By
Allen White
Jesus told them another parable: “The
kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while
everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went
away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
“The
owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your
field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
“‘An
enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The
servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
“‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are
pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together
until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the
weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it
into my barn.’”
Matthew 13:24-30
When we bought our
house four years ago, we inherited a small flowerless flower bed. This little
patch had more weeds than mulch and a pathetic shrub in the center. We weren’t
winning “Yard of the Month” by a long shot. So, I decided to get rid of it.
I pulled out the
shrub. I removed the mulch and lots of rocks. I focused on killing weeds and
planting new grass. During the first quarter of the growing season, the new
grass was in the lead. Then around halftime, crab grass and other culprits
started gaining on the grass. By the end season, it was Weeds 100. Grass 0.
The next year I
attempted the same strategy. (What’s the definition of insanity?) Sure enough,
I achieved the same result. A beautiful green lawn with a patch of weedy,
exposed red clay.
Last year, I tried
a new approach. I focused on nurturing the healthy Bermuda nearby. The great
thing about Bermuda – it takes over. No weed killer. I just gave the Bermuda a
head start on the crab grass. At the end of the season, the score was finally
Bermuda 100. Weeds 0. After all, the best weed killer is healthy grass.
Life would be
easier if wicked people were removed from this world. Of course, that might
eliminate a healthy portion of my readers as well as the writer for that
matter. None of us has completely abolished our fleshly nature.
Before we pump up
our canister of spiritual
Roundup, we need to
keep in mind that separating wheat and weeds is not our job. God is the only
one who completely understands the thoughts and motives of each person. He’s
the only just judge. We are not qualified and not allowed to judge others (read more here). So, can wheat and weeds meaningfully
coexist? The short answer is “no.”
But, here’s where
the analogy stops – wheat can only ever be wheat, and weeds can only ever be
weeds. In nature, there is no metamorphic process that transforms weeds into
wheat. But, in the spiritual world, there is a transformation from departing
the kingdom of darkness and entering the kingdom of light.
There are many
things in this world that good Christian people would rather not associate
with. But, if other Christians hadn’t influenced our weedy lives once upon a
time, we would still be, well, in the weeds.
We were not placed
on this earth merely to create comfortable lives for ourselves. Jesus said we
would have trouble in this world (John 16:33). If the world isn’t giving you any trouble, then there’s cause for
concern. Why are you fitting in so well?
Today, make a list
of the weedy people in your life. This is not your Hit List. This is your
Prayer List. Pray for these weedy folks.
Then, take a minute
and write a Thank You card to someone who helped you out of the weeds. Don’t
send an email. Write a note, address it and stick a stamp on it. (The average
person gets something personal in the mail only once every seven weeks!)
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