Parable of the Weeds

[HKHaugan]

The Parable of the Weeds

 On the heels of the Parable of the Sower comes the Parable of the Weeds and Jesus’ explanation of its meaning (Mt.13:24-30, 37-43). Like the article about the Sower we’ll assume you know that a man sows good seed in his field, but an enemy comes and sows weeds among the good seeds. When asked if the weeds should be pulled up, the sower says not to because the wheat may be uprooted in the process. So, they should wait until the harvesters come to gather in the wheat. First, the weeds will be bundled ready for the fire and then the wheat will be gathered into his barn. In both parables, He directs His teaching to the disciples.

 There are a number of parallels that can be drawn from this parable. When the Scripture came into being from its first five books, the Law, developing over the centuries through the Prophets to the Gospels and the letters to the churches, a consistent theme occupied its pages, a Messiah, the Christ, Jesus, the Son of God, God come personally to deliver His people. He is the Sower, His Word the seeds. The whole of Scripture is, in one sense, a parable. It reveals the mind, heart and Spirit of God, the invisible become visible, the former secret of the Kingdom becoming His Body, the Church, His visible body, to embrace all people who would receive Him. The unseen becomes seen in the effect He has on those who become His followers.

 But the parallels in our time are very real. Take the way people have come into the church and attempted to change the message by undermining the Word as the revelation of God in Jesus. Planting the weeds of doubt, attempting to explain away the Resurrection and the Virgin Birth, that these are scientifically impossible. That the Red Sea was not parted but merely a tidal anomaly. That Jesus did not walk on water but as one critic put it, “He knew where the stones were.” That the feeding of the 5000 and changing of water into wine were fabricated to make Him look good. After all, say the doubters, it’s all superstition and wishful thinking since it is all based on the need for something believe in. Then along come those within the Church who want to appease these views declaring agreement with them so that at least the idea of goodness will ultimately win out. I remember one woman who came to me distressed about a priest who told her not to take the bodily resurrection of Jesus too seriously and asked her, “What are you going to do when they find the bones?”

 Another weed came up from a denominational leader who declared that having a personal relationship with God is incorrect because you put yourself at the center with God and that’s next to blasphemy. My response was simply what Scripture affirmed, Jesus telling us, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with where I am (John 14:3).”

 Other weeds are books and movies like the DaVinci Code, the Last Temptation of Christ, along with authors who claim to be Christians but bring in post biblical books that make strange claims about who Jesus really is, ‘just another good man with good ideas but hardly a Savior or Lord.’ We can see in many British TV series and movies the skewed personalities of clergy whose motives are far from spiritual but hypocritical quaint oddities living in quaint obscurity in quaint little village churches with quaint troubled old people. This has seeped into American entertainment as well. Youth are seen as passive aggressive unbelievers. The press and media in general, find spirituality to be too hard to handle so they just ignore it. At one point a survey indicated that over 80% of media writers are agnostic or atheist. No wonder there is so much cynicism and skepticism in our culture.

 The enemy certainly has planted weeds in the field. Satan is having a field day, especially in politics where hate dominates the scene. In the recent State of the Union address, the faces filled with hate for one person, the President, were so evident that even the really good things that were happening were overshadowed by the stony looks and refusal to listen. There are so many who hate more than they love, who condemn before they think, who make up false assumptions to disqualify the good. Is this the way to run a government for the people?

 This is taking place in our schools as well. Teachers who use a platform of personal opinion and emotional rants to influence youth. Young minds in college are being exploited to fear ideas that may challenge them so the concept of making a safe neutral place for them to escape conflict obsesses some campuses. Demonstrations are no less obvious. They are rampant with name calling, emotional and irrational behavior.

 This is the world we live in. As disciples of Jesus we can be easily distracted by all the spiritual currents around us. But heed this truth, “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1John 4:4).” Add to that, how we know the end of the story and all that works against God will be put into bundles and burned. When we received Jesus, we were baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire which means we are experiencing how sin is being burned out of us as we grow in our relationship with Jesus. Our witness is the fire that can’t be put out, the light that shines in the darkness of hate and arrogance. Wherever we go we have the Spirit who sorts out the atmosphere surrounding us.

 So, the Parables of the Sower and the Weeds are not 2000-year-old fairy tales but applicable interpreters of present day issues. Jesus knew this when He taught which is why all His teachings are applicable in every culture until He returns. Don’t let the enemy tempt you to pull up the weeds. Simply set them aside as a learning of what not to be and do. Be ready to give an answer for the truth that is in you (1Peter 3:15).

 Here I have only touched the surface. Each one who reads this has their own parallels. You might want to share them. Kingdom’s Keys is a good place to do that as well as Kingdom’s Keys on Facebook. Consider that and be a blessing to the rest of us.