Over the past three days, my blog articles have focused on the parable of the sower. In the case of the crop failure mentioned in the parable, the responsibility was on humans.
In today’s parable, the responsibility for crop failure falls on the evil one.
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field, but while everybody was asleep an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and then went away.
So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well.
And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’
He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’
But he replied, ‘No, for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them.
Let both of them grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn'” (Matthew 13:24-30).
The Context
In the Middle East, there is a weed that closely resembles wheat. It takes a significant amount of time for the weed to become distinguishable from the wheat. This weed is poisonous, and if it gets mixed with wheat, consuming the mixture can make people sick.
Planting this type of weed in a wheat field was such a serious problem that Roman law imposed penalties on anyone caught doing this.
The usual method for dealing with this type of weed aligns with how Jesus described it in the parable. At harvest time, the weeds and wheat would be separated—gathering the weeds into one bundle and the wheat into another.
Question: Who is pictured in this parable?
Over the years, people have interpreted the parable in various ways. One common interpretation is that the parable represents the church, where both weeds and wheat coexist.
I have witnessed the harm caused by attempts to uproot the “weeds” within a church, which often ends up damaging the “wheat” as well. Jesus is absolutely right—it’s best to let them grow together whenever possible, trusting that, in the end, God will be the one to separate them.
Though I have often applied the interpretation mentioned above, it may not be the one Jesus originally intended. It is more likely that Jesus was referring to His role as the Messiah in the kingdom of God.
Jesus’ first public proclamation was: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:15).
With the arrival of God’s kingdom and the presence of the Messiah, people may have wondered—and still wonder today—if God’s kingdom is truly present, why does so much evil persist?
The existence of evil, whether in the church or the world, despite the presence of God’s kingdom, can be understood through the concept of waiting. A decisive effort to uproot the weeds from the kingdom could unintentionally harm the wheat, whether within the church or in the broader world.
God’s mercy drives His actions; His desire is for all people to come to repentance. Therefore, He patiently waits for the right time.
God’s Wisdom
These parables were likely spoken early in Jesus’s ministry while He was in Galilee. At that time, He still had several months, possibly even a year or more, before His journey to Jerusalem and His confrontation with the religious leaders of Judea.
During this period, Jesus had many opportunities to share His teaching, healing, and ministry of love with others.
Even after this, evil appeared to prevail when He was crucified. Yet, through the resurrection, God revealed the wisdom of His patience.
Instead of using force, He extended love, giving even His enemies the opportunity to be transformed and converted.
Yes, ultimately, a time of judgment is coming. That is also the message of this parable.
The message for us is to remain hopeful. God’s kingdom is present, even though evil often appears to dominate much of the world.
We are also called to respond to every loving act of God in our lives. Let us not overlook or miss these moments.
Finally, let us keep in mind that a time of judgment is coming.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 