It’s still morning…but a good deal more of it has disappeared than I would like. Here I am still in my jog outfit at this late hour. I need to be ready to carry on with a milling job after lunch.
You have to admit that there is very little room for misunderstanding of meaning in this story that Jesus tells concerning wheat and weeds growing together. When He first tells the story, I suppose it could have been open to various interpretations, but when the disciples ask Jesus in private to explain the parable, all speculation and wonder is removed. Jesus tells them clearly (in general terms) exactly what is happening in this world, and what is going to happen at the end of it. I believe that no one can legitimately say they believe the Bible who rejects the doctrine of final judgment and hell that Jesus so clearly presents in this account. (Read Rev. 19:11-21)
In the preceding parable that presents the sowing of seed in different kinds of soil, the seed represents the Word of God. But in this parable, the seed represents “sons of the kingdom,” or believers who have received and been transformed by the Word in harmony with the Spirit. While it is a clear and simple fact that those who are made good must coexist in this world along with those who are evil, there must also be a separation maintained. If a wheat plant becomes too much entangled with the weeds, the result will most likely be the same as the seed that was planted among thorns. It is well to remember the Old Testament quote that Paul uses in 2 Corinthians 6:17 & 18. “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
Please remember who you are and where you’re going. It’s also good to remember where you’ve come from and where you’re not going. Remember—you used to be a lousy old weed. As you respond to God’s love offer, His grace and power transforms you into wheat. That’s the glory of the Biblical Gospel—worthless weeds becoming valuable wheat. And this limited-time opportunity is what you and I have been called to not only accept, but to promote, and represent.