But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
The disciples were concerned that Jesus had offended the Pharisees. There are several reasons why we might be concerned when others are offended:
It can be a sin to offend.
For example, offending a little one and preventing them from being saved is a serious matter.
It can be viewed as unkind and unchristian to offend.
This may or may not be true, depending on the situation. Some are so worried about offending others that they refuse to take a stand for anything.
It can create enemies to offend.
I suspect this was the disciples’ primary concern. The Pharisees were a powerful force at the time and having them as opponents made for uphill struggles.
Jesus simply answered, “Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.” The plant not planted by God could represent man-made commandments, wrong ideologies, or heretical doctrines. These things can infiltrate even the best churches and the most conscientious believers. When they spring up, it is proper to correct and uproot them.
In this context, I believe the thing to be uprooted was the movement of the Pharisees. Jesus did not come merely to replace false doctrine but to upend the entire system the Jews had developed, including its forms: Pharisees, Sadducees, and even the Temple itself.
Before Christ finishes with this world’s system, He will uproot not only the false sense of Judaism[1] but also all man-made religions of the world—Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Mormonism, and etc... Butt it will not stop there.
Much, if not most, of modern Christianity is also man-planted. Catholicism, Protestantism, the Reformation, Calvinism, Arminianism, and the denominations that have grown out of those systems will likewise be entirely rooted up.
Of course, that’s offensive. People tend to defend vigorously what they have planted.
Jesus said, “I will build my church.”[2] A wise person will not assume on this subject. He will diligently seek to learn which church traces its origin to Christ. He will not presume that what he was taught, how his parents raised him, or what most people believe is correct. If there is evidence to suggest otherwise, he would be wise to investigate it.
Because not all the plants in the field were planted by God, and every plant He did not plant will one day be rooted up.
#BiblicalTruth #RootedInChrist #FaithfulLiving #GodsChurch #SoundDoctrine
Offending the Pharisees: A Biblical Warning for Modern Christianity
[1] There is a true sense which will one day be restored.
[2] Matthew 16:18
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