Every gardener hates weeds. They spread. They kill. They destroy. So, any good gardener is constantly on the look out for weeds in their gardens – flower or produce – and if they spot one they pull it out of the ground. And they don’t just pull the top part, they make sure to pull all the way down to the roots. Otherwise, it will just grow make and spread. It’s simple. Gardeners don’t want weeds so they pull them up and destroy them.
Jesus tells us that God is the gardener of Paradise and the souls that will grow there (John 15). In Matthew 15, Jesus gives us more insight into God as a Gardner. Jesus tells us that any plant that attempts to grow in His garden that He did not plant God will pull it out from the roots. In other words, only those souls that follow God’s ways will be allowed to grow in His garden.
What does this tell us about God?
🧑🌾 God carefully watches His garden and is looking for potential dangers.
🧑🌾 God will not allow just any plant to grow in His garden – only those which He has planted.
🧑🌾 God will destroy all the weeds that attempt to infiltrate His garden.
🧑🌾 God knows which plants are His and which plants are weeds.
When Jesus makes this statement, He is talking to His disciples about the Pharisees who had just left in a huff after hearing some of Jesus’ teachings. The disciples were concerned Jesus had offended them but Jesus tells them plainly – God roots up any plant which He has not planted. Jesus is telling the disciples that the truth – God’s teaching – exposed the Pharisees as weeds and that God did not acknowledge them as His plants and instead would root them out.
We do not want to be like the Pharisees. We don’t want to think we are plants when we are in fact weeds.
So, guard what you say and do and think. You want your actions and thoughts to reflect God. As you engage others about the Scriptures, make sure you speak the truth and live the truth. You want to make sure your teachings and life reflect God.
Otherwise, God will consider you a weed. He will uproot you and you will not be part of His eternal garden. #lessonsfromthemastergardener
Adonai's Appeal 