2001.11.18. Washingtonians(24)/Thanksgiving Sunday - Rev Young Jin Cho

As we have been ingrafted

Romans 11:1-24

Last week, I talked about the Israelites who had zeal without knowledge, as Paul wrote in Romans chapter 10. We have thought about the Israelites who sought righteousness through their obeying the laws and their works rather than through the grace of God. We learned that their hearts were closed for the justification by God but they sought their own justification.

The Good News of Jesus Christ is still telling us today: "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be save. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."(Romans 10:9-10) Whoever believes in Jesus Christ will not be put to shame. Our Lord richly blesses all who call on him, even today.

But, Israelites are still not coming to the Lord. We have been thinking about Paul's anguish and lamentation about his own people, from Chapter 9. Let's think about Paul's message, which preaches the meaning of disobedience of Israelites.

I

Disciple Paul, who has been expressing his anguish and worry for Israelites who have closed their hearts towards the Good News of Christ, starts chapter 11 with a conclusive question: "Did God reject his people? In another words, "Have God given up on Israelites who have refused the God's Grace of Salvation?" "Have they been rejected by God?"

Disciple Paul follows with an answer. "By no means!" He said it's not possible. Even though they have closed their hearts now, but God has not either given up on them, or rejected them. As his conviction, Paul gave two examples.

(1) First, he gave himself as an example. As written in the later part of Chapter 11, verse 1, Disciple Paul is an Israelite. He is a descendant of Abraham, and he is from the tribe of Benjamin from which the first king of Israelites was raised. If God had given up on Israelites, Paul who is an Israelite has to be rejected also. But the fact is, God had not. That proves God had not deserted Israelites.

(2) As the second example, he introduced a passage from Elijah, in Chapter 11:2-6. It is about when Elijah was running for his life from Jezebel who was the wife of Ahab. Elijah traveled through deserts and reached Mount Horeb when God appeared to him. Elijah appealed to God: "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." And God answered to him: "You think you are alone, but I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the kneel to Baal."

What does this mean? Even though people are worshiping Baal and Asherah, there were 7,000 people who sincerely believed God. There were still a remnant in that land. God said, that's why you are not alone and lonely. By giving this history, God was trying to tell Paul, who was worried and feeling lonely, that God had not deserted Israelites because there are still a remnant by grace. That's right. Even though Israelites were not accepting the Good News, God had not given up on them. He had not deserted them. He still loves the chosen people who are in His plan.

Our God is good God. He has not given up on us and still loves us in spite of our disobedience. His love is very persistent. As Goethe said, if we were God, we would have been burst into a fit of rage. But God is very patient. He doesn't get angry easily. Even though we turn our backs to him, he still extends His hand to us. Even though we forget about him, He still remembers us. He is an expert in perseverance. He is patiently waiting for us. His love is constant. He is faithful.

II

What does it mean for Israelites to close their hearts to the Good News of Salvation through Jesus Christ, in God? What lies underneath Israelites' disobedience? Disciple Paul sees the working hands of God even in the disobedience of Israelites. He reads the works of faithful God in that tormenting situation.

(1) First, the refusal of Israelites opened the door for the Good News to be spread to the Gentiles.

In the first churches, the Good News was spread to Israelites. It was spread centering around Jerusalem and Judea. But as their resistance grew, the Good News of Christ started to spread towards the Gentiles. There is a good example in Acts Chapter 13. Barnabas and Paul were evangelizing in Pisidian Antioch, which is now Turkey, during their first journey. A lot of people gathered. Israelites were envious and they were refuting and slandering Paul's preaching. Paul and Barnabas courageously proclaimed: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles."

If Israelites accepted the Good News, perhaps, the interest to evangelize to the Gentiles would have been put off to much later. But since the Israelites refused, the Good News had been naturally spread to the Gentiles. Since Disciple Paul realized this, he called himself a disciple of the Gentiles.

(2) Therefore, Paul understood the fact the Gentiles accepted Christ would spur the Israelites to open the route to return to God.

In 11:11, Paul said: Israelites has not fallen beyond recovery, and because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles. And in 11:14, he said: "In hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them." Lives of the Gentiles with abundant life, true peace, and their fruitfulness will arouse Israelites to envy so that they accept the Good News of salvation. He witnessed that the transgression of Israelites has made the Gentiles to accept the Good news, and through the Gentiles, Israelites will come to Christ.

Dear everyone, our God is good God. He does not give up and waits for us, in spite of our disobedience and wickedness. And He turns all things good with His wisdom and His love. We can not measure his wisdom and love. That's why Disciple Paul said all things work for the good for people who love God.

Israelites' disobedience, it is cleary sinful. It torments God. It gave Paul great worry and endless anguish. But God worked through this disobedience. God worked through sins with his transcendent wisdom and power. He showed his love and his holy will. He is wise. He loves us so.

III

Disciple Paul tells us the God's work of love using an example of olive tree in chapter 11, verse 17. Israelites who are chosen by God are true olive trees. Some of the branches of olive tree have been broken off. And the wild olive shoot, the Gentiles who accepted Jesus Christ, have been grated in as children of God. Now, they are experiencing God's grace and power as true olive tree.

Through this example, Disciple Paul encourages the Christians in Rome and also us who live in Washington: "Now that you are grafted in true olive tree, do not be arrogant but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Be grateful for your priceless salvation and live in the love of God."

That's right. Compared to Israelites, we are all Gentiles. We didn't know God. Now, we have accepted the Good News of Jesus Christ and became children of God. We are living the new lives as we are grafted into true olive tree. That's the wonderful grace of God. That is the constant love of God. It is because of God's love that works all things for the good, even through sins.

Now, I would like to share a few messages with you that teach us that we are now branches of true olive tree.

(1) First, we have to remember that our lives are not ours any more. We have changed to live in God's love and will.

Everyone, what is wild olive shoot? It grows unattended, arbitrarily. It does not receive love and care. But this wild olive shoot is broken off and grated into the true olive tree. The wild life has ended. It has changed to children of God, people of God. Are you grated into the words of Good News? Please do not forget!

Do any of you worry about the inconvenience of living without your free will? What have you accomplished when you lived according to your free will and desire? What have you been longing for? Disciple Paul proclaims in Romans 8:5-6; "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the minds controlled by the Spirit is life and peace."

And in Romans 8:13, he witnessed; "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live."

Have you been grated into the true olive tree? I hope that you no longer live according to your desires, but live in the Love of God.

(2) Second, I want us to remember the importance of the root that nourishes the branches. As written in today's scripture, 11:18, we do not support the root, but the root supports us.

As we are grated, we can never emphasize too much about the importance of the root which supports the branches. Through this root, we receive our nourishments. Biblicists had different opinions about this root. But most of us understand it as our ancestors of faith. Because true olive tree is referred as chosen people of God. This could also mean the patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the history of Israel. But in a broader sense, it could mean the forerunners of faith or our parents who have been the base of our faith. Through their dedication and prayers, it has resulted us to be grafted into the true olive tree.

Everyone, for us to be here, there are sisters and brothers who have encouraged us and nourished us for our faith. We also have our parents who passed down their faith to us. Please remember their faith and prayers. Please remember that their prayers and love is supporting the branches of my faith. Please be grateful.

(3) Third, now we are grafted into the true olive tree, from being the wild olive shoot, we need to bear fruit of true olive tree.

Everyone, what's the difference between the true olive tree and the wild olive shoot? It's the fruit. When you see the fruit, you can distinguish the true olive tree from the wild olive shoot. Are you truly grafted into the children of God? Your life has to change. Now you have to bear fruit of Holy Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control, these are the fruit of the Spirit that we have to bear in our lives. We have to bear these fruit, not only in the church, but also at our homes and at work.

Bible warns branches that do not bear fruit. Jesus scolded the fig tree that didn't bear fruit. In the parable of grape vine, Jesus said if they don't bear fruit, they will be thrown out and people will walk on them. In the old testament, they showed deep disappointment and lamentation when, even though, best grape tree was planted but bore wild grapes.

We are now grafted into the true olive tree. Now, our lives have to change. We have to bear fruit of changed lives. Bearing abundant fruit and changed lives, aren't they the only way to live for Christians who have been grafted into the true olive tree? Isn't this the only way we can respond to the grace of our Lord?

Today is Thanksgiving Sunday. Because we are not farmers, we might not know the true joy of the harvest. What is the greatest gratitude for us, Christians? What are we really thankful for?

Isn't it that we, who were in the darkness, have found the light in Christ? Isn't it the wonderful grace of becoming the children of God, after being grafted into the true olive tree, from being the wild olive shoot? Isn't the faithful God who waits for us, the core of our thanksgiving? Shouldn't we thank God who makes all things work for good, for His great love? If there is fruit of change in our lives, even though it might be small, shouldn't we thank God who makes all things possible?

I would like to introduce a story of Rev. Hak Il Chang who led our revival a few years ago. He had wandered during his teenage years. He had to go through many hardships because his family was poor. He was deeply hurt when teachers didn't let him take the exams because he didn't pay his tuition. He once pleaded to his teacher for 4 hours, to let him take the test promising that he will bring the tuition the next day. But the teacher cursed and said, "You didn't pay it until now, you will never pay it" and didn't let him take the test. His pain has made him rebel against his parents. He started to resent his father who gave tithe when he can not pay his son's tuition. He resented his mother who brought rice offerings to church when she cannot feed her children. He protested to God for his poverty. He started to dislike his parents. He stopped going to church and ran away from home. He associated with street shoe-shine boys. He snatched his friends' tuition and tormented them.

One day, he heard that his mother fainted and he went home. His mother was sick in bed. When he went in, his mother ran out to greet him and cried out to him; "How hard has it been for you? Are you hungry? Are you okay?" He cried with his mother. As soon as his father heard the news that his son came back home, he came home. When Rev. Chang was expecting punishment from his father, his father held his hands and said; "Let's eat, you must be hungry." At the table, his father prayed; "God, please forgive this child for I have not been a good father. Please forgive me and punish me." As he was praying and crying, the whole family cried with him, including Rev. Chang.

That day, Rev. Chang has come to the realization: Even though he resented his parents for their poverty, he realized that his parents, his brothers and sisters are the ones who truly love him, not the street friends. After that, Rev. Chang started a new life. Overcoming the crisis, he began to live a life of branch that is grafted into the true olive tree. He still remembers that his parents are the fertilizer for his faith. He remembers the root of his new life. And he is living his life thanking them.

We were all wild olive shoots. But, by believing the Good News of Christ, we have been grafted into the true olive tree. It is wonderful grace. It is wonderful love. Let us all thank God. Let us all praise his love.

The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell....
Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill And every man a scribe by trade
To write the love of God above....
Oh love of God, how rich and pure, How measureless and strong!
It shall forever more endure, The saints' and angels' song.