Strength of the Root

I noticed today that the word strength appears nine teams in the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees in Jacob 5, and I think it is an important theme of this chapter. The Lord of the vineyard said to the servant, commenting on a tree that had brought forth good fruit: “Behold, the branches of the wild tree have taken hold of the moisture of the root thereof, that the root thereof hath brought forth much strength; and because of the much strength of the root thereof the wild branches have brought forth tame fruit” (v18). The branches grew because of the strength of the root, and for me that root represents to us Jesus Christ. We can grow and obtain strength because He has strength that He gives us. He used a similar metaphor when He spoke to His apostles shortly before His death: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:4-5). A branch of a tree is nothing without the base of the tree; it withers and dies if it is not connected to the tree and its roots. And so too it is with us—our strength comes from the “root” who is the Savior. Without Him we are nothing, and this allegory reminds us to seek strength from divine sources if we want to figuratively bring forth fruit: “Nevertheless, I know that the roots are good, and for mine own purpose I have preserved them; and because of their much strength they have hitherto brought forth, from the wild branches, good fruit” (v36). The strength of the roots is what will bring fruit to the branches.

                Earlier this month my son and I were biking home as the sun was setting. He was still wearing his sunglasses needed for the mountain trails, and so it was extra dark for him. As he rode along a road near our home, he came upon a branch sticking out into the shoulder of the road from a very big tree. He didn’t see it until too late, and he hit it and fell off his bike, injuring his wrists because of it. I stopped to help him, and as we were there by the side of the road, a couple walked by and checked on us. Learning what had happened they examined the branch that had caused the crash. It had no leaves on it despite the fact that the rest of the tree was full of leaves. The man pulled on it and was able to get it out of the tree, and his conclusion was that it actually hadn’t been connected to the tree. It was a branch that had fallen from somewhere above and stayed in the tree, even though it was no longer part of it. That’s why it was without leaves and thus very hard for my son to see in the dim light. As I think about that branch it is a reminder that we have to do more than pretend to be connected to the Savior: being in the tree was not enough for the branch to keep growing. Because it had been broken off from the root, the branch was dead and could no longer grow. This branch was like some of those of the olive trees: “The wild branches began to be plucked off and to be cast away” (v73). It is a warning that we must get our strength from the Lord—we must always stay connected to the root by holding fast to our covenants.

                At one point in the allegory the servant answered the master’s question about what had caused the corruption of the vineyard. He said, “Is it not the loftiness of thy vineyard—have not the branches thereof overcome the roots which are good? And because the branches have overcome the roots thereof, behold they grew faster than the strength of the roots, taking strength unto themselves” (v48). If we try to work only in our own strength—the strength of man—and not rely on the strength of the Lord, we will be in trouble. If we want to thrive and bring forth the fruit the Lord expects of us, we need strength from the root of Jesus Christ.