Life is full of mysteries we cannot explain. Scientists, philosophers, and theologians alike wrestle with questions bigger than themselves. Charles Darwin once admitted, “The mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble by us.” For all his searching, he confessed he never found complete joy because the deepest mystery— the mercy of God—remained hidden from him.
The Bible doesn’t shy away from the word mystery. In fact, Paul uses it often. But in Scripture, a mystery isn’t something forever unknowable. It’s something once hidden that God has now revealed. And in Romans 11, Paul unveils one of the greatest mysteries of all: that God’s mercy is wide enough to embrace both Jew and Gentile, bringing them together into His family.
Paul begins with reassurance: “God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning” (Romans 11:2). Though many in Israel rejected Jesus, God’s promises stand firm. Paul explains that Israel’s stumbling made room for the Gentiles to enter God’s family. But that isn’t the end of the story. God’s plan is not about rejection; it’s about restoration. Paul envisions a future where Israel, too, will be grafted back into God’s olive tree of salvation (Romans 11:23–24).
This is where mercy shines. Mercy is God withholding the judgment we deserve. Grace is Him giving us what we don’t deserve. Together, they form the heartbeat of the gospel. Paul makes it plain: “God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone” (Romans 11:32). Jew and Gentile alike, all of us stand guilty, and all of us can be rescued.
To make this vivid, Paul tells the story of branches. Some natural branches (Israel) were broken off because of unbelief. Wild branches (Gentiles) were grafted in by faith. But God can graft anyone back in because His mercy is greater than our sin. That’s the mystery: God doesn’t save because of heritage, merit, or effort. He saves because of mercy and grace.
We see this beautifully illustrated in the story of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar (Mark 10). He had no credentials, no worth in the eyes of the crowd. People told him to be quiet. But he cried out, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped. He always stops for those who call out in faith. Bartimaeus received not only sight but salvation and followed Jesus all the way to the cross.
That’s the invitation of Romans 11. We are all Bartimaeus, beggars in need of mercy. The good news is that mercy is not hidden; it has been revealed in Jesus Christ. He is the stairway between heaven and earth, the promise-keeper who unites all people in one family.
So cry out for mercy. Throw off whatever hinders you. Run to Jesus. He will hear you. He will stop for you. And He will save you.
“Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” (Romans 11:33, NLT).
We can’t possibly fathom the depths of God’s mercy and grace, but we can know enough to receive it.