２
In order to partake of Christ as the olive tree with His riches, we need to be fully cut off from our old background, old history, old life, old habits, and old customs as wild branches—Rom. 11:24; cf. Eph. 4:22-24.
３
In order to experience being cut off from our old manner of life and to enjoy the experience of being grafted into Christ, we need to exercise our spirit to call on His name and pray-read His Word—Rom. 10:6-8; Eph. 6:17-18.
D
Romans 11 reveals that we are the branches of Christ as the olive tree (vv. 17, 24) to bear “olives” and produce soothing oil, signifying the Holy Spirit; John 15 reveals that we are the branches of Christ as the vine tree (v. 5) to bear “grapes” to produce invigorating wine, signifying the divine life; and in Luke 10 the good Samaritan poured oil and wine on the wounds of the dying one (vv. 33-34):
１
Oil and wine together become a healing to people; the more we abide in the Lord by calling on Him and pray-reading His Word, the more we will bear “olives” and “grapes” to produce oil and wine to pour into people who have been inwardly wounded and have become depressed and disappointed.
２
The oil of the olive tree was used to honor God and man (Judg. 9:8-9), signifying that those who walk by the Spirit honor God (Gal. 5:16, 25), and those who minister the Spirit honor man (2 Cor. 3:6, 8; Phil. 3:3).
３
The wine of the vine tree was used to cheer God and man (Judg. 9:12-13), signifying that those who enjoy Christ as their sacrificing and invigorating life cheer God (Matt. 9:17) and that those who minister Christ as their sacrificing and invigorating life cheer man (2 Cor. 3:6; Phil. 2:17; 2 Tim. 4:6).
Morning Nourishment
Luke 10:34 And he came to him and bound up his wounds and poured oil and wine on them...Judg. 9:13 But the vine said to them, Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?
The olive tree signifies Christ (cf. Rom. 11:17; Zech. 4:11-14; Rev. 11:4a) as the One who is full of the Holy Spirit and anointed with the Spirit (Luke 4:1a, 18a; Heb. 1:9), signified by the olive oil. The oil of the olive tree was used to honor God and man (Judg. 9:9), signifying that those who walk by the Spirit honor God (Gal. 5:16, 25), and those who minister the Spirit honor man (2 Cor. 3:6, 8). (Judg. 9:8, footnote 1)
The vine signifies Christ as the One who sacrificed Himself by being “pressed” on the cross to produce new wine to cheer God and man (Matt. 9:17). (Judg. 9:12, footnote 1)
Today’s Reading
Although we have been grafted into Christ, we... are still somewhat bound to our old ways, our old habits, and our old background. As long as we are bound to so many things, we can never partake of the riches of Christ.The more we breathe Christ, the more we partake of and enjoy His riches... The eventual result is that the more we pray-read the Word, the more we are filled with Christ, and the more we are cut off from our old background. There is no need for us to try to cut ourselves off from all the old things. The more we pray-read, the more our pray-reading will do the work of cutting us off from the old things... If we pray-read the Word daily, this pray-reading will cut us off from our old way of dressing. Spontaneously, something within us will do the work of cutting.
John 15 and Romans 11 speak of the branches of two kinds of trees—a grape vine and an olive tree. A vine produces grapes for making wine, and an olive tree produces olives for making oil... Oil has the effect of soothing, and wine has the effect of invigorating, of stirring up. The Lord is the olive tree that produces soothing oil, and He is also the vine that produces invigorating wine. Through all the generations many people have been inwardly wounded and have become depressed and disappointed. They need oil to soothe their wounds, and they need wine to stir them up. We are the branches of the vine and of the olive tree... that produce soothing oil and invigorating wine. Oil and wine put together become a healing to people. We can produce the soothing oil and the stirring wine by abiding in the Lord, and we can abide in the Lord by pray-reading His Word. The more we pray-read, the more we will abide in the Lord, the more we will enjoy the Lord, and the more we will bear “olives” and “grapes” to produce oil to soothe others’ wounds and wine to stir people up.
When we contact certain brothers and sisters, we have the sense that we are soothed, comforted, and stirred up... This indicates that these brothers and sisters are abiding in the Lord and enjoying the Lord by pray-reading the Word and calling, “O Lord,” throughout the day. Through their abiding in the Lord, much oil and wine are produced.
Both John 15 and Romans 11 give us one principle: we are not trees but branches. Furthermore, we are not a single branch but one of many branches. We need Christ as the tree with the fatness of its root, and we also need our fellow branches. Each of us is only one of the branches, and the branches coordinated together become the Body. This shows that we need Christ, and we also need the church. We need the root, and we need the other branches... Therefore, we all need to learn to pray-read the Word. By pray-reading we will enjoy Christ as the fatness, and we will be properly and adequately coordinated with the other branches. Then we will be able to enjoy the Body life. We will enjoy the fullness of the Godhead in Christ and in the church, and we will produce two kinds of fruit to yield oil and wine. This is God’s purpose. (CWWL, 1968, vol. 1, pp. 52-56)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1979, vol. 1, “Life Messages, Volume 2,” ch. 58