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Wheat & Weeds

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43                                                                                                   Pentecost 10  Year A

 Today our gospel is about the Parable of the Wheat & Weeds.  It is a story with two messages, one of warning and one of hope.  The Weeds that Jesus spoke of were probably some- thing called darnel.  Darnel is a somewhat poisonous weed looking very much like wheat during its earliest stages.  Because of its resemblance early separation from the wheat is nearly impossible.  In fact, the roots of the two intertwine with each other. So if you try to remove these weeds, chances are you will also damage the wheat too.  The weeds in Jesus story represent the unbelievers that are intermixed with believers.

The reality of this is that it is not just among the nations but it is also within the church.  Church goers sometimes tend to think of wheat and weeds as an “Us & Them” thing.  Us being the ones in church and them being the ones in the world.    If their idea or theory was correct, then there would be no need to separate the wheat from the weeds, it would already be done, wouldn’t it?                           

The reality is that you can find unbelievers inside church walls just as you can find them outside these walls.   But one would tend to think like this: well they are churchgoers so they must be believers.   People go to church for various reasons.  Some go because it is the thing to do.  Some might go for the sake of keeping up appearances, they are concerned only with how it may look to others and they don’t want to look bad in the eyes of others. Some go to church because they believe that by going it is their “ticket to heaven”.

The reality is that going to church is no guarantee of our entrance into heaven.  It’s like someone thinking that if they go to school that it will automatically make them smarter. The bottom line is that they must apply themselves and be willing to learn. The same thing applies to church, we can come here every Sunday and listen to the Word but if we only hear the Word and don’t do anything about it, then nothing will happen. Last week’s gospel about the Parable of the Four Soils touched on this very subject.

  Today, we hear Jesus telling another Parable or Story. Jesus told stories because stories have the ability to touch people’s hearts and challenge them.   Parables always contain a suspicious twist or unexpected turn of events that would shock or grab the attention of the listener.  Maybe some of things I’ve said about church goers have shocked you or grabbed your attention, or even challenged you.   It’s healthy to be challenged from time to time.  We need it occasionally to keep us focused and centered on our goals in life.  In today’s case, the goal is the Kingdom of Heaven, and Jesus wants to make sure that people end up achieving this goal that is before them.  I believe that today’s message is a two fold message, one of warning & one of hope. Jesus seems to have been motivated by a sense of urgency.  He pressed his people to accept his message and to prepare in haste.

The first message is one of warning.  Verse 25 I think sums it all up. “While everyone was sleeping, the enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat.   Jesus refers to weeds as sons of the evil one.  They could be things such as:  doubt, fear, gossip, temptation, lack of faith, distrust, envy, anger, violence, pornography, alcohol, drug and sexual abuse, and the list goes on...  The enemy that Jesus spoke of refers to: Satan or the devil.  Also take note that Jesus says: “while everyone was sleeping.   Sleeping could also mean things like:  being distracted or not paying attention, unaware or being spiritually blind.   So who are the sons of evil?  They are anyone who causes sin and who do evil.  They are weeds among the wheat.   Jesus says they are to be tied in bundles and burned.

Now what about the wheat that Jesus talked about.   Jesus says the wheat is gathered and brought into my barn.  He refers to the wheat as “Sons of the Kingdom”.  Who is the wheat? They are the believers and followers of God.  Those who love God and love their neighbors. In the beatitudes Jesus says blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  He goes on to say that the peacemakers will be called Sons of God. Those who are persecuted for His sake will inherit the kingdom of heaven.  The pure in heart will see God; this is the wheat that we are hearing about today.

Jesus message to the people was a message of urgency, a message of challenge to them. Today the message is the same, the urgency remains vital and important, the challenge is still there and we are called to meet that challenge. It is still a message of hope to God’s people.  Hope that hunger, thirst, mourning and sorrow will vanish under God’s reign.  Hope that God’s reign will bring ultimate wholeness and peace among all people.  Hope of an eternity with God in His kingdom.   Hope in a world that needs to hear the message of God’s love and God’s reward to those who faithfully believe and follow Jesus throughout their lives. 

And yet too, the message of warning also remains.  It is there because God wants to make sure that everyone heeds His Word, so that no one will be left behind. So that no one will end up like the weeds, tied into bundles and burned.  Instead, God wants our fate to be one like the wheat.   He wants to gather us up and bring us into His barn.   God wants only the best for us.  One story with two messages. We need to hear both messages, for both messages are equally important, both messages need to be acknowledged and understood.   Most importantly we need to realize the reason for these messages.

           God is conveying His love and concern for us through it all. It is because of His love for us that He wants us to hear what He has to say. It is because of God’s love for us that He bothers to try and make us understand and heed His Word.   It’s all about God’s love for His people.  God loves us. It’s the most important message you will ever hear.  Receive it! Believe it! Spread it!

 Let Us Pray:

God we thank you for your love and for your word in our lives.  Jesus said those who have ears let them hear.  Help us Lord to hear your message of love for us, help us to gain understanding and wisdom.   Thank you for the promise of your kingdom of heaven and eternal life with You.  Empower us to spread your message of love to others who are ready to hear about you.  In Jesus name, Amen+