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Gospel of Matthew 13:24-43
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well."
Pulling up the weeds Whenever I feel stressed-out, I go out in my backyard and start hand-pulling up weeds. I make sure to remove from root so they fail to re-sprout. Digging in the dirt calms my raw nerves as the sun shines and wind whisks through my hair. Each weed is symbolic of a burden or cross. Maybe I'm angered by a critical remark. Maybe I feel guilty for treating someone rudely. Maybe I'm frustrated with myself because I'm not living up to my full potential.
Life appears to be a weedy mess! In fact, difficulty lies in distinguishing the "bad" weeds from the healthy "good" plants. Some weeds mask their evasiveness by producing pretty little yellow, purple or even pink flowers. Their foliage is very similar to the neighboring flora. Even the bees and the butterflies pollinate the beautiful flowers. However, such weeds begin to take over the rest of the lawn. Those pretty flowers turn into large and ugly thorns with a itchy sting. A once well-manicured lawn looks unsightly. Weed killer becomes the only way to attack the problem since hand-pulling doesn't do the job as efficiently.
Don't be so quick to kill As humans, we tend to judge people and circumstances in a spur-of-the moment fashion. We make assumptions based on how someone dresses, walks, or talks. We may even pre-maturely classify someone as a "weed" who is actually a very good person. Just because they don't drive a nice car or wear nice clothes doesn't mean they are a criminal or a homeless person! In my own life, I've been quick to run away from people who look weird. I don't feel comfortable around them. Actually, I feel a little scared by their presence. But, once I get to know them I realize they are not all that bad. They love and hurt just like the rest of us. They may symbolically look like a weed that needs to be pulled up, but in actuality they should be harvested along with the rest of the wheat crop.
The owner of the the wheat field was very wise in instructing his slaves to allow the wheat and weeds to grow together. Both the wheat and weeds were too young, too immature, to be distinguishable. What if the good crop was uprooted by mistake?
In our own lives, we should take the time to allow the harvest to grow. Don't be so quick to remove the weeds. Some of the bad people and circumstances we encounter may actually be beneficial to us. Remember that God places situations in our life to teach us something. If we accidentally pull out a weed, we may miss the opportunity for spiritual growth.
Weedy schemes Now, there are times when weeds are true weeds sowed by the Evil One. The devil loves to trick us into believing such a weed is essential to the landscape. I can't help but think of telemarketers, door-to-door phony salesmen, and email spammers fall into this category. They are nothing but annoyances. Pull one up and another one pops in its place. As a single woman and homeowner, I've experienced a number of "weeds" trying to rip me off! Fortunately, my detector can identify and get rid of such pests. Not all people are as observant. I find it sad when elderly people are victimized by ponzi schemes and fraud. These individuals lose their entire retirement savings to scammers and thieves.
I hope people who prey on the elderly as well as young children will be justly "weeded out" at the time of The Last Judgment. Jesus Christ knows the evil that lies in their hearts and understands the harm they've done to others. Will they end in hell? It's all up to God and not us to make the final determination.
Let us all strive to enter the Kingdom of Heaven by living good lives. Refrain from quickly judging without all the facts. Try to see the good in people but also be aware of others who only want to use and abuse. Weeds and wheat grow together. It's up to us to know right from wrong.
-J.
Life appears to be a weedy mess! In fact, difficulty lies in distinguishing the "bad" weeds from the healthy "good" plants. Some weeds mask their evasiveness by producing pretty little yellow, purple or even pink flowers. Their foliage is very similar to the neighboring flora. Even the bees and the butterflies pollinate the beautiful flowers. However, such weeds begin to take over the rest of the lawn. Those pretty flowers turn into large and ugly thorns with a itchy sting. A once well-manicured lawn looks unsightly. Weed killer becomes the only way to attack the problem since hand-pulling doesn't do the job as efficiently.
Don't be so quick to kill As humans, we tend to judge people and circumstances in a spur-of-the moment fashion. We make assumptions based on how someone dresses, walks, or talks. We may even pre-maturely classify someone as a "weed" who is actually a very good person. Just because they don't drive a nice car or wear nice clothes doesn't mean they are a criminal or a homeless person! In my own life, I've been quick to run away from people who look weird. I don't feel comfortable around them. Actually, I feel a little scared by their presence. But, once I get to know them I realize they are not all that bad. They love and hurt just like the rest of us. They may symbolically look like a weed that needs to be pulled up, but in actuality they should be harvested along with the rest of the wheat crop.
The owner of the the wheat field was very wise in instructing his slaves to allow the wheat and weeds to grow together. Both the wheat and weeds were too young, too immature, to be distinguishable. What if the good crop was uprooted by mistake?
In our own lives, we should take the time to allow the harvest to grow. Don't be so quick to remove the weeds. Some of the bad people and circumstances we encounter may actually be beneficial to us. Remember that God places situations in our life to teach us something. If we accidentally pull out a weed, we may miss the opportunity for spiritual growth.
Weedy schemes Now, there are times when weeds are true weeds sowed by the Evil One. The devil loves to trick us into believing such a weed is essential to the landscape. I can't help but think of telemarketers, door-to-door phony salesmen, and email spammers fall into this category. They are nothing but annoyances. Pull one up and another one pops in its place. As a single woman and homeowner, I've experienced a number of "weeds" trying to rip me off! Fortunately, my detector can identify and get rid of such pests. Not all people are as observant. I find it sad when elderly people are victimized by ponzi schemes and fraud. These individuals lose their entire retirement savings to scammers and thieves.
I hope people who prey on the elderly as well as young children will be justly "weeded out" at the time of The Last Judgment. Jesus Christ knows the evil that lies in their hearts and understands the harm they've done to others. Will they end in hell? It's all up to God and not us to make the final determination.
Let us all strive to enter the Kingdom of Heaven by living good lives. Refrain from quickly judging without all the facts. Try to see the good in people but also be aware of others who only want to use and abuse. Weeds and wheat grow together. It's up to us to know right from wrong.
-J.
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