Weeds
Matthew 13: 24 - 30
Intro: A man was stopped at a traffic light and when the light turned green he was distracted and didn’t budge. The lady in the car behind him started honking her horn again and again pounding on the steering wheel. Just as the light turned yellow, the man wakened from his daydreaming and drove off. The woman was beside herself when she heard a tap on her window. Looking up, she saw a police officer who asked her to step out of the car because she was under arrest. He read her rights and took her to the police station to be processed. Hours passed. Finally, the officer unlocked the holding cell and took her back to the booking desk. He said, “Sorry for the mistake, When I pulled up behind you I heard you blowing your horn and cursing loudly at the fellow in front of you. I noticed the bumper stickers on the car. One of the read, ‘Follow me to Sunday School.’ The other said ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ So, I naturally assumed you had stolen the car.” (Sermon Central, “Separating the Wheat From the Weeds by Craig Condon, 4/8/15)
I The officer obviously thought the lady was a “weed”. One day my oldest son at 4 years old had wondered off with the little neighbor girl named Carol. We found the 2 blocks away at the park. He told me that Carol knew the way and urged him to go with her to the park to play. I explained that some people can be like weeds and lead us astray. The next day at preschool, he was chosen to pass out the napkins and when he placed the napkin in front of Carol he said, “and one for Carol, the weed.”
A My son and the police officer obviously knew that people could be weeds. - - - Weeds - - -
B Sometimes it appears there are more weeds than seeds in our world. Weeds often choke our real plants. They seem to produce no fruit; but lots of seeds. Just when you think you are weed-free, they appear again.
C I believe people can be weeds. These are people who plant seeds of mistrust, apathy and negativity believing the glass is half empty instead of half full.
II VS. 25 – “While everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat.” This is vandalism of the field.
A The GK word for “weed” here is zizanion which refers to a common weed found in Middle Eastern grain fields. It refers to “bearded darnel” which is only distinguishable from wheat when both are fully grown.
B The servants in the parable want to pull up the weeds. Isn’t that how we really want to deal with vandalism.
C We, like the servants do not have the ability to get rid of ALL the weeds without damaging the seeds. Sometimes plucking up weeds can cause more harm than good.
III We hear about acts of vandalism almost daily. What are we to do about vandalism in our world? VS. 27 – 30 “No let both grow together until the harvest.”
A To “wait” is not a divine command to ignore injustice in the world, violence in society or wrong in the church.
B Good and evil intentions can resemble each other so closely that only God can tell them apart.
C Are we wheat or weeds? - - - We are all part weed and part wheat and therefore wholly reliant on God’s grace.
Concl: This parable calls for both discernment (seeing the difference between weed and wheat) and merciful withholding of judgment.
We are given the task of living faithfully and as obediently as possible, confident that the harvest is sure. It is not for us to judge (as much as we would like to). The only true judge is God who assures us that in the end we will all be judged by God.
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FELLOW WEEDS, LET US VOW TO LIVE OBEDIENT TO GOD, LESS JUDGEMENTAL AND MORE LOVING LIVES.
