Weeds? in my garden? Matthew 13:24-30 36-43

Jesus chose stories to teach and some, like NT Wright, argue we should to. Why? Because Jesus seemed to know that he could make his point through stories better sometimes than through lectures.

Jesus spoke in this story of wheat and weed in Matthew 12:24-30 and then he explained the story in Matthew 13:36-43. Jesus spoke of a landowner who had a wheat field seeded. In our day farmers go out with planters as big as 36 rows across. But in Jesus day there were no planters, no big red or green tractors, the way it sounds from this this story there probably weren't even any rows to make for easy cultivation. In Jesus day an acre of ground was the space one oxen driven plow could reasonably work in a whole day. In Jesus day there were people with seed, hand tools, and animal powered implements working the land. The land owner would have collected some of his past years grain for seed or bought some from another farmer and that seed was most likely just tossed up into the air and scattered over the ground.

In our world we might say God works just this way. He give generously. He gives to the just and to the unjust. He gives to the faithful and to the unfaithful. And even more interesting still are all the different ways that God has of scattering believers and the gifts of faith, hope, and charity all over the world.

Consider how the seed We aren't the only Christians who will hear these words this weekend and consider what they mean. God has a way of planting his people in the world. We aren't meant to live anyplace else. a only to have any enemy come behind and throw weed seed out among the wheat. The man's servants came to him with the news of the weeds in the wheat and asked what to do.

Weeds obnoxious or noxious, you can call them what ever you want to: weeds.
There are weed's in my front yard—my. When my neighbor sprayed for the first tiem in 20 years some of the spray came over into our yard and now we can see what the grass looks like without the crabgrass and the clover. There are weeds in the perenials. Weeds in the garden. Creeping Charley and Creeping Jenny, crabgrass and dandy lions.

Weeds are part of our lives and we can try to get rid of them; but we can't. We can try to battle against them but as one lady was told by her lawn service, if you stop the creeping plants that your neighbor has will be in your yard in no time.

Weeds. Jesus spoke of an enemy scattering weeds. God's enemy is the devil. And Jesus says in this story that the enemy will scatter weeds all over. And what's the best thing to do. Is it best to just start over. Is it best to just to round up everything.

Jesus isn't talking about weeds in a a bean field or yard--Jesus is talking about our lives as people of faith living with weeds. Living with challenges that the enemy will put in our way. There's a temptation in us as human beings to try and get rid of all the weeds and all the imperfect people. There's a temptation a little like the feeling you get when you have a sliver in your thumb. You want to dig it out, just that little sliver might drive you crazy because it's under your skin, but do you reach for a huge knife to dig it out.

God says to wait and live with the weeds. Wait and live with them now knowing that you can grow and provide a great and glorious harvest in your life for God's sake.
Pax
John