Living in the Spirit
July 19, 2020
Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
He put before them another parable: ‘The Kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?” He answered, “An enemy has done this.” The slaves said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But he replied, “No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ –Matthew 13:24-30
Raised on a farm, I have pulled my fair share of weeds. Pulling older weeds with robust root systems can indeed be harmful to more delicate plants. Removing weeds when they first appear can prevent them from reaching that more mature stage. In that case, one must know the difference between a weed and a fruitful plant. Life is never as straightforward as we desire.
Evil is a paradox. It appears to be simpler than its alternative, more attractive, and readily available. When evil entangles us, our lives spiral deeper and deeper into an ugly complexity that we cannot shed. Yet in the world, evil is all about us. We must learn to grow in wisdom and truth in its midst. Our challenge is discerning evil from righteousness, producing God’s good fruit among those smothering weeds. Jesus said in Matthew 10:16, ‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
We live in trying times full of divisiveness, even hate. Getting up every day in a world where loving God and doing our best to love like Jesus is challenged in every direction is hard work. It sometimes seems hopeless. But God is not finished yet, and thus our work goes on weeds or no weeds.
Prayer: Lord, strengthen us for the facing of this day and every day until your Kingdom comes in its fullness. Amen.
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.