The Good Seeds and the Weeds

Matthew 13:36–43 NRSV

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

THE GOOD SEEDS AND THE WEEDS

WE ARE NOW OFFICIALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON OF SUMMER…….SUMMER TIME IS MY FAVORITE SEASON……A TIME TO ENJOY WARM WEATHER…….A TIME WHEN FAMILIES TAKE VACATIONS…….A TIME WHEN THE SMELL OF FOOD ON BARBEQUE GRILLS FILLS THE AIR………SUMMER TIME IS A FUN TIME OF FAMILY AND FUN…

….BUT THE SUMMER TIME IS ALSO A TIME WHEN THE GRASS NEEDS TO BE CUT …..AND THE WEEDS NEED TO BE PULLED…… IF YOU’RE LIKE ME…..THERE IS ONE THING THAT I DON’T LIKE TO DEAL WITH WHEN DOING THE YARD…….AND THAT’S DEALING WITH WEEDS………WEEDS WILL GROW…..WHERE THE GRASS WON’T ………WEEDS WILL COME BACK EVEN AFTER YOU CUT THEM DOWN….THERE ARE WEEDS THAT LOOK LIKE GRASS……AND WEEDS THAT LOOK LIKE FLOWERS…….AND IF YOU’RE NOT CAREFUL…. WEEDS CAN TO TAKE OVER THE YARD ……IF YOU DON’T GET CONTROL OF THEM.

WE SEE IN OUR TEXT TODAY THAT JESUS EXPLAINS A PARABLE HE JUST TOLD……ABOUT THE WEEDS AMONG THE WHEAT…..

IF YOU GO BACK A FEW VERSES……….TO MATTHEW 13:24-30, BEGINNING WITH MATTHEW 13:24 ….THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION SAYS IT LIKE THIS…….JESUS TOLD THEM ANOTHER PARABLE: “THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A MAN WHO SOWED GOOD SEED IN HIS FIELD. BUT WHILE EVERYONE WAS SLEEPING, HIS ENEMY CAME AND SOWED WEEDS AMONG THE WHEAT, AND WENT AWAY. WHEN THE WHEAT SPROUTED AND FORMED HEADS, THEN THE WEEDS ALSO APPEARED. 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?’

‘AN ENEMY DID THIS,’ HE REPLIED. THE SERVANTS ASKED HIM, ‘DO YOU WANT US TO GO AND PULL THEM UP?’ ‘NO,’ HE ANSWERED, ‘BECAUSE WHILE YOU ARE PULLING THE WEEDS, YOU MAY ROOT UP THE WHEAT WITH THEM. 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.’”

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS…….THE PARABLES OF MATTHEW 13 ARE PARABLES THAT REVEAL TRUTHS ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

THAT’S WHY JESUS BEGINS THIS PARABLE WITH THE WORDS, “THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE…

IN OUR TEXT TODAY…………

JESUS HIMSELF EXPLAINS THIS PARABLE TO US.

BEGINNING WITH VERSE 36 WE READ, 36 THEN HE LEFT THE CROWDS AND WENT INTO THE HOUSE. AND HIS DISCIPLES APPROACHED HIM, SAYING, “EXPLAIN TO US THE PARABLE OF THE WEEDS OF THE FIELD.” 37 HE ANSWERED, “THE ONE WHO SOWS THE GOOD SEED IS THE SON OF MAN; 38 THE FIELD IS THE WORLD, AND THE GOOD SEED ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM; THE WEEDS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE EVIL ONE, 39 AND THE ENEMY WHO SOWED THEM IS THE DEVIL; THE HARVEST IS THE END OF THE AGE, AND THE REAPERS ARE ANGELS. 40 JUST AS THE WEEDS ARE COLLECTED AND BURNED UP WITH FIRE, SO WILL IT BE AT THE END OF THE AGE. 41 THE SON OF MAN WILL SEND HIS ANGELS, AND THEY WILL COLLECT OUT OF HIS KINGDOM ALL CAUSES OF SIN AND ALL EVILDOERS, 42 AND THEY WILL THROW THEM INTO THE FURNACE OF FIRE, WHERE THERE WILL BE WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH. 43 THEN THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE LIKE THE SUN IN THE KINGDOM OF THEIR FATHER. LET ANYONE WITH EARS LISTEN! [2]

IN THIS PARABLE, WHAT DOES THE FIELD REPRESENT?

IN VERSE 38 JESUS TELLS US THAT THE FIELD IS THE WORLD. THIS PARABLE IS NOT ABOUT THE CHURCH.

THIS PARABLE IS ABOUT THE WORLD AT LARGE.

AND IN THE FIELD OF THIS WORLD, JESUS SAYS THAT THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF SEED THAT GET SOWN.

CHRIST, WHO IS THE SON OF MAN SOWS GOOD SEED.

AND THE GOOD SEED REPRESENTS THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE KINGDOM.

AND WHO ARE THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE KINGDOM? THOSE WHO SUBMIT TO THE KING.

THE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM ARE THOSE WHO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR SIN, REPENT OF THEIR SIN, AND WHO PUT THEIR TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST AND WHAT HE DID FOR THEM ON THE CROSS.

IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER, YOU ARE GOD’S GOOD SEED PLANTED BY HIM IN THIS WORLD.

UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS ANOTHER SOWER WHO WORKS THE FIELD OF THIS WORLD.

HE IS THE ENEMY OF CHRIST…..ALSO KNOWN AS SATAN OR THE DEVIL.

HE PLANTS WEEDS AND JESUS TELLS US THAT THE WEEDS REPRESENT THE SONS OF THE EVIL ONE.

THESE ARE ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT REPENT.

THESE ARE ALL THOSE WHO WILL NOT FOLLOW JESUS.

AND SO THE FIRST THING WE LEARN FROM THIS PARABLE IS THAT…….. FOR THE TIME BEING, TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SOWN IN THIS WORLD.

TODAY, THE SONS OF THE KINGDOM AND THE SONS OF THE EVIL ONE DWELL TOGETHER ON EARTH.

YES, IN CHRIST THE KINGDOM OF GOD HAS COME.

BUT FOR THE MOMENT, THE KINGDOM OF THE DEVIL HAS NOT YET BEEN PUT AWAY.

SOMEONE MAY BE WONDERING…….. IF THE KINGDOM OF GOD HAS COME TO THIS WORLD, WHY DOES EVIL STILL EXIST IN THIS WORLD?

HERE’S THE SHORT ANSWER—THE LORD PERMITS IT.

JESUS ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THIS WORLD IS FULL OF SIN AND SINNERS ……AND FOR THE MOMENT…….. NOTHING WILL BE DONE ABOUT IT.

AND I’M SURE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS……. THAT RAISES ANOTHER QUESTION.

WHY WOULD GOD THE FATHER, WHO IS HOLY, PERMIT EVIL TO REMAIN?

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, HE PERMITS EVIL TO REMAIN IN THIS WORLD FOR YOUR ETERNAL BENEFIT AND MINE.

LET’S GO BACK TO THE PARABLE.

AFTER THE FARMER SOWS GOOD SEED IN HIS FIELD, AN ENEMY COMES AND SOWS WEEDS AMONG THE WHEAT.

LISTEN AGAIN TO MATTHEW 13:27-30, 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?” “AN ENEMY DID THIS,” HE REPLIED. THE SERVANTS ASKED HIM, “DO YOU WANT US TO GO AND PULL THEM UP?” “NO,” HE ANSWERED, “BECAUSE WHILE YOU ARE PULLING THE WEEDS, YOU MAY ROOT UP THE WHEAT WITH THEM. LET BOTH GROW TOGETHER UNTIL THE HARVEST…

WHY DOES THE LORD PERMIT EVIL TO REMAIN IN THIS WORLD?

BECAUSE, IF HE JUDGED THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, SOME OF THE PEOPLE GOD HAS MARKED FOR SALVATION WOULD BE LOST.

THAT’S WHY JESUS SAYS, “DON’T PULL THE WEEDS NOW…BECAUSE WHILE YOU ARE PULLING THE WEEDS, YOU MAY ROOT UP THE WHEAT WITH THEM.

2 PETER 3:8-9 PUTS IT THIS WAY, BUT DO NOT FORGET THIS ONE THING, DEAR FRIENDS: WITH THE LORD A DAY IS LIKE A THOUSAND YEARS, AND A THOUSAND YEARS ARE LIKE A DAY. THE LORD IS NOT SLOW IN KEEPING HIS PROMISE, AS SOME UNDERSTAND SLOWNESS. HE IS PATIENT WITH YOU, NOT WANTING ANYONE TO PERISH, BUT EVERYONE TO COME TO REPENTANCE.

IF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN HAS COME INTO THE WORLD THROUGH CHRIST, WHY DOES EVIL REMAIN?

IT’S NOT BECAUSE GOD IS PROCRASTINATING.

PLEASE HEAR THIS—IT’S BECAUSE GOD IS PATIENT.

WE LIVE IN A DAY OF GRACE.

YES, JESUS DOES PERMIT EVIL TO REMAIN.

BUT HE PERMITS IT ONLY SO EVIL PEOPLE LIKE ME AND YOU CAN BE SAVED FROM SIN AND THE HELL WE DESERVE.

BUT HERE’S WHAT WE MUST NEVER FORGET.

EVEN THOUGH JESUS PERMITS EVIL TO REMAIN TODAY, HE WILL NOT PERMIT IT TO REMAIN FOREVER!

IN MATTHEW 13:30 JESUS SPEAKS OF THE WEEDS AND THE WHEAT WHEN HE SAYS, LET BOTH GROW TOGETHER ……UNTIL WHEN? …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.

BEGINNING WITH THE SECOND HALF OF VERSE 39 JESUS TELLS US, THE HARVEST IS THE END OF THE AGE, AND THE HARVESTERS ARE ANGELS.

AS THE WEEDS ARE PULLED UP AND BURNED IN THE FIRE, SO IT WILL BE AT THE END OF THE AGE.

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.

YES MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS ……..A DAY OF JUDGMENT IS COMING. SOME PEOPLE DENY IT. SOME PEOPLE DON’T BELIEVE IT. SOME PEOPLE DON’T BELIEVE IN HELL……

BUT ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, JESUS WARNS US THAT IT’S TRUE.

THERE IS A FINAL DAY AND ON THAT DAY ALL HUMANITY WILL BE DIVIDED INTO ONE OF TWO GROUPS—THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN MADE RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST AND THOSE WHO STAND CONDEMNED.

ON THAT DAY, WE’RE NOT GOING TO WORRY ABOUT THE SILLY THINGS WE WORRY ABOUT TODAY.

ON THAT DAY IT WON’T MATTER WHETHER YOU WERE PRETTY OR PLAIN.

IT WON’T MATTER WHETHER YOU WERE CLUMSY OR ATHLETIC.

IT WON’T MATTER WHETHER YOU WERE RICH OR POOR, WHETHER YOU WERE CALLED A SUCCESS OR A FAILURE, WHETHER YOU WERE EDUCATED OR ILLITERATE.

ON THAT DAY THE ONLY THING THAT’S GOING TO MATTER IS THIS—ARE YOU WHEAT OR ARE YOU WEED?

ARE YOU A CHILD OF THE KINGDOM OR ARE YOU A CHILD OF THE EVIL ONE?

RIGHT NOW, WHICHEVER YOU ARE, THIS PARABLE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY TO YOU.

IF YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE KINGDOM THIS PARABLE ENCOURAGES YOU.

IT TEACHES US NOT TO BE DISMAYED BY ALL THE EVIL IN THE WORLD.

YES WE SEE IT IN THE NEWS….THE EVIL THAT IS IN THIS WORLD…….CHILDREN ARE ABUSED.

MURDER RUNS RAMPANT IN OUR NATION.

NEW PERVERSIONS COME TO LIGHT EVERY DAY.

AND WOULDN’T IT BE NICE IF ALL THE BACKBITING AND GOSSIPING JUST WENT AWAY?

WOULDN’T IT BE NICE IF THE CORRUPTION IN THIS WORLD CAME TO AN END…….IN THIS PARABLE REMINDS US—SOMEDAY IT WILL.

YES, THERE IS EVIL IN THE WORLD. BUT ISN’T IT NICE TO KNOW—IT’S ONLY FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

ONE DAY THE SON OF MAN WILL WEED OUT OF HIS KINGDOM EVERYTHING THAT CAUSES SIN AND ALL WHO DO EVIL.

WHICH BRINGS US TO ANOTHER POINT.

THIS PARABLE REMINDS US—AS BELIEVERS, WE SHOULDN’T PLAY JUDGE.

IN THE PARABLE THE SERVANTS COME TO THE OWNER OF THE FIELD AND ASK HIM, “DO YOU WANT US TO PULL UP THE WEEDS?” …………..THEY SOUND JUST LIKE US.

WE GET SICK OF ALL THE WICKEDNESS THAT GOES ON IN THE WORLD AND WE WANT TO GO YANK SOME WEEDS.

THAT’S WHAT JAMES AND JOHN WANTED TO DO IN LUKE 9:54. WHEN A SAMARITAN VILLAGE REJECTED JESUS THEY SAID, “LORD, DO YOU WANT US TO CALL FIRE DOWN FROM HEAVEN TO DESTROY THEM?” DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT JESUS DID? HE REBUKED THEM.

AND WHEN WE TRY TO PLAY JUDGE HE REBUKES US TOO. WHEN JESUS IS READY TO JUDGE, HE’LL JUDGE.

AND HE’S NOT GOING TO ASK FOR OUR HELP.

TODAY—WHEN THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF KINGDOM AND THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE DEVIL DWELL TOGETHER—IS A DAY OF GRACE.

TODAY, WEEDS CAN STILL BECOME WHEAT.

OUR CALLING IS NEVER TO CONDEMN THE WEEDS……OUR CALLING IS TO SHARE CHRIST WITH THEM.

YES, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE MUST CONFRONT LIES.

YES, THERE ARE TIMES TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST SIN.

BUT NEVER FORGET, EVEN IN THOSE TIMES OUR MOTIVATION MUST ALWAYS BE SALVATION, NOT CONDEMNATION.

YES MY BROTHER……YES MY SISTER……COMPASSION MUST DRIVE US RATHER THAN SPITE.

DON’T PLAY JUDGE. THAT POSITION HAS ALREADY BEEN FILLED BY THE LORD.

ANOTHER LESSON THIS PARABLE REMINDS US OF IS THIS—DON’T GET COMFORATBLE WITH SIN.

IT CAN BE HARD TO LIVE IN A WORLD FILLED WITH SIN WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT UP IN IT.

WHY NOT GOSSIP WHEN EVERYONE ELSE DOES?

WHY NOT LIVE FOR MONEY WHEN MONEY IS THIS WORLD’S GOD OF CHOICE?

WHY NOT TAKE ADVANTANGE OF PEOPLE….. WHEN EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING IT?

WHY NOT? WELL I BELEVE THERER IS ONE REALLY GOOD REASON …..AND THAT IS JUDGMENT DAY! T

HIS PARABLE REMINDS US, ONE DAY 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… LET’S NEVER FORGET, A SON OF THE KINGDOM AND A DOER OF EVIL ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. HOW CAN WE SAY WE’RE CHRISTIANS IF WE WON’T SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM SIN?

AS BELIEVERS, THIS PARABLE REMINDS US—DON’T LET THE EVIL IN THIS WORLD DISMAY YOU.

IT WON’T LAST FOREVER. DON’T PLAY JUDGE. THAT JOB’S ALREADY BEEN FILLED. AND DON’T GET COMFORTABLE WITH THE SIN YOU TURNED AWAY FROM WHEN YOU GAVE YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST.

BUT THERE’S A MESSAGE HERE FOR UNBELIEVERS TOO. IF YOU’VE NEVER GIVEN YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST—YOU NEED TO DO IT NOW. EVERY ONE OF US ARE BORN INTO THIS WORLD AS SONS OF THE EVIL ONE. WE ARE ALL SINFUL. WE’RE ALL UNABLE TO SAVE OURSELVES. BUT HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS. JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS AND SUFFERED JUDGMENT IN OUR PLACE, WE CAN BECOME SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF HIS KINGDOM.

THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST WEEDS CAN BECOME WHEAT. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS YIELD TO HIM. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BELIEVE.

IN MATTHEW 13:40-42 JESUS ISSUES A WARNING. AS THE WEEDS ARE PULLED UP AND BURNED IN THE FIRE, SO IT WILL BE AT THE END OF THE AGE.

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. THEY WILL THROW THEM INTO THE FIERY FURNACE, WHERE THERE WILL BE WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH.

IN VERSE 43 JESUS OFFERS A PROMISE. THEN THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE LIKE THE SUN IN THE KINGDOM OF THEIR FATHER. HE WHO HAS EARS LET HIM HEAR.

I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU…….BUT I WANT TO SHINE LIKE THE SUN IN THE KINGDOM……I WANT TO BE WITH JESUS AND THE FATHER IN HEAVEN…. I WANT TO BE RIGHTEOUS…..THROUGH JESUS CHRIST……….

SO I ASK YOU…..MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS…….DO YOU WANT TO BE……

THE WEED OR THE GOOD SEED? ……DO YOU WANT TO BE WEEPING OR SHINING?

WHICH WILL IT BE FOR YOU?