The Wheat And The Weeds Series

On the surface, these folks look and act like Christians. They’re doing the Lord’s work. They not only show up for church on Sunday morning, but they serve communion and teach Sunday School. They’re small-group leaders. They speak Chrisitanese. They listen to Christian radio and wear Christian t-shirts. They have little Jesus-fish on the bumpers of their cars and plaque on their desks that says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” They talk the talk and walk the walk. But Jesus will turn them away, saying, “I never knew you.”

Listen: Don’t assume that you are the wheat!

These folks in Matthew 7 seemed genuinely surprised that they weren’t accepted into heaven. They talked a lot about all the stuff they did for Jesus. But, do you know what they didn’t talk about? They didn’t say, “I made a mess of my life and I realized how desperately I need a savoir. That’s when I put all of faith and hope in you, Jesus.” The difference between a believer and a “make-believer” isn’t something you can see. It’s something that happens in the heart. People look at the outward appearance, but Jesus looks at the heart. The heart reveals what you’re really made of.

First, weeds are deceiving. Furthermore, weeds are damaging.

• DAMAGING

In the parable, when the workers asked the farmer if they should pull up the weeds, he replies, “No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest” (Matthew 13:29-30 ESV).

The farmer didn’t want his workers pulling up the weeds because they looked too similar to the wheat and he didn’t want any of the wheat to be damaged in the process. It may also be that the roots from the weeds entangled themselves in the wheat roots and so even if you pulled the right plants, the wheat could still be damaged.

Of course, we don’t need a parable to tell us that weeds are bad. If you tend a garden, your first instinct upon seeing a weed is probably the same as the workers in the parable—pull it out. Weeds have very invasive root systems that quickly take over the surrounding earth, stealing vital nutrients and water from the other plants.

The same thing happens in our spiritual lives if we’re always surrounded with weedy people. The apostle Paul put it this way: “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals’” (1Corinthians 15:33). It’s just like your mom used to tell you: “one rotten apple can spoil the whole bunch!” That principle holds true for our spiritual lives as well. The world is filled with both believers and unbelievers, Christians and non-Christian. We live next door to each other. We work in the same offices. We work out side-by-side in the gym. In some cases, we may even live under the same roof. As Christians we need to exercise discernment in those relationships.