The master asked his servant if he knew of any way this tree might yet be induced to bring forth good fruit. The servant said that by grafting in the wild Gentile branches they had at least kept the roots of the tree alive. In other words, the Gentile Christians had brought forth all kinds of wild fruit, but at least they had preserved the scriptures or the "good word of God," which we have already identified as the meaning of the root of the tree.
But the master pointed out that neither the tree nor the roots were of any value so long as they produced evil fruit. He acknowledged, however, that he had deliberately kept this tree and its roots alive because he knew that in them was much strength, in fact, the very strength which had produced good fruit before. Unfortunately, however, the wild Gentile branches had overrun the strength of the roots. This would imply that the Gentile Christians had built up elaborate churches contrary to the scriptures. This is borne out by verse 48 where the servant says the branches of the tree have grown faster than the roots and "taken strength unto themselves." The master knew that unless something remarkable occurred the mother tree would perish and have to be destroyed.