Back to the Bible: 13:24-30, 34-43
Jesus told a parable in which a man scattered good seed in his field, but an enemy came in the night and scattered weed seed in it. When it all sprouted, there was wheat and weeds. The servants wanted to pick all the weeds, but the master said that they’d be liable to pick the wheat too (wheat and tares looked very similar in their early stages). So, he said to wait until the harvest. Then they’d gather the wheat and burn the weeds.
In between the parable and the explanation, Matthew says that Jesus fulfilled the words of Psalm 78 that He would reveal, through parables, previously unknown truths.
Down in verse 36, Jesus explained the parable. He was the one scattering the seed. In the world, kingdom citizens were growing up. But, there were also followers of Satan. Right now, they existed together, but there was a day of judgment coming when there would be a separation. The sinners would be cast into fire. But, the righteous would be in the kingdom of the Father.
He concluded by saying, “He who has ears, let him hear.” That means, if you’ve got ears you can use to hear, you better pay attention.
Lessons to Learn:
We live in the “already” and the “not yet.” In a meaningful way, the kingdom has already come. Those who listen to Jesus are described as “sons of the kingdom.” But, we still look forward to the eternal kingdom which is not here yet. Right now, kingdom citizens exist side by side on the planet with followers of the devil. There is a day coming where the righteous will stand before the Father and the wicked will be in a place of sorrow and pain.
We may wonder why God hasn’t done something about wickedness yet. Jesus assures us, that day is coming. Jesus will come and set all things right.
Do not be overwhelmed with the fact that there are hypocrites. There are. In the world people are able to mask their identity. But, the Lord will settle all things in a perfectly just and holy way.
We had better pay attention. Jesus describes two possible destinations– glory in the presence of the Father, or a fiery furnace. Listen carefully. We may fool people here and now. But, on the harvest day of judgment, there will be no fooling the Lord. It’s possible for you to be right alongside kingdom citizens and blend in. But, there will be a day of separation and all will be exposed.
We’re thankful to share these considerations of God’s word. It’s best if you have a Bible close to evaluate what we say. We want to go “back to the Bible” for all we teach.
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