“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.This story has been used to talk about sinners in the Church. About how the devil plants evil in our lives. Some apply an eschatological bent... weeds (lost people) burned up in fire. And a few apply it to our lives and how good fruit is damaged by our sin nature.
27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’
28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.
“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.
29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”
It has been used for all kinds of things including political polemics. Let me offer another view of this and see if it makes sense. I believe it does.
Our lives are designed by God to produce fruit, as a stalk of wheat produces the fruit of grain, but there are weeds in our lives. Difficulties. Attacks. Pain. Evil. They try to crush the fruit out of us. The trouble is they are part of growth. I will show that without weeds we are less able to become what God's best is for us. The weed parable can help us understand.
Weeds in a wheat field serve a purpose. Some stand and protect the wheat from strong winds. Some cover the earth and keep it from washing away. Some are places where insects feed and leave the precious fruit alone. When animals come to graze and might eat the wheat if that's all there were, there are options and in that way the weeds provide protection. Plus as the weeds die off.. they rot and provide nutrients for the next crop.
I am a horticultural expert (many say). I do not spend a lot killing some weeds in my lawn. The diversity of plant life helps the grass prosper. My neighbor is diligent about his grass. Has a perfect lawn but works very hard to accomplish that task and spends a LOT of money. His grass is not vigorous, it's pampered. Every disease that come along he has to have it treated. He spends money when God's plan would be let diversity help his grass grow strong.
Wheat Grown in perfect conditions like a greenhouse is weak, spindly and prone to disease. It's the same for human lives lived without weeds. It produces people who cannot cope or adapt when things get rough. They need lifelong support.
Think about those who come from deep poverty and work their way up. They had weeds but overcame. Think about the age of Blues. That music came out of pain and suffering. Without the pain there would have been no blues. We don't have much new blues music any more.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote great theology in dire circumstances that eventually took his life. If he had been stress free and in total peace we wouldn't have this today.
Daymon Johns is famous for his rags to riches story of poverty to prosperity. Had there been no deprivation (weeds) there would have been no greatness.
Yet today we in our culture do our best to protect people from the weeds of life. Those who come from other countries come here thankful for the chance to make it. They do because they have had weeds. Look at the pampered generation we have raised. Unable to make it on their own. Not leaving home. On government support. Asking for more. Looking for a handout. They need some weeds in their lives to make it. I don't know if they can or will ever see the way out of this mess without it.
I see people who say, "If I could just get a good paying job I could make it". There are good paying jobs but they are demanding because they are good paying. This pampered generation can't make it. They are weed free. They can't take the pressure when it comes.
We need weeds in our lives. Just like Jesus speaks about in the parable, IF we pull up the weeds, we will crush the fruit God intended us to produce. Give thanks for the weeds in your life. They are forming your, making you stronger, wiser, more able, better. I have been thru some hard things.. I won't rehearse them here.. but it's enough to say... we must walk it out and see God turn it all into our good. He is a master of taking the tapestry of our life and creating beauty in our ashes.
Don't let those you love live weed free either. Make it hard. Make it weedy. Help them grow strong.
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess 5:18
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