Wheat and Weeds
Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43
Romans 8: 12-25
Do you remember the games we played when we were young, where there were “goodies” and “baddies” (cowboys and indians, cops and robbers, or - for younger ones - the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars)
As Christians we can sometimes think in the same way – who are the “goodies” and who are the “baddies”?
We might even get spiritual about it: Who’s “in” this new Kingdom Jesus talks about and who’s “out”?
So we ask…
· Who’s got the right theology?
· Who’s living the right way?
· Whom can we ‘write off’ as having got it wrong? Or not being spiritual enough? Or not believing what we believe to be right?
· ‘What are we supposed to do about those who say they’re ‘in’, a ‘part of what God is doing’, but we’re really not happy with what they do, we’re not so sure…’
Are we right to ask these questions?
Do we end up thinking that “we” are the ones who have got it right, we are the ones who are “in”. Or do we end up saying “I am the only one who has really got it right”.
We might also find ourselves saying
· “Why doesn’t God sort out the ones who are “out”, those who are “clearly wrong” (in my opinion).
· Why doesn’t he sort out the evil in this world?
· And why doesn’t he do it now?
If we, or if I, were in charge, we would sort it out! Now!
Jesus told his disciples a parable that tells us two things:
1. Not everyone is ‘in’, ‘part of this new kingdom'. That there will be opposition to the coming of God’s kingdom by people who are not part of it...
2. There will also be a final judgement where things are sorted out. But that is God’s job. Not ours.
Firstly… Jesus talks about crops and weeds growing together.
The first thing to note about this is that it is not always clear who is “in” and who is “out”. Who is “good” and who is “evil”. In some cases, we can be pretty sure, but not in all cases…
Having read around a bit, it seems there are some varieties of weeds, or tares as some versions of the Bible state, that look a bit like wheat. “Darnel”, for example. The similarity between these two plants is so great that in some regions, darnel is referred to as "false wheat". But it is not wheat; the seeds are bitter. Yet it bears a close resemblance to wheat; they are hard to tell apart.
In these cases it is easy to see how pulling out the weeds could end up pulling out the growing wheat. It seems the wheat is just too important to be risked.
It can be hard to tell if something is evil or good at the beginning. In these situations, we can do more harm trying to root it out. The danger is that we would uproot everyone. We are impatient, but God seems to want to give people time, to show who they really are.
So we need to accept there is evil in the world - Children of God will live alongside those who are not of God; we need to expect this, rather than in little holy huddles shut away from the nastiness of the world. Neither should we be quick to judge, condemn, or root them out.
· That doesn’t mean that we are not to take a stand against such evils as injustice and exploitation where we find them.
· That doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter what we believe… God has created the world in a good way; we will find our best lives when we live within the structures he has created, obeying his commandments, following the example of Jesus.
But, as Christians, our emphasis should be more on the kingdom’s growth and producing good fruit rather than all the things that we may be against.
But this evil will not live forever; ultimately there will be a final judgement. When the ear appears, then the difference between wheat and darnel is obvious. So we let it grow to see what it really is. In the end, everyone will be seen by the fruit they produce whether the plant was of God or of the Evil One.
Then good will be separated from evil.
Then everything is put right – what is not of God will be destroyed,
but God, not us, is the final judge.
This is hard to do… God’s Kingdom started with the coming of Jesus. One day this will be totally established when Jesus returns, at the end of the age. We live in this “in-between” time, where his kingdom is growing, like a crop, but is not fully established.
In the meantime, we are expected to grow, loving God and loving one another, and to leave the matter of judgment with God.
As followers of Jesus, knowing that there is an enemy who will try to cause damage, we are still called to continue his work to bring in this Kingdom now, to live God’s values, show his love to others – to everyone.
So we live, knowing that we can’t always easily distinguish people who are of God’s Kingdom and people who are not.
People who belong to Jesus live side by side in the world with those who belong to the evil one. Sometimes it will be hard to tell the difference.
Sometimes the enemy, or devil, spoken of in this passage will use people who are not true followers of Christ to hinder the work of the Church. But we need to be clear; Jesus tells us (v38) this parable is not about the church - the ‘field’ is the world.
We are warned against passing judgment on who is a part of God’s kingdom and who is not. So, what are we to do?
We have been reading through Paul’s letter to the Romans. Here, Paul sets out his presentation of the gospel – God’s plan for salvation where people are reconciled back to Him.
Paul builds an argument:
· God is righteous; people, all people, are not. We have all broken God’s laws; we have not loved God, or each other, as we should. This separates us from God. Our wickedness makes Him angry. We will face His judgement. We all need saving from this.
· God provides this salvation through Jesus, specifically Jesus’ death on the cross.
· This must be accepted by faith; God has always worked that way, going right back to Abraham.
· Believers now have peace. Hope. We are put right with God. We are free from sin. We don’t need to live as we did before.
This week’s passage, which begins THEREFORE… i.e., because of all this… we have life. Life in the power of the Holy Spirit.
· So live this new life.
· Don’t live in slavery or fear.
· Know that we are children of God, call out to Him as Father.
· Even if we suffer now, know that in the end God will make things right.
· We have hope.
We are to bring light into the world as we are part of God establishing his kingdom. Jesus has previously told us in the Sermon on the Mount what living this way will look like:
· Follow God’s commandments
· Give to the needy
· Pray
· Trust God to meet our needs
· Don’t judge others.
If we focus on these issues and living out these commands in the reality of our world, God’s kingdom will continue to be established.
Coming back to “who’s in” and “who’s out”. Jesus didn’t seem in too much of a hurry to draw boundaries around his followers. God knows who is truly serving Him and, in due time, he will judge.
In the meantime, Christians are called to be “the salt of the earth”, influencing it for the good, telling others about the new life God offers. The new life that Paul talks about in Romans.
Ultimately, this is a story about reality – this is how it is. We live in a world where the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of the evil one co-exist. And sometimes it’s hard to see the difference.
It’s a story about patience.
It is also a story about trust. Trust in God that there will be a final reckoning. Where what is bad will be separated and got rid of. God is the judge, not us.
In the meantime, let’s make sure that we work to bring in the Kingdom of God, his values now. Let’s make sure we do the things he has told us to do, and grow.
So perhaps the best prayer to end with would be...
May God grant us the persistence to do our work
And the patience not to do his. Amen
Revd Kevin