The Parables of Jesus (2)

The Story of the Weeds

This morning we are looking into the second secret story that Jesus told in Matthew 13.

It is the story of the weeds which we read about in Matt. 13:24-30.

Let’s stand together this morning and read it together. You start with verse 24 and read the evens and I will read the odds.

The wheat and the thistle (13:24–30, 36–43)

“24 Jesus told the crowd another story. “Here is what the kingdom of heaven is like,” he said. “A man planted good seed in his field.

25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came. The enemy planted weeds among the wheat and then went away.

26 The wheat began to grow and form grain. At the same time, weeds appeared.

27 “The owner’s servants came to him. They said, ‘Sir, didn’t you plant good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’

28 “ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull the weeds up?’

29 “ ‘No,’ the owner answered. ‘While you are pulling up the weeds, you might pull up the wheat with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the workers what to do. Here is what I will say to them. First collect the weeds. Tie them in bundles to be burned. Then gather the wheat. Bring it into my storeroom.’ ”

May God add His blessing to the reading of His Word.

Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, again today we ask that you open our eyes to see and our ears to hear what the Word of God is telling us. Help us to understand and apply its meaning to our lives.

Lord, get me out of the way and You speak through me. I pray this in the name of Yeshua the Christ, our Savior, Amen.

Illustrative Introduction:

Some of you may know this about me and some may not. Although I am not a farmer and never had to sow acres and acres of wheat I do have a little background in sowing fields of grass.

During my early years of ministry I organized and developed sports ministries for several churches in Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin. Part of developing such ministries included designing and building ball fields. In Ohio, the church bought some land attached to the current property and allowed me to layout, design, and plant those fields. Some parts of the field we bought was good soil while other parts were not, it was mostly rocky clay. And there was to be no irrigation system other than what God provided.

Without much good soil and limited water I had to do some research into the types of grass seed that would grow in such adverse conditions. Not knowing much at the time and looked to the pros for advice. I called the grounds keeper for the Cleveland Indians, Brandon Kanhke, who was very helpful. He told me that with the condition of the soil and the purpose of use that he would recommend a mix of mostly, perennial rye grass, with a drought-resistant athletic field fescue, along with a small percentage of Kentucky bluegrass and look for a mix that included the smallest percentage of inert matter as possible. Inert matter which is part of all seed mix is weed seed. So you want to look for as pure a seed mix as possible that eliminates this weed seed.

Eventually, I got the seed sown and prayed for good rains through the fall and spring in hopes of having ball fields by spring. They weren’t ready to play on for spring but they did finally take root and grow into fairly nice fields of play.

The reason I share this with you is because it leads us into this next story we find in Matthew 13 as told by Jesus. And it is the story of the the Weeds.

In Jesus first story, the sower sowed seed on different types of soil which resulted in varying results.

Here in this second parable, Jesus once again used the figure of the sower, but with a different twist.

This time the sower sows his good seed, in good soil, but overnight an enemy came in and sowed weeds into the same soil.

Retelling the Story/ the Background information:

1. Information in the parable (13:24–30)

The context of these stories are similar but they are developed differently.

And like many of the other parables Jesus is comparing the sowers field to the kingdom of heaven.

The sower is sowing seed across his entire field that will in time produce a harvest.

a. In verse 24 we notice the diligence of a sower (13:24):

The farmer in Jesus’ story planted good, clean grain seed, it is purer than pure, it was seed that was unmixed with any other types of seed. It was of one kind.

Jesus then specifies the seed as wheat.

And the sower planted it all throughout his field.

b. After planting his seed and some time had passed the farmer makes a discovery concerning his fields. (13:25–28):

He discovers and learns that his enemy secretly visited the field after he had planted his “good” seed and sowed thistles or weeds into the same soil along with the wheat.

The enemy of the farmer came in the dark of night when no one was looking to sow his weed seed in the fields.

This enemy sows what is called “darnel” weed.

What is interesting about this type of weed seed is that early on as it grows, it very closely resembles the wheat plant.

Only after the heads of both plants appear can you tell them apart.

In fact, it is very hard to tell the two plants apart until the plants mature. When darnel plants mature they produce a black seed, not yellow, and it is intoxicating and detrimental.

False prophets that plant themselves into the church are like this black seed and they seek to spread their intoxicating lies within the church and it is detrimental to the health of the church.

When these false teachers are properly identified they must be warned twice of their divisive and destructive influence then they are to be cut off. Paul’s instruction was to have nothing to do with them.

For someone to purposefully sow weeds (e.g., darnel) amongst a neighbor’s wheat crop was an act of agricultural terrorism.

Because the weeds absorb precious water and chokes out the good seed.

What’s unfortunate is at this point, it is too late to attempt to remove the darnel because of the risk of damaging the wheat.

c. The Sower now has a dilemma (13:29):

He has weeds popping up all over his fields stealing precious water from his wheat.

He doesn’t have any herbicides or any safe way of only killing the weeds without harming the good wheat plants.

He knows that if he attempts to pull out the thistles, because the root systems have mingled, he will also harm the wheat.

d. The sower now has a decision to make (13:30):

Matthew: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition (The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds 13:24–30)

The Master Farmer’s strategy was to let both types of seed grow together until the harvest (13:30).

The owner of the fields tells his workers to wait until harvesttime, leave the weeds in the soil until then.

Because of the importance to the overall community to lose any part of one’s harvest to weeds placed that entire community in danger.

Only at harvest time can the two plants be properly and safely separated.

At the harvest the sower will have his workers sort out the thistles from the wheat and burn them.

The good seed, the wheat will be harvested and placed in the Farmer’s barn;

while the bad seed, the weeds, are bundled and thrown into the fire and burned.

Transition from story to interpretation

After Jesus had finished telling his story we are told that he left the crowd and went into the house. Probably Peter’s house in Capernaum.

The disciples followed right behind him. Before Jesus can even get a drink out of the fridge, the disciples ask him again, to explain to us what this story of the weeds is all about.

Look at verses 36-43.

"Then Jesus left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him. They said, “Explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”

37 He answered, “The one who planted the good seed is the Son of Man.

38 The field is the world. The good seed stands for the people who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one.

39 The enemy who plants them is the devil. The harvest is judgment day. And the workers are angels.

40 “The weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire. That is how it will be on judgment day.

41 The Son of Man will send out his angels. They will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin. They will also get rid of all who do evil.

42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace. There people will sob and grind their teeth.

43 Then God’s people will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Those who have ears should listen.

Within the lines of Jesus’ teaching he is revealing a portrait of the time between His resurrection and the establishment of the earthly kingdom, the millennial reign.

It pictures the time of the separating of the sheep and the goats at the end of the battle of Armageddon yet prior to the earthly kingdom.

These first two parables are a contrast between the prophesied kingdom reign and the present servant form of the kingdom during the church age.

Here at the heart of the discourse with the crowd and the disciples is the clear explanation of the parable with its clearly presented theme which is also relevant for us today.

We are to patiently persevere now in this age while evil is allowed to persist and continue but we do so in the hope of the coming justice of Christ and the reward of heaven.

In verse 36 we find a brief transitional narrative from Matthew that leads into an explanation of Jesus’ parable.

In v 37-39 Jesus lays out each key element of the story along with its spiritual meaning representing kingdom realities, as he leads us into deeper explanation and application of the parable.

(Read ‘elements’ slide.)

The ONE who sowed good seed is the Son of Man—Jesus himself.

The field represents the world.

The Good seed that grew into the wheat stands for the sons of the kingdom.

The Weeds are the sons of the evil one.

The Enemy is the devil, Satan.

The Harvest represents the judgment at the end of the age. (Armageddon prior to 1000 year reign.)

Within this allegory we get a very frank admission that ‘the Church’ will arise from the ministry of Jesus, his death and resurrection, and it will be quickly attacked by Satan.