Rooted Up Plants - Matthew 15:13

Matthew the apostle wrote, “Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Do you know that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?”, and in chapter fifteen and verse thirteen of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus shared how certain plants, “shall be rooted up” where we read:

But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up.

The verse reads, “But he answered and said, ...”. Matthew began with the word, “but” which means “moreover and” “he answered” or “Jesus began to speak and responded” “and said” which means “and uttered, declared and proclaimed”. Matthew shared how Jesus responded to the disciples' question about offending the Pharisees.

The verse continues, “Every plant, which my heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up.” Matthew added the words, “every plant” which means “each, the whole, all and everyone of the planted shrubs or vegetables” “which my heavenly Father” which means “that God” “has not planted” or “has not instilled and set in the earth”, “shall be rooted up” which means “will be plucked out of the ground by the roots”. Matthew shared how God will “pluck out of the ground” each and every “plant” that He did not put there.

When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see Jesus once again employing an agrarian illustration to demonstrate how God interacts with people who are not in alignment with Him. Everyone who reports themselves to be followers of God are not actually His. God knows those who claim to be “Christians” but they do not live accordingly. God knows them, and He desires every person to be in a personal loving relationship with Him through His Son Jesus. Those who receive Jesus as their “Savior and Lord” shall be preserved and saved, and those who reject Him and turn after their own way shall be “rooted up” from their positions of faith.

Next time Matthew shares how Jesus tells His disciples what happens with, “let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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