“Weeding Out the Kingdom”
Starting with last Sabbath, we have begun a series of sermons dealing with what have become known as the “Kingdom Parables” of Christ. Out of the eight parables that we will be featuring over the coming weeks, Jesus himself only explained two, the parable of the sower and the parable of the weeds. And out of these two, the disciples asked Him to explain only one and that is the parable that we will be talking about this morning. I’ll have to confess, I was a little disappointed that I drew this particular parable—I guess because it seemed quite self explanatory… But as I studied it more in depth, I have come to realize that it was with good reason that the disciples asked about this particular parable because it turns out to be much more complex and profound than I first expected.
Matthew 13:24-30 (Read)
Back in ancient Palestine, agriculture was how most people made their living. And in this time, there were no government buyouts our subsidies to help the farmer in case of a drought or blight or anything else that might adversely affect your crops. So needless to say, there was an awful lot riding on how well your crops yielded from year to year. That being said, if one had an enemy in that particular time and he really wanted to do him harm, he might would somehow sabotage his crops. One of the most popular ways to do this was to go into your enemy’s field and sow weeds among his wheat. To make things even worse they sowed a weed that was identical to the wheat. The only time that the difference of the wheat and weed was noticeable was right before the harvest. The weed often used for this purpose was what is known as the Bearded Darnel—again, it looks exactly like wheat until the time when the real wheat actually begins to bear fruit.
Most of us have driven by wheat fields when the stalks are so full that they actually appear to be bowing under the weight of the grain. Well, the bearded darnel doesn’t produce grain, instead it produces a bunch of little black seeds that could actually make a person quite ill if eaten. So because they don’t produce this heavy grain, instead of bowing down, they stand up straight and that’s how they can be identified among the bowing wheat.
Now I can imagine that as Jesus was telling this parable that the disciples were well familiar with the literal aspect of the story. They, no doubt had seen or heard of this particular trick being played on someone before. But they just couldn’t ascertain what the spiritual meaning of this parable could possibly be. So, after Jesus told another parable and went with His disciples into the house, they asked the Lord to explain to them what they were expected to take away from this story. (READ Vs 37-43)
Now there is some disagreement among scholars as to the exact meaning of the word “field” as used here in this story. You see, in His decoding of the parable, Jesus simply states that the field is “the world.” But does that mean the literal world at large.. or, the Christian church which is scattered throughout the world? Personally, I believe that Jesus is here talking specifically about the church being His field. I believe this for two major reasons: 1. The weeds were sown AMONG the wheat 2. The weeds and the wheat were almost indistinguishable from one another.
You see, if Jesus was talking about the field being “the world” and the wheat being the Christians, it wouldn’t make as much sense because you don’t find many unchurched “in church.”! Not only that but unlike the weeds and wheat, most of the time you can very easily tell the professed Christian from the heathen within a short period of time by how they live and act from day to day.
What Jesus was saying was that in that first century church and in this twenty-first century worldwide Christian church, there are, growing together, both wheat and weeds. Unfortunately, some SDAs seem to believe that the Adventist denomination is the wheat while the rest of the denominations are the weeds. Please understand that I am definitely NOT in that camp. I believe that God has His faithful people in nearly every denomination and that they are living up to the light that they currently have. I also believe that the devil has planted his seed in EVERY denomination. In fact, I suggest that we forget about other denominations for a moment and just look around at the people in this sanctuary. I want you to understand that it is very likely that we have both wheat and weeds right here in this little section of the Lord’s field. At this very moment, someone is thinking, “I know that’s right” and I have a pretty good idea who a few of the weeds are…”
So the question is asked, what in the world are we going to do about these weeds?
How many of you have ever had a garden? When you saw weeds growing among whatever you planted, what was your first instinct? To pull them up right? Sure, and that was the right thing to do because weeds could severely stunt the growth of your good plants. But how many of you ever had a wheat garden? It wouldn’t be so easy to pull up weeds growing among your wheat would it—especially if the weeds looked just like the wheat!
So in the parable, the servants noticed that the master’s field had been sabotaged and that there were dangerous weeds growing among the precious wheat. So, being the good servants that they were, they offered to go out into the field and pull up the weeds and burn them. But notice that the master said no, because in so doing you may uproot the wheat along with the weeds. He said that the harvesting must be left to the qualified harvesters at the appointed time.
I am reading the Great Controversy again and am reminded of how during the reformation that the Roman Catholic Church took it upon herself to “weed out the kingdom” for the master. Every time I read of it or think about how many faithful Christians labeled “heretics” were burned at the stake or hung from the gallows, I can hardly believe these atrocities—these murders were committed under the supposed banner of Christ!
What is yet even more unbelievable is that it is still happening today. There are people and institutions that believe that they are qualified, not only to distinguish the wheat from the weeds but also believe they have the authority to uproot who they believe to be “weeds.”
There are three major reasons why we should not attempt to “weed God’s garden.” The first is that we simply are not qualified. Notice that the lady in our story was judging an innocent and I might add a generous man for doing something that he wasn’t guilty of but yet she was! We tend to make a lot of judgments like that. In fact Jesus tells us that we have a habit of trying to get a speck out of our brother’s eye when all the time we have a plank or a log in our own eye!
1. Matthew 7:1 Jesus says, ““Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
2. Luke 9 records the account of when the Samaritan village didn’t roll out the red carpet for Jesus and the disciples because they were headed for Jerusalem. Remember what James and John asked Jesus when they heard of their inhospitable behavior towards their Master? They said, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven and destroy them?” We’re told that Jesus rebuked the sons of thunder for this attitude of judgment and moved on.
For some reason, it is human nature to want to judge people even though the Lord makes it clear that there is only one who is worthy of that position—there is only one Judge. You and I need to realize that this position has already been filled! He doesn’t need our help.
• Illustration: A woman and her grandmother -- a very forgiving and religious soul -- were sitting on their porch discussing a member of the family. "He’s just no good," the young woman said. "He’s completely untrustworthy, not to mention lazy." "Yes, he’s bad," the grandmother said as she rocked back and forth in her rocker, "but Jesus loves him." "I’m not so sure of that," the younger woman persisted. "Oh, yes," assured the elderly lady, "Jesus loves him." She rocked and thought for a few more minutes and then added, "Of course, Jesus don’t know him like we do...."
You know, that old lady was right, Jesus doesn’t know people like we do… the bible tells us that while man looks on the outward appearance, God looks at the heart.
Again, there are at least three reasons that we should not take it upon ourselves to weed God’s garden—three reasons we should not pass judgment on others—even in the church. And the first reason is that we are simply not qualified. There’s no telling how much wheat has been pulled up by “well-meaning” church folk who thought for sure they had grabbed hold of a noxious weed.
Jesus said, “leave them alone, let them grow together until the harvest..”
The second reason we need to refrain from trying to pull weeds in God’s wheat field is because even if we are right in our judgment and do indeed grab hold of a bonafied weed….while we are pulling it up by its roots, we may still pull up some wheat nearby as the roots will be intertwined with one another.
1. For instance, Jesus knew the heart of Judas, he no doubt was aware that he would betray him. What if Jesus would have openly identified Judas as the weed that he was and plucked him out of their fellowship? Maybe some of the other disciples who could not read Judas’ heart and thought he was a jolly good chap and perceived that Jesus was being unfair. Some might well have said, well if Judas isn’t good enough to be in this church, then I am not either…Does that still happen today?
2. Think about it, Lucifer was the first and most dangerous weed, but the fact that God didn’t immediately destroy him should tell us something…not only would some of the other angels he had been talking to have been tempted to think of God as a ruthless dictator, but many others throughout the universe might have been compromised as well.
3. I have had the privilege of sitting on the church board for many years now, and I have learned that if you want to get some of the saints fired up, dare to mention that we need to “clean up the membership role!” There is no telling how many sincere Christians have left the church and the faith primarily because of how the church treated someone they loved…
Don’t pull out the weeds because while you are pulling up the weeds, you may very well uproot some wheat as well…
III. Now let’s talk about the third reason we shouldn’t be too eager to start plucking weeds...
1. Remember when I said that it was likely that there are some weeds in this very room right now?? Well, allow me to take that a step farther; Because the fact is that EVERYBODY here at one time in our lives were a weed—that’s a fact.
Many professed and baptized Christians today aren’t truly converted, that is to say that they haven’t made that conversion from weed to wheat until after they have been in the church for quite some time.
I’ve heard many stories of pastors who confess that they weren’t truly converted until after they had served in the ministry for many years! Friends, what I’m trying to say is that, by the grace of God, in much the same way the Jesus turned water into wine, He can change weeds into wheat! And I praise Him for the fact that He is indeed performing this miracle time and time again every single day.
Last Sabbath, as Daniel was preaching about the parable of the sower, I really liked how he made sure to remind us that there is something extraordinary in every seed—even more so than the unbelievable amount of genetic information it contains. The most amazing thing about the seed is the LIFE that is housed within it. He went on to point out how that some seeds that were entombed with the Pharos for thousands of years were actually watered and successfully germinated and grew into living plants! How powerful is our God?! The Author of life!
The reason I bring this up is that God has planted within each person a special seed which contains eternal life. But as long as we deprive that seed of the water of life, it will lie dormant, never blooming into life everlasting. But, if by our own choice, we allow that seed to be watered by the Holy Spirit, it will soon germinate and grow—transforming us from a weed to a desirable plant in God’s garden that will bear fruit that will be multiplied many times over. ( 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul says that, “If anyone is in Christ, He is a NEW CREATION, the old has gone and the new has come!)
Again, look around you. I am certain that you are looking at both weeds and wheat. You might think you know, but you can’t be sure which one is which.. No, Jesus said, let them grow together. One reason is that, by the grace of God, someone who is a weed today, may become fruitful wheat tomorrow.
So we are encouraged to give all the plants of the garden time. Time for each one to enjoy the sun and the rain, to draw nutrients from the soil… But before Jesus ends this parable, He is sure to point out that the harvest is indeed coming, and when it does there will be no more time, the weeds will be plucked up and burned while the righteous will shine like the noon day sun in the Kingdom of the Father.
I believe that as Jesus was telling this parable to the disciples, He was warning Judas of his “weed status”, but He wasn’t just warning Judas… Peter also at this point was a weed because he wasn’t as of yet fully converted. Peter later accepted the grace of God and became transformed but Judas remained a weed.
Friends, Jesus is coming soon. Probation will be closed and the harvesters will be sent out. Some of you are bound for the barn and some for the fire. The choice is yours.
I can’t even begin to understand the mentality of some Christians today who say that God has predestined some to burn and some to be saved. My bible is clear to me that God wills for not even one to be lost but for all to come to repentance! If anything God PREDESTINED ALL to be SAVED and none to be lost! But, because He loves us, He gives us the power to cast the deciding vote.
I realize that I have spent a good amount of time today telling you not to judge. But please understand that there is one that we should judge—and judge quite regularly: Ourselves.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”
Please understand that Satan has a way of convincing a bunch of weeds that they are “amber waves of grain.” Don’t be deceived friends… examine yourselves—but don’t stop there, like David, invite God to examine your heart and reveal to you His findings. Don’t be content by just looking at your outward appearance—because you may very well appear to be wheat, ask God to show you your heart and then allow Him to water that seed of life that He has already planted within you.
Remember how you can tell the difference between the literal wheat and the weeds? The real wheat bowed down under the weight of the fruit it produced while the weeds didn’t produce fruits so they stood up straight. When you let Jesus have His way in and with your life, you too will begin to bear fruit for the kingdom of God—fruit that will be miraculously multiplied and sown to bear even more fruit.
My prayer is that when the time comes to bring in the sheaves, that I’ll see you in the right pile.
