44-48; 15:44) This was a clear sign, however, that the outworking of God's purpose did not depend on any one nation. No, for "in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him." -Acts 10:35. 

Paul indicated that since unfaithful Jewish "branches " of the olive tree has been lopped off, the same could happen to anyone else who through pride and disobedience did not remain in Jehovah's favor.  (Romans 11:19, 20) This surely illustrates that God's undeserved kindness should never be taken for granted. -2 Corinthians 6:1.

Next time: A Luxuriant Olive Tree in the House of God- Greasing with Oil

From the Watchtower magazine, 2000