“An issue of ‘weeds’”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Friday, November 3, 2023
Matthew 13:24-30 (Forward, p. 5) CEV p. 999
Anyone who’s a farmer or gardener knows all too well what an acute problem can be posed by weeds. And, not only can they severely impact the growth of the crops or vegetables or flowers, but they also seem to come almost ‘from nowhere.’ A person tries his or her level best to make sure that there are no weeds present, and yet, viola, there they are! It almost seems incomprehensible how easily and quickly they show up.
Interestingly, Jesus uses this very scenario to describe the kingdom of God. A farmer planted—that is, scattered—good seed in a field, fully expecting a good and healthy crop. But, lo and behold, someone, an enemy He says, came in afterwards and scattered weed seeds in their place--along when no one was looking, while everyone was sleeping. And doesn’t this sound just like life—and not just about our agricultural or horticultural pursuits? We think that we have ‘everything in place’, everything arranged or accounted for, and suddenly there is a snag, an insurmountable problem! Yes, it can seem almost as if someone ‘planted’ a weed in our midst.
Jesus says that this is exactly how it is with the kingdom of heaven, at least for the present. He tells us that we, as believers, are the good seed, the healthy seed. And He does explain that there is indeed some weeds among us, planted by an enemy, which He later identifies as none other than the devil, Satan. Those working for the kingdom, not only wonder about their source, but also wonder what should be done about them. They are all for yanking them up there and then.
Our Master, however, would have none of that—for good reason, three reasons in fact. Firstly, the weeds, known as tares or Persian darnel, are virtually undistinguishable from the proper seedings in their earliest stages. Secondly, they grow in such a way, in such proximity with the good seeds, that pulling them out would probably result in removing some of the weed as well. And thirdly, for these reasons, it is best to just leave the situation as is for the present. Once their growth, both of the weeds and the wheat, is complete and the time for harvest has come, both will be pulled up and it will be easy to tell them apart. So, Jesus says, it is best to just be patient and wait.
For us in the church today there are several lessons to take from this. If the good seeds, the wheat, are people, believers and followers of Christ, then presumably the tares, the weeds, are people as well. And seemingly, they are virtually undistinguishable from the genuine believers at first. Their true nature, who they really are, only surfaces later. And, not only that, removing them from ‘the Body’, the Church, would only disrupt things and cause havoc with the others who are there. And so, it is best to just let things be, just tolerate them for the present. It is best to leave them until the end of times, for the proper time of judgment. Indeed, it is the true judge of all things, Jesus, who will render true and proper judgment when that time comes.
I know that this doesn’t sound overly comforting to many of us in the church, especially in positions of leadership. It is easy to see certain people as ‘weeds’, as not really belonging to Jesus or His church, whether because of their behaviour or their beliefs, and wish to be rid of them. (I certainly have felt this way at times!) How we at times would love to play judge and jury in these cases. Nevertheless, Jesus tells us to be patient and wait, to wait for Him to execute ‘proper’ judgment and justice. And maybe there’s a good reason for this delay: maybe He’s waiting, giving them time and opportunity to change, to change from being weeds to being wheat. And surely, if that be the case, the wait—on His part, and ours—is worth it!. Thanks be to God for this mercy. Amen.
Forward notes: “Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn” (verse 30b).
“I wish I weren’t so defensive. I’m confident God didn’t plant that. It took a lot of therapy to figure out how it got planted.
“I wish I weren’t so envious of the success of others; I’m pretty sure God didn’t plant that. How much would it harm me to tear it out now?
“I wish I weren’t so dependent on what others think of me; I know God didn’t plant that. Do I really have to put up with it until the harvest?
“That barn sounds like a peaceful place of quiet joy and freedom—even if the burning of weeds may be difficult at times.”
Moving Forward: “What weeds need pulling? Which weeds are actually flowers? How can you discern the difference?”