Epiphany 5 2025

Intro

Strange in the face of Epiphany, when brought over, probably a none Epiphany week. On the other hand we do have the Epiphany of Jesus the teacher who teaches with authority.

MP. We will experience an increase of God’s values in the world but simultaneously an increase of opposition to it.

The text

He presented another parable to them:

Jesus is in a “mode,” he is sharing Parables. This is the second in a set of three, all three agricultural. Most people in this time did at least some agricultural work. For example there where farmers who worked sun up to sun down in the fields, but the Blacksmith that bought his wheat, would also probably keep some kind of robust garden for extras. The people here understand this in a way we might not.

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

The kingdom of Heaven, the realized vision of God,

It is the reality that will exist by itself at the end of all things. Think new Heaven and New Earth.

It also exists at the reality of God’s people here. So if you are a Christian where ever you go you are an ambassador for the kingdom of God. Those are the values that are supposed to exist around you.

25 But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left.

This Parable is talking about the kingdom we now live in instead of the realized kingdom at the end. At the end there will be no enemies planting weeds, this must be the current reality

The enemy: Satan…a few thoughts: Labors to do the opposite of God’s kingdom, Uses lies as his primary weapon. Can only operate under God’s permission. Will be defeated in the end.

26 When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. 27 The landowner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from? ’

The wheat and the weeds in this parable represent the expressed virtues of God and the expressed acts of rebellion. According to this Parable in the Garden that is God’s kingdom you have both Men who do good and men who do evil and sometimes one man doing both. Both are growing together.

28 “ ‘An enemy did this,’ he told them. “ ‘So, do you want us to go and pull them up? ’ the servants asked him.

The servants see that the kingdom should be a place of either Righteousness or wickedness and want to Get to it.

29 “ ‘No,’ he said. ‘When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them.

There was a common weed in this day that twisted around the shoot, it could survive but with a lesser Yield. But if you pull it you risk no yield.

What is most important is Jesus advocating for allowing evil. Knowing that if we aggressively try as smush all evil people right away the cost might be the church.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.’ ” — Matthew 13:24-30 (CSB)

Jesus is telling his disciples that Both righteousness and wickedness will live side by side till he returns to judge both the living and the dead.

MP. We will experience an increase of God’s values in the world but simultaneously an increase of opposition to it.

Applications - This parable allows us to dip our toe in the Problem of Evil. What you call the Theodicy.

What we know.

Evil comes from that which opposes God.

It can Grow and gain strength

It requires the permission of God to continue.

What we don’t know

Where the idea of wickedness and rebellion comes from.

Why God gives it permission: I have a theory

The materialist world does not have any better explanation

MP. We will experience an increase of God’s values in the world but simultaneously an increase of opposition to it.

Pastoral thought

For people who hurt a philosophical journey through the existence of pain and suffereing is not hugely comforting, and probably a little insensitive.

So know this. At the end of all things God is going to put things right. That hardship you endure at the hands of other is only temporary and God has noticed.

We can also take comfort in the ways the Kingdom of God is growing in strength around us.

We all start not as wheat but as weeds and we need the transforming work of the HS,

It begins by Jesus taking the pain of evil and wickedness at calvary. He give permission for both His pain and yours. And in taking that he is able to take you from a weed to a wheat

This transformation is ours in baptism. And we get to eat the fruit of that wheat in the eating of holy communion.