Matthew 13:24-30 (NIV)
“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.”’
Bearded darnel (top/left) closely resembled wheat (right/below)
Matthew 13:37-43 (NIV)
“The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.
The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people
of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,
and the enemy who sows them is the devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire,
so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send
out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything
that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them
into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine
like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
What the parable teaches us:
1. There is an enemy who wants to destroy the good seed.
2. It’s not always easy to distinguish the weed from wheat.
3. There is a Day of Judgement.
Matthew 7:1-5 (NIV)
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged,
and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye
and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck
out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye,
and then you will see clearly to remove the speck
from your brother’s eye.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ
has become a new person.
The old life is gone; a new life has begun!