Wheat and Weeds

Mt. 13:41-43

The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

 

Jesus had been speaking to his followers in parables, parables which many could not understand including His disciples. They asked Him to explain the parable of the weeds in the field.

• the sower is the Son of Man [Jesus Christ-sowed good seeds in the field]
• the field is the world
• the good seed is the sons of the kingdoms [believers]
• the weeds are the sons of the evil one [Satan, the devil, the prince of the power of the air]
• the enemy who sowed them is the devil [while the sower's men were sleeping]
• the harvest is the close of the age [the weeds cannot be taken out earlier because they would root up the wheat before fully grown. So they must grow together until the harvest. Their faith must be proved genuine and strong when the weeds are removed.]
• the reapers are angels

Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the close of the age. Jesus will send His angels to gather all causes of sin and all lawbreakers who are to be thrown in the fiery furnace [eternal judgment]. In this place of unending torment will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, but the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of God. If someone has ears, listen and receive the salvation offered by Jesus. This is a picture of God's activity in the world. The problem is the wheat and the weeds grow side by side. I think many of the weeds, because they are so close to the wheat, have taken on a wheat-like form. So much so that the believers [the wheat] can't tell the difference. I think this parable is a warning to those unsaved, but more so to those who think they are wheat. Listen carefully, examine your heart. Are you real or counterfeit? What a blazing warning and question!

 

Father,

Give me eyes to see how clever the world is at temptation, and give me strength not only to recognize the temptation but to rely on Your grace to resist.

In Jesus name,

Amen