The Wheat & the Weeds & forgiving the broken

Wheatgrass

Nightshade vs. potato

Our desire is to weed out the weeds

How do we know what is wheat, and what’s a weed?

What happens in the political arena reflects societies values

double standards

none of us believe that we could be weeds

throwing people under the bus

Mum - sometimes the weeds are in us too

We all come up against road blocks in our faith. How can we train ourselves to see thewheat through the weeds?

Miroslav Volf

“Forgiveness flounders because I exclude the enemy from the community of humans even as I exclude myself from the community of sinners. But no one can be in the presence of the God of the crucified Messiah for long without overcoming this double exclusion — without transposing the enemy from the sphere of the monstrous… into the sphere of shared humanity and herself from the sphere of proud innocence into the sphere of common sinfulness. When one knows [as the cross demonstrates] that the torturer will not eternally triumph over the victim, one is free to rediscover that person’s humanity and imitate God’s love for him. And when one knows [as the cross demonstrates] that God’s love is greater than all sin, one is free to see oneself in the light of God’s justice and so rediscover one’s own sinfulness.”

“Whatever the reasons, when forgiveness happens it is always a miracle of grace. The obstacles in its way are immense” ― Miroslav Volf

“Second, as Luther stated, because God’s love isn’t caused by its object, it can love those who are not lovable, “sinners, evil persons, fools, and weaklings in order to make them righteous, good, wise, and strong”. Luther concluded, “rather than seeking its own good, the love of God flows forth and bestows good”.” ― Miroslav Volf, Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace

We are free to treat one another as if we’re golden

The weeds growing in the garden of God are a gift of grace.

Less time deciding who is right and who is wrong, more time treating one another the way that Jesus treats us.

Morals vs Ethics

We’re the gardeners, let’s feed these plants

We’re the farmers, let’s gather people in

Philemon

My story, your story, God’s story

God’s story is bigger than ours.

Last week - not every seed takes root

This week. Not every seed we sow is a good seed.

God’s story is bigger than our story

Don’t throw out the baby with the bath water