Are You Wheat or Weeds?
Posted By Joe on October 14, 2009
Jesus taught frequently in parables. He did this partly to give the message the opportunity to sink into discerning ears and hearts; the ones ready to hear the message. It also allowed Jesus to demonstrate and reveal the callousness and dullness of the "learned" Pharisees.
%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG&ei=bA_VSuyYIpPqsQPCg9zFCg "794915355_6e0065590c")
HT: Bern@t
While "bad" things happen to "good" people sometimes, God will not destroy the righteous along with the unrighteous. One parable that describes this is the parable of the wheat and the tares (or weeds).
Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away." --Matthew 13:24-25.
Here the man is Jesus. The field is the world. The enemy is Satan. The good seed are the believers. The tares are the followers of Satan, or simply unbelievers.
Satan does not rest. Even at this moment he is busy about sowing weeds among the wheat!
"But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also." --Matthew 13:26.
It should come as no surprise that Satan makes himself busy about sowing weeds among the church body. In fact, it's where Satan directs his attacks. Why bother with those who are happily going about their lives, living life on their own (and Satan's) terms!
"The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'" --Matthew 13:27.
It's a interesting question. We can liken this to us asking God: "Lord, why/how could you allow someone like Jim Jones to start a church and then have them commit suicide in the middle of the jungle?"
"And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' The slaves said to him, 'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?' But he said, 'No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them.'" --Matthew 13:28-29.
It's so hard for us in our modern day to liken ourselves to being a "slave." It has such a negative connotation for us. No so in God's lexicon. He wants us to be slaves for Him.
In God's mercy and justice, He would rather let the weeds grow for a little while longer than for His precious wheat to be uprooted.
"'Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn."'" --Matthew 13:30.
The harvest is the end of the age.
Jesus further explains:
"So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire, in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." --Matthew 13:40-42 (Emphasis mine).
If you are not yet a Christian, that last portion of the verse should bother you. It should rock you to your core.
Are you willing to put off or deny your salvation because of your stubbornness of heart?
Are you so sure that there is no God?
Are you so convinced that when you die you simply ceased to exist?
Are you so sure that evolution is factual and you are simply a cosmic accident?
Are you really sure?
What if ... you are ... wrong?
Repent and believe in the Good News of Christ today!
Think about something:
Who has less to lose? You or the believer?
If I'm wrong, then yes, I'll simply cease to exist at the end of my life. But, if you're wrong ... you will spend an eternity in hell; a place that no one currently occupies but was intended for Satan and his demons ... and all those who would reject Christ!
So I ask you: why would you wait a moment longer to gain eternal life?
May He Increase!
About the author
Comments
Leave a Reply