Wheat, Weeds, and What We Do 'Til Harvest

Ever feel like life, and even church sometimes, is a bit of a mixed bag? Good stuff and not-so-good stuff all jumbled together? Jesus told a story about that, found in Matthew 13, called the Parable of the Wheat and Weeds. It really hits home for us today, living in a world that’s still waiting for Jesus’ full and final kingdom.

The Story in a Nutshell

Imagine a farmer who planted good quality wheat in his field. But while everyone was asleep, an enemy came along and secretly sowed nasty weeds right in among the good stuff. These weren't just any weeds; they were darnel, a type that looks a lot like wheat while it's growing.

When both plants sprouted, the farmhands noticed the problem. "Hey Boss," they said, "didn't you plant good seed? Where'd these weeds come from?" The farmer knew right away: "An enemy did this." "Want us to go pull 'em out?" the workers asked. "Nope," the farmer replied. "If you start yanking out those weeds now, you might pull up the good wheat along with them. Their roots are all tangled together. Let them both grow until harvest. Then, I'll tell the harvesters to collect the weeds first, tie them up to be burned, and gather the wheat into my barn."

What Did Jesus Mean?

Later, Jesus explained it to his disciples:

  • He's the Farmer (the Son of Man).
  • The world is His field.
  • The good wheat? That's people who genuinely follow Him (children of the kingdom).
  • The weeds? Those are folks who belong to the enemy (the devil).
  • The harvest is the end of time, and angels will do the final sorting.

Living with Weeds Among the Wheat

It’s tough, isn't it? We see things in the world, and sometimes even in church circles, that don't seem right—like weeds mixed in with the good crop. It can be confusing or frustrating when people who claim to be "wheat" act a lot more like "weeds." Judas, one of Jesus’ own disciples, was a "weed."

Our first instinct might be like those farmhands: "Let's fix this! Let's root out the bad!"

God's Surprising Plan: Wait.

But the farmer, who is God in this story, says, "Hold on. Be patient." Why? Because right now, it's hard to tell them apart perfectly, and trying to forcibly remove the "weeds" could seriously damage the "wheat." People's lives and faiths are often interconnected. A harsh, premature judgment could cause good people to stumble or lose faith.

So, What’s Our Job Until Harvest?

  1. Focus on Your Own Growth: The most important thing is to make sure you're good wheat. Are you growing strong in your relationship with Jesus?
  2. Bear Good Fruit: Jesus said we're known by our fruit—the things we do, our attitudes, how we treat others (think love, joy, peace, patience, kindness from Galatians 5). Let that be your aim.
  3. Be Discerning, Not Destructive: We're called to be wise and understand what's right, but not to take on God's role of final judgment. It's not our job to "rip out" the weeds. That’s God’s job, at His chosen time.
  4. Trust God's Timing: He knows what He's doing. The final sorting will happen.

The End Game

And that harvest will definitely come. Jesus is very clear: the weeds will be bundled and burned. But the wheat? The righteous will "shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom." That’s a future worth living for!

Think On It:

  • How does this story help you deal with the messy mix of good and bad you see around you?
  • What "good fruit" can you focus on growing in your life this week?
  • How can you practice patience, trusting God with the things (and people) you can't fix?

This parable encourages us to live faithfully in a complicated world, trusting that God is in control and will make all things right in the end. Let's focus on being good seed!