You are not a weed
The Parable of the Weeds
24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27 “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?’
28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 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.’”
“If I were to ask you what the kingdom of heaven was like, what would you say?” is the question Pastor Chad began his sermon with.
He continued with contrasting the way we would describe heaven to the way Jesus describes heaven.
In today’s text, Jesus compares heaven to a farmer who planted good seeds. In the night servants of the enemy came and planted weeds among the good seed. When the plants began to sprout, the farmer’s servants noticed the weeds among the good wheat and asked if they should pull the weeds. The farmer explained that the enemy has planted the weeds among the wheat and, in his wisdom, they should not pull up the weeds for they might accidentally pull up the wheat. Instead, they should let them grow together and at the time of harvest, they will separate the weeds from the wheat. The weeds will be burned, and the wheat shall be gathered into the barn.
So, how does this describe the kingdom of heaven?
This parable points to a truth that Pastor Chad wants you to hear: You are not a weed.
Sometimes people read this scripture and they might hear the wrong voice. Maybe the enemy whispers in your ear that you are a weed and you are not a choice plant of the king.
Do not be mistaken. You live amongst weeds, but you are a choice plant of the King.
Pastor Chad continued the sermon by explaining the context of this text. Jesus came to a people wanting to see some change. The people Jesus came to were wanting the wicked to pay and justice to be brought down and for oppressors to be wiped away. He pointed to Isaiah 11:4 to explain further:
“but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.”
“This is the expectation of Jesus for the Jewish people”, Pastor Chad explained.
Jesus said and did something different, though. Pastor Chad moved back to the sermon text, specifically verse 30: Let them grow together until the time of harvest.
“One of our tendencies as children of God is to pass judgement, but that’s not our job. It’s not our job to pull the weeds.” Pastor Chad didn’t downplay the world we live in-the wickedness, lying, deceit, etc. There will be stuff around us that we will want to pull up, he says. We can get lost in trying to make things right and focusing on justice all the time. However, we have our role, task, and identity.
The disciples even had a hard time understanding this parable, and asked Jesus to explain further. We can find His’ response in verses 36 – 43.
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36 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.”
37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 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. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
We live in a kingdom that is already and is not yet.
This time that we live in will end and the Messiah will right all wrongs.
You are not a weed. You are a chosen plant of the King, himself. You are part of the kingdom that is and is not yet.
So, bloom where you are planted, use your gifts where you are, and be fruitful in the world.