Parable of the wheat and weeds
Parables are earthly stories with a heavenly meaning. Jesus used this method of teaching to reveal the truths that cannot be seen with mere eyes, the truth about God and his kingdom.
Continuing with the study of parables, this Sunday we look into one that is not commonly spoken about, the parable of the wheat and weeds (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43). This parable leaves us with the burning question, when I die, am I going to the barn or to be burned?
There are three aspects that we can look into to help us answer this question:
1. The Sowing of the wheat and the weeds.
Jesus is the Sower of this world and it reminds us that the world itself belongs to God. The good seed (wheat) are the children of the kingdom. There are characteristics of wheat that reflect characteristics of what it means to be the children of God. Wheat does not dig its roots down too deep into the earth, just like us, we should not tie ourselves down too deeply into the world. When wheat ripens, it's harvested and once taken it's all gone. We will be harvested also by God and taken to our new home. Wheat grows upwards and it dies downwards which means that we too must focus on the vertical not the horizontal.
Also among the field, there are people being planted by the devil. The devil is a squatter of the world, he has crept in as an imitator. The devil is always creating counterfeits to bring people down (2 Corinthians 11:4,13,15). The people being sown by the devil are the weeds.
2. The Growing of the wheat and weeds.
Both plants are growing together in the same field. This is a great reminder to know that as we live in this world, there are challenges and things that can pull us away from being the product that Jesus has sown. It also means that there will be false believers around us and we need to be aware. We should take a stand against evil (Romans 12:21) as we are not responsible for clearing out the weeds. We need to be careful and be focused on growing for God, which means that discipline will be involved.
3. The reaping of the wheat and the weeds.
There will come a time where the wheat and weeds will be separated, meaning that there will be a time at the end of the age where the saved will be separated from the lost. This event will be known as the reaping and the angels are the reapers (Revelation 14:14-15). We need to be aware that there will be an end to the world that we know and judgement will be upon every individual. Our focus should not be determining who is a wheat or a weed, it should be on our relationship with God and knowing what it means to follow Jesus. The wheat will go to the barn and the weeds will be burned. This is a clear picture of eternity and hell. The question that should be burning in our minds is, do we want to go to the barn or to be burned?
Dear God,
Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your world and that you care for us so deeply that you have created another home for us that will be eternal. Father I pray, that we can have a vertical focus which involves growing our relationship with you above anything else. I pray for my friends and family that they too can understand the importance of having a relationship with you.
In Jesus' mighty name,
Amen