‘But he answered and said, “Every plant which my heavenly Father did not plant, will be rooted up.” '
Jesus reply here may well have had the parable of the tares (darnel) in mind (Matthew 13:38-40). Every plant which has not been planted by His heavenly Father must be rooted up, (for those planted by the Lord see Psalms 1:3; Isaiah 60:21; Isaiah 61:3; For rooting up see Ezekiel 17:9). When it came to God's truth there was no place for the Pharisees unless they changed their whole attitude. Men must now turn from the ritual which had been built up to a full response to the Kingly Rule of Heaven. Thus unless the Pharisees came under the Kingly Rule of Heaven by responding to Him, they would have to be removed from their place.
God's solution, however, is simple (if difficult) and is described here. Look at what comes out of the inner man in behaviour. If that is right other things will begin to fall into place. But if that is wrong, all the rest is a waste of time. There can be no true religion without true morality. God's solution, however, is simple (if difficult) and is described here. Look at what comes out of the inner man in behaviour. If that is right other things will begin to fall into place. But if that is wrong, all the rest is a waste of time. There can be no true religion without true morality.
Here then was a clear indication that Pharisaic belief as a whole was not of God's planting. What was required therefore was a turning back to the Scriptures. It was those who responded to God's true Servant, and who obeyed Him and His words, who would become ‘trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord' (Isaiah 61:3). For they would reveal the true righteousness. They would be the ‘sons of the Kingly Rule' who were planted by God (Matthew 13:38), who would ‘seek first the Kingly Rule of God and His righteousness' (Matthew 6:33). It was they, who served God from the heart, who were really doing what God wanted.