Of Wheat and Weeds; Matthew 13-15

May the mumbling commence!

I cannot help but notice the beauty of the ripening wheat fields here in Kansas.  Amber waves of grain are more than song lyrics.  The beauty is breathtaking.  Amidst the wheat fields, it is not difficult to notice where weeds have grown up – even for a city boy like me.  They break the pattern and stick out like a sore thumb. 

Why don’t farmers try to remove them?  My wife and I have a small backyard garden.  If we were a little more vigilant, we would be out there in the cool times of the day pulling weeds.  I would work in the early morning hours, and my wife would work in the cooler evening hours. 

Of wheat and weeds!  Jesus told a parable about just this topic.  Maybe he was near a wheat field when he told it.  Read the passage from Matthew thirteen:

Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.  But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.  When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 

The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' 

'An enemy did this,' he replied.

The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' 

'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'" (Verses 24-30)

If we rip out the weeds, the wheat may be damaged.  That is reason enough not to weed.  No one wants to damage the desired end-product!  But what does this parable mean? 

It is so lovely when an explanation is given in Scripture.  The best interpreter of Scripture is other Scripture!  Read the explanation that Jesus gave his disciples from later in Matthew chapter thirteen:

Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." 

He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 

As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.  The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.  They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.” (Verses 36-43)

Jesus has sown the children of the kingdom into the world.  The devil has sown his own evil children into the world to cause sin to occur.  None of the evil children will be removed for the sake of the kingdom children.  Why are there evil people in the world?  To protect the kingdom children?!?  Really?!? 

And how long do we need to wait until the separation of kingdom children from the children of the devil?  We wait until the end of the age, and angels of God will do the harvesting.  I thank God that Jesus will be with us through the gift of the Holy Spirit until the end of the age!

It’s not been long since you and I may have been considered weeds.  In fact, many of us are still attached quite closely to those who do evil deeds.  To pull the weeds of dissention would destroy the family God is creating in the world. 

How can the Holy Spirit best help us with the weeds in our midst?  The Holy Spirit can help us see what the weeds have the potential to become.  Even as an evil seed can propagate evil in the good seed, the good seed can also propagate good in the bad. 

The children of the devil are being given a patient chance to welcome adoption into God’s family.  I am adopted and so are you.  Let us have patience and mercy and grace and love for the weeds in our gardens.  They may be transformed, and we will have more company in the sun in the kingdom of our heavenly Father.

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out