Isaiah 44:6-8; Romans 8:18-27; Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Can you tell me the difference between the two pictures? They look almost identical, don’t they? Don’t worry, this isn’t one of those challenges to find a set number of differences. On one side is a picture of wheat, and on the other a picture of a tare. Tares are weeds that look almost identical to wheat until they’re close to full grown. It’s not until the plant blooms that you can tell the difference. 

Now, I’m no farmer here, but most often, it’s not advisable to allow weeds (even similar looking ones) to grow beside a crop. Weeds will steal some of the nutrients that are meant for the wheat and prevent it from maturing properly, even to the point of killing off some of wheat. 

For in our Gospel lesson this week, Jesus tells the parable of the Wheat and the Tares. A man has sown good seed in his field, but his enemy also came and planted bad seed. This deception isn’t discovered until the plants start to bloom. At this point, the workers are surprised to find weeds among the wheat that they planted. Thus, they ask, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?” Matthew 13:27. The master immediately knows it’s his enemies doing. 

In our world, we can’t be surprised that “bad seed” or “tares” exist alongside the “wheat”. As Jesus describes the parable to his disciples, he explains that the Master is the Son of Man, Jesus, who sows good seed, that is, “children of the kingdom.” Jesus came to sow faith in the world (the field) and have it grow up to a bountiful harvest. Yet, at the same time, Satan has come and sown bad seed in the world, that is, “sons of the evil one”. The result is that the good seed (believers) and the bad seed (non-believers) are mixed together in the world. They exist and share the same space. 

In this parable, Jesus is teaching us about the nature of his kingdom, or his church. In the world, the righteous and evil grow up together. Even while the evil pester and “steal nutrients” from believers, the faithful are to rest assured in the reign of God. The presence of weeds doesn’t negate God’s rule, nor his will for all to be saved. Rather, God forestalls his judgment for the sake of all, that many more may grow up into Christ. For it’s by Christ’s death on the cross that God has sown the good seed. It’s God’s grace and forbearance that has brought about the salvation of man. In our world, evil will continue to be an issue to us as believers, but its presence isn’t to make us doubt God’s sovereign rule. At the end of time, God shall separate the righteous from the evil. In God’s timing, he shall remove all evil and sin from his kingdom, all the workers of evil, and toss them into the lake of burning sulfur. And then, he shall gather all the righteous unto himself where “the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father,” Matthew 13:43. What a wonderful sight that will be! 

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

O God, so rule and govern our hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit that, ever mindful of Your final judgment, we may be stirred up to holiness of living here and dwell with You in perfect joy hereafter; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!