Wheat and Weeds
6/01/08 AM
Text: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-42
Introduction
Turn with me to the Gospel of Matthew. Do you know what Matthew is trying to get across in this gospel? Do you know the truth he was trying to share? Matthew wrote this book because he wants us to know this one basic truth: Jesus of Nazareth was the kingly Messiah of prophesy. When Jesus Christ came to earth, He brought the kingdom of God with Him. That’s the whole point of the book of Matthew.
It begins in Matthew chapter 1 where Matthew establishes that Jesus was born of royal linage. Jesus is the rightful heir of David’s throne. He is the King. In Matthew 2, we see Jesus called the king of the Jews and worshiped by the Magi. In Chapter 3 He is preceded by John the Baptist and in Matthew chapters 4-12, Jesus reveals both the nature and the power of His kingdom as He conducts His ministry preaching, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. When Jesus Christ came into the world, the kingdom of heaven came too. And because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave, His kingdom remains in the world today.
But the question we so often face today is: “If the kingdom of heaven has come in Christ, why does evil abound?” Tell me why there are suicide bombers in the world. Tell me why children are misused and abused in the name of religion. Tell me why immorality is promoted as normality and Christian values are denounced as narrow minded and intolerant. We look around the world today and ask if the kingdom of heaven is here, why is evil still here too?
In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus tells a parable that helps us understand. It’s a parable that answers this very question, If the kingdom of God is here, why is there still evil? Let’s examine the parable of Jesus.
I. The Parable Explained
A.Unusual for Jesus to interpret parables. (Only two others)
1.The parables of Matthew 13 are parables that reveal truths about the kingdom of God. That’s why Jesus begins this parable with the words, “The kingdom of heaven is like…
2.
3.So exactly what is Jesus teaching us about the kingdom of God here? What does this parable mean? Fortunately, we don’t have to guess. Jesus Himself explains this parable to us.
Read Matthew 13:36-42
4.Several symbols are identified by Jesus:
a.The Sowers
“The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way”
a) The Identity of the Sowers
v37 “He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;”
v39 “but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil”
b.Field: In verse 38 Jesus tells us that the field is the world. This parable is not about the church. This parable is about the world at large.
c.The Wheat and the Weeds: “and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;”
d.Harvest: end of the age.
e.Reapers: angels.
f.The Servants: Not identified specifically but they serve the Master.
[Let’s see what lessons we may draw from this simple parable…]
II. The Parable Applied
A.This parable is about the world at large.
1.Now in the field of this world, Jesus says that there are two kinds of seed that get sown.
a.Christ, who is the Son of Man sows good seed. And the good seed represents the sons and daughters of the kingdom.
b.The children of the kingdom are those who acknowledge their sin, repent of their sin, and who put their trust in Jesus Christ and what He did for them on the cross.
c.If you are a believer, you are God’s good seed planted by Him in this world.
2.Unfortunately, there is another sower who works the field of this world.
a.He is the enemy of Christ. He is the devil.
b.He plants weeds and Jesus tells us that the weeds represent the sons of the evil one. These are all those people who will not repent. These are all those who will not follow Jesus.
3.And so the first thing we learn from this parable is that, for the time being, two kinds of people have been sown in this world. Today, the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the devil dwell together on earth. Yes, in Christ the kingdom of Heaven has come. But for the moment, the kingdom of the devil has not yet been put away.
B.Now we can answer our question. If the kingdom of heaven has come to this world, why does evil still exist in this world?
1.Of course, that raises another question. Why would Jesus, who is holy, permit evil to remain? Believe it or not, Jesus permits evil to remain in this world for your eternal benefit and mine.
2.Jesus acknowledges that this world is full of sin and sinners and, for the moment, chooses to allow it. Let’s go back to the parable.
a.Listen again to Matthew 13:27-30a “The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ “And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ “But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. ‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest...”
3.Why does Jesus permit evil to remain in this world? Because, if Jesus judged the world right now, some of the people God has marked for salvation would be lost. That’s why Jesus says, “Don’t pull the weeds now…because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.
a.2 Peter 3:8-9 puts it this way: “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
4.Why does evil remain? It’s not because God is lax. Please hear this: it’s because God is patient.
a.We live in a day of grace. Yes, Jesus does permit evil to remain. But He permits it only so evil people like me and you can be saved from the judgment we deserve.
C.Which brings us to another point: We don’t judge the weeds
1.In the parable the servants come to the owner of the field and ask him, “Do you want us to pull up the weeds?”
a.They sound just like us. We get sick of all the wickedness that goes on in the world and we want to go yank some weeds.
b.That’s what James and John wanted to do in Luke 9:54. When a Samaritan village rejected Jesus they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” Do you remember what Jesus did? He rebuked them.
c.And when we try to play judge He rebukes us too. When Jesus is ready to judge, He’ll judge.
2.Today, when the sons of kingdom and the sons of the devil dwell together, is a day of grace.
a.Today, weeds can still become wheat. Our calling is never to condemn the weeds; our calling is to share Christ with them.
b.Yes, there are times when we must confront lies. Yes, there are times to speak out against sin. But never forget, even in those times our motivation must always be salvation, not condemnation.
c.Compassion must drive us rather than spite. Don’t play judge. The position has already been filled.
D.Which leads to a final point from this parable to consider today
1.. Even though Jesus permits evil to remain today, He will not permit it to remain forever! In Matthew 13:30 Jesus speaks of the weeds and the wheat when He says, Let both grow together until when? …Until the harvest.
a.Beginning with the second half of verse 39 Jesus tells us, The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
b.As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.
c.Revelation 21:8 “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
d.A day of judgment is coming. Some people deny it. Some people mock it. But on multiple occasions, Jesus warns us that it’s true.
e.There is a final day and on that day all humanity will be divided into one of two groups, those who those who stand condemned and those made righteous in Christ.
2.The Children of the Kingdom: v43 “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
a.Jesus is the reason you are not a weed in the eyes of God, but wheat. Because of Jesus, God will gather you on Judgment Day.
b.God will gather you, and then, Jesus says, “Then the righteous will shine like the sun, in the kingdom of their Father.”
c.You are righteous, because Jesus has made you righteous. Someday, you will shine like the sun shine in the kingdom of your Father.
d.You will radiate God’s love and joy, and that will happen for you at the harvest, when the angels of the Son of Man gathers you, the wheat, into His barn
Conclusion
Invitation
On that day, we’re not going to worry about the silly things we worry about today. On that day it won’t matter whether you were pretty or plain. It won’t matter whether you were clumsy or athletic. It won’t matter whether you were rich or poor, whether you were called a success or a failure, whether you were educated or illiterate. On that day the only thing that’s going to matter is this—are you wheat or are you weed? Are you a child of the kingdom or are you a child of the evil one?
