The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds – Matthew 13:24-30
October 28th, 2005We enter week two in a three week journey through the 13th chapter of St. Matthew’s gospel. It’s his “parables” chapter. Seven parables grouped together – each one opening a different window for us to look into the Kingdom of Heaven through. Each one revealing an aspect about the Kingdom of Heaven slightly different than the other. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a perfectly cut diamond – each turn reveals a different facet, a different sparkle and color and beauty. And these parables the perfect setting.
Jesus begins saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field…” He explains, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the children of the kingdom.”
That takes us back to the beginning when the world was a blank slate – nothing written on it. “The earth was without form and void and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Gen.1:2) And by the Word and not without the Word, God spoke creation into being and it was good. “And God saw everything that he made and behold it was very good.” (Gen.1:31). It was good and nothing but good. This was no Ivory Soap creation – 99 44/100% pure. It was 100% pure.
So, why is there evil in the world? Why are there diseases and disasters that work against the good man and woman that God made and where did they come from? Why are there bad people who terrorize good people and where did such wickedness come from? Why is there so much unhappiness and despair and where did it come from?
Was it impure soil with slight traces of weed seeds in it before God got to planting His good seed in it? Or was God’s seed impure? Maybe He used a cheaper brand that isn’t as refined as the good stuff. Or did God intentionally sow some bad seed along with the good? I’ve always like the Far Side comic that shows God creating the world and from shaking a shaker labeled “Jerks” and the caption reads – “Just to make things interesting.”
But Jesus answers all our questions once and for all saying, “The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil.” The most terrible night of the world was that night sometime after the 7th day of creation when the enemy of God snuck into His very good creation and scattered his bad seed everywhere.
Now, instead of world where all is good and nothing is bad, there is both good and bad in the world. The devil holds out the forbidden fruit to Adam and Eve with the alluring temptation that by eating it they may know “good and evil.” And they ate. And the good world was contaminated. And God saw all that He had made and instead of a blessing He pronounces the curse upon it saying to the devil, “cursed are you…” And to the man, “cursed is the ground because of you… thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you..” (Gen.3:14,17,18). “And the whole creation groans as in pains of childbirth. And not only the creation but we ourselves groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:22-24).
This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. This isn’t how God created things. But Jesus tells it like it is – and we can attest to the reality of life in this world where there is good and evil. This is no “Garden of Eden” and life is no bed of roses.
And now Jesus brings us into the life of the children of God who live in this world of good and evil. “And the servants of the master of the house came and said to Him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field” How then does it have weeds?” Or as we usually say it, “why would God create the world with evil in it? Why wouldn’t He just create it with good so there wouldn’t be any evil?” “He could have prevented it. Why didn’t he?” And suddenly we realize that the bad seed has taken root even in the servants of the master. For there is blame in their voice. And they don’t trust Him or His Word as completely as they should.
But being dutiful servants and believing that their master is a bit feeble and careless and not all that capable of handling complex problems such as this one on His own, they offer their help. “Do you want us to go and gather them?” They’re activists. They propose a rally. And the cry goes out, “man your weed whackers.”
But the master tells them to put their weed whackers away. And His course of action is so radically different from ours that it really catches us by surprise and maybe even offends us. “Let both grow together until the harvest…”
That means that the “children of the kingdom” and the “sons of the evil one” get the same treatment until harvest time comes. “He makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45). And to dip into last week’s parable for a moment, He sows His seed. He sows it among the hard-packed soil and on the rocky soil and among the thorns just as He does in good soil. The Word of life and salvation through Jesus Christ goes out to the good and the bad, the right and the wrong, the saints and the terrorists, the believers and the unbelievers, the weeds and the wheat – without discrimination.
While the servants are focused on rooting out evil, the master is focused on raising up children who have His name. The servants want to ‘throw the bums out,” and the master wants to make sons and daughters of the bums. The gospel is not a tool to produce a weed free society. It is the means of grace and the only means by which men may be saved. And quite frankly, the weeds do nothing to hinder the good seed from taking root and growing. In fact, historically, the gospel has taken root and the Church has grown the fastest when evil and persecution abounds. If “God can raise up children out of these stones,” then He can certainly produce a fruitful harvest of believers even in the midst of the densest unbelief.
Focus on the evil in the world you’ll loose sight of the Holy Spirit at work in the world and in your life. If we focus on what is wrong with this world, we will loose sight of the one thing that is right with this world, which is that “God so loves this world that He sent His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). The one thing right with this world is that the sower of the good seed has been crucified and raised to life and has sent His Holy Spirit. And He continues to sow that seed of life generously and it will produce it’s crop – and the weeds will not overcome it..
Just because Jesus says, “Let the two grow together” doesn’t mean that we do nothing. It doesn’t mean that we don’t work for social justice, or that we ignore the poor and oppressed and don’t work for good laws and good government. These are part and parcel to our calling as servants of the master – to love our neighbor with the love of Christ and be Christ’s hands and feet and God’s answer to the prayers of our neighbors. But we also harbor no illusions of a weed-free utopia.
Jesus says, “this is what the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to.” It’s no spiritual retreat to the “island of bliss.” The evil one has sown his evil and it seems like it grows faster and stronger than the good. In fact, sometimes it seems like it will overcome the good.
What’s more, this weed seed has taken root even in us – and we are the children of God. We are both good and bad. Simultaneously saint and sinner. Evil is so deeply entangled in our own lives, that to go rooting up evil now would also mean our own destruction. “Leave it alone” Jesus says. “For while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.”
Rather, says Jesus, “Let both grow together until the harvest and at the harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” (It’s obvious that Jesus never read the “Left Behind” stories because if He did He’d realize He’s got it backwards!)
But we’ll let Jesus explain Himself to us and let LaHaye and Jenkins explain themselves to Him. “The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. But the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”
As it turns out, God had sown yet another good seed in the beginning. A good seed different from all the rest. It was the seed of the woman. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and hers; and he will crush your head, and you will bruise His heel.” (Gen.3:15). Though to us it looks like the evil one and his evil crop is winning the day and overcoming the good – it will be crushed. And one day in a tiny town in a nameless barn, while almost no one was looking, that precious seed of the woman poked its head into this world. And on the cross, He was sorely bruised – by that cross He crushed the head of the evil one.
No, the weeds do not destroy the wheat but the wheat prevails. The evil in this world is not overcoming the good. The good has overcome the evil. “Christ is risen!” “He is risen indeed!”
No, God does not need our help in rooting out the evil in this world. He has rooted it out by His Son – the good seed in whom there is only good and no evil. And that day is coming when He will send His angels to separate the evil from the good just as He has already separated the evil out of you by taking it from you and onto Himself and nailing it to the cross. “I forgive you all of your sins.”
“This is what the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to….” This kingdom belongs to the Lord and He rules and reigns over it with His grace and power for the good of His children. The One who directs His angels to uproot and burn all the evil is the same One who atoned for all of your evil, who baptized you into His name, who continually separates the evil out of you by His blood shed for you.
Now, we live in a world of good and evil, and we are simultaneously saint and sinner. But the day will come when we will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of our Father. This calls for patient endurance, constant encouragement, remaining in the Word, and hearts fixed where true joy is to be found.
“He who has ears let Him hear.”
Related Entries:
» Sermon – Pentecost 2 – "Fruit of the Spirit – Love" – Galatians 5:19-23 – 6/6/10» Sermon – Advent 1 – "The Righteous Branch" – Jeremiah 33:14-16 – 11/29/09
» The Parables of the Hidden Treasurea and the Priceless Pearl – Matthew 13:44-52
» Sermon – "The Vineyard of the Lord" – Matthew 21:33-46 – 10/5/08
» Sermon Index – Lutheran – LCMS
» Sermon – Pentecost 22 – "The Invitation You Can't Refuse" – Matthew 22:1-14 – 10/12/09
