Written by Elane Bernardo, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Caruaru, Pernambuco
If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches. 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…Do not be arrogant, but tremble. (Ro 11:16-18a, 20b NIV)
Beloved sisters,
With affection, I invite you, before proceeding with this reading, to pray and ask God to speak to your heart through His Word, just as He has spoken and deeply touched my heart.
There is a very common tendency in the human heart: to look at the fruit before looking at the root.
People seek change, growth, spiritual strength, and transformation, but often all of this is pursued through their own efforts, as if life with God depended on the ability to produce visible results.
Romans 11 shows us another way.
It presents the image of an olive tree, with a sacred root and branches that live from the sap that comes from it. Some branches have been broken off, while others, which did not originally belong to the tree, have been grafted on. This image not only explains a spiritual truth, but also repositions the heart.
Life doesn't begin in the branch.
Strength doesn’t lie in the branch.
Fruit doesn't grow from the branch.
Everything comes from the root.
The holiness mentioned in verse 16 is not something produced, but transmitted. The branches only participate in this life because they are connected to that which is holy. This confronts a spirituality based on effort, where one tries to produce fruit without prioritizing connection.
Bearing fruit is not about producing something for God, but about allowing His life to manifest itself through those who are truly connected to the root. When this truth is forgotten, what should be fruitful becomes an attempt. What should flow becomes a burden. And spiritual life begins to be lived as constant effort, not as dependence.
The text also presents an important warning: some branches were broken off by unbelief. This reveals that it is not enough to be near. It is not enough to appear to be a part of something. Permanence is not sustained by appearances, but by faith.
And it is at this point that the Word clearly directs: "Do not be arrogant, but tremble."Spiritual pride is silent. It doesn't necessarily manifest itself in words, but in self-sufficiency. It arises when there is confidence in one's own path, when dependence on God ceases to be daily and becomes occasional.
But the truth remains: it is not the branch that supports the root. It is the root that supports the branch.
When this is forgotten, the connection weakens. Structure may still exist, there may still be an appearance of life, but the flow of sap is no longer the same. And without sap, there is no fruit.
On the other hand, when there is a true connection, the fruit becomes inevitable. It manifests itself in attitudes, choices, and the way of living in the face of daily situations--not as something forced, but as evidence of a life sustained by God.
The text concludes with a serious warning: if God did not spare the natural branches, neither should we live carelessly before Him. This does not point to fear, but to reverence—a conscious, aligned, and dependent life—a life that understands that being grafted in is a grace, and that remaining is a daily decision.
Therefore, bearing fruit doesn't begin with what one does, but with where one is connected. And in light of this, a necessary question remains:
Has life been lived from the root that sustains it, or is there still an attempt to produce fruit through one's own strength?
