But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of
the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches
from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the
blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich
nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.
One
of my favorite childhood memories is going on a Christmas tree hunt with Daddy.
I remember how my siblings and I donned our winter gear, then traversed the
farm, field and fountain, moor and mountain (okay, hill), in search of the
perfect tree. The problem was we were searching in the wild, where it is nearly
impossible to find a perfectly shaped tree. Time and time again, we’d come
across one that at first glance looked perfect and full, but when we got up
close and inspected all angles we saw how sparse it truly was. After too many
repeat episodes of disappointing trees, Daddy decided to chop down two trees
and put them back to back, hiding what was sparse and revealing what was full.
