Christian Texts and History • Re: Origen on the heterodox

15.12 Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" 15.13 He answered, "Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up."

And as in many cases we have to consider the astonishment of the Jews at the words of the Saviour, because they were spoken with authority, so also in regard to the words in this place. Having called the multitudes therefore, He said to them, Hear and understand, [Matthew 15:10] etc. And He said this, the Pharisees being offended at this saying, as, because of their evil opinions and their worthless interpretation of the law, they were not the plant of his own Father in heaven, and on this account were being rooted up; [Matthew 15:13] for they were rooted up as they did not receive the true vine, which was cultivated by the Father, even Jesus Christ. [John 15:1] For how could they be a plant of His Father who were offended at the words of Jesus, words which turn men away from the precept, Handle not, nor taste, nor touch — all which things were to perish in the using — after the precepts and doctrines of men, [Colossians 2:21-22] but induce the intelligent hearer of them to seek in regard to them the things which are above and not the things upon the earth as the Jews do? [Colossians 3:2] And since, because of their evil opinions, the Pharisees were not the plant of His Father in heaven, on this account, as about such as were incorrigible, He says to the disciple, Let them alone; [Matthew 15:14] Let them alone, He said for this reason, that as they were blind they ought to become conscious of their blindness and seek guides; but they, being unconscious of their own blindness, profess to guide the blind, not reckoning that they would fall into a pit ...

After this, it is worth while to look at the phrase which has been assailed in a sophistical way by those who say that the God of the law and the God of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not the same; for they say that the heavenly Father of Jesus Christ is not the husbandman of those who think that they worship God according to the law of Moses. Jesus Himself said that the Pharisees, who were worshipping the God who created the world and the law, were not a plant which His heavenly Father had planted, and that for this reason it was being rooted up. [Matthew 15:13] But you might also say this, that even if it were the Father of Jesus who brought in and planted the people, when it came out of Egypt, to the mountain of His own inheritance, to the place which He had prepared for Himself to dwell in, [Exodus 15:17] yet Jesus would have said, in regard to the Pharisees, Every plant which My heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up. Now, to this we will say, that as many as on account of their perverse interpretation of the things in the law were not a plant of His Father in heaven, were blinded in their minds, as not believing the truth, but taking pleasure in unrighteousness, [2 Thessalonians 2:12] by him who is deified by the sons of this world, and on this account is called by Paul the god of this world. [2 Corinthians 4:4]

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.