APRIL 25, 2024
“But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.”(Matthew 15:13)
True believers are plants of the heavenly Father’s own planting. Though ministers who labor in the Lord’s vineyard are said to “plant” (I Cor. 3:6), only God Himself can put the Gospel seed into the “good ground.” There are many “tares” that grow along with the Lord’s wheat, but Jesus has made it clear that an enemy planted them there (Matt. 13:28). One thing is sure, whosoever else may be responsible for their planting other than the Lord Himself, they will most assuredly, sooner or later, be “rooted up.”
According to Ecclesiastes 3:2, there is “a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is panted.”The same verse begins by saying that there is “A time to be born, and a time to die.” In both cases, it is God who makes the determination as to the times. God plants nations in His own time, and He also removes them when they have served their purpose. There is a time for men to plant, a time of the year, a time of their lives; but when that which is planted has grown up fruitless and useless, it is time to pluck it up. “Why cumbereth it the ground?”
Jesus, in this text, sets forth a very solemn truth. We remember His parable of the barren fig tree. Three years it took up space in the vineyard, but had produced no figs. Only because of the pleading of the dresser was it granted a stay of execution for one additional year. In the parable, we are not told if it began to produce fruit, or if it, in the end, had to be cut down. The Lord, in this case, does not say how long-suffering His Father will be, only that all plants that are not authentically His will be rooted up – if not before, then most certainly in the Day of Judgment.
We learn from the situation here one sure way to know if one is not of the Lord’s planting. Jesus had spoken certain truths that the Pharisees found highly objectionable. His frightened disciples brought the matter to His attention. He made no apology for speaking the truth (neither must we), but simply implied in His answer that those who would not hear the truth were not of the Father’s planting. Of course, we understand the particular application of these words to the scribes and Pharisees, who were great usurpers of power and authority, and were blind leaders of the blind. They rejected Christ as Messiah, and eventually clamored for His death because they feared having their place taken from them (see John 11:48). But that said, these solemn words have a much broader application to Christ’s church, and those within it who are not of the Lord’s planting. They will often expose their lack of authenticity in their opposition to essential Gospel truths. They may find fault with the great doctrine of Justification by faith without works. More often, at least among Bible-believing churches, there are those who will disagree with the equally essential truth of Sanctification. Some even believe in what they call “hyper-grace,” which embraces what the Apostle Paul emphatically denounced – the idea of continuing in sin that grace may abound. These are as guilty of opposing the truth as were the Pharisees and Sadducees of Christ’s day; or even the modern-day Sadducees who deny fundamental doctrines of the faith, such as Christ’s virgin birth, His deity, His vicarious death, and bodily resurrection, etc. Those who will not adhere to the Word of Truth are not of the Lord’s planting, and Jesus said, “They shall be rooted up.”
Who planted these in the church if the Father did not do it? I think that over-zealous preachers and “soul winners” have planted some of them with their “easy believism” evangelism. In some cases, perhaps parents have had a part; and some are simply self-planted. Of course, as in the case of the tares among the wheat, the enemy of the church is behind it. Are you one of the Lord’s plantings, and a lover of truth? The Father’s plants are all, without exception, believers and lovers of Truth.
Speak Your Mind