Matthew 13 - Part 3

 

Read Matthew 13

I used to have big gardens.  I brought squash and tomatoes to my neighbors, to church, and to strangers.  I loved a big garden.  After a couple years of big water bills, I reduced the size.

It’s much smaller now but my small garden has one thing in common with my big ones.  After a few weeks of pulling and hoeing weeds, I transitioned to a biblical garden.  I let the weeds grow with everything I had planted.

It’s not an exact parallel to the parable, but I have accidentally weeded out a squash plant.  I have pulled up a big weed that wasn’t there two days ago and pulled up three cucumber plants with it.  Who knew that the roots were all intertwined?

Weeds typically are not good.  In Oklahoma, if the field is lying fallow for a season, the weeds might be all that keep it from blowing to Kansas.  Weeds as a general rule are undesirable.

People understand weeds. Jesus understood the kingdom.  Here are the bullet points for your PowerPoint slide. 

·       The field is the world

·       The good seed represents the sons of the kingdom of God

·       The weeds are the disciples of the evil one

·       The harvest is the end of the age

·       The harvesters are the angels

Here are Tom’s bullet points.

·       There is a judgment to come.  I don’t dwell on it.  We have work to do now.  Our focus is loving God and loving one another.  God’s got this judgment thing worked out.

·       There will be no sin nor evil in the kingdom of God.  Both are present now but they don’t last beyond the end of the age.

·       The righteous will have their reward.  By the blood of Jesus we are made right with God.

·       Between now and then, you will have trouble in a world full of sin.  You can still take courage and have peace in a world full of sin.

You have heard these things in a slightly different way, not parable but promise.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We can live in God’s kingdom now, but as we experience peace in his kingdom now, it will be in the midst of evil and sin.  One day, we will know his kingdom without being surrounded by sin.

Until that day, the good seed and the weeds grow together.

So, take heart as you look around at the world and it seems that evil is growing.  It is, but it will only last to the end of the age.  

We too are growing and we will be a bountiful crop for our Lord.  So, stay the course.  Have faith. Live by faith.  Don’t be discouraged.  We are not forgotten.  Faithfully staying the course is worth it.

Amen.