Weeds

Weeds! There are lots of them, especially after the rains in the warmer months. Jesus told several parables about weeds — they were obviously a common problem in his days on earth as well as now. The parable from which our verse at the top of the page comes (in Matthew 13:24 - 30 and 36 - 43) has many lessons to teach us, but I want us just to concentrate on one and it affects all of us. This is not a parable about the church, it is a parable about living in the world rubbing shoulders with lots of people some of whom may indeed claim to be Christians.

Jesus explains that there are two 'kinds' of people in the world: "The good seed is the sons of the kingdom" (the real Christians). There are also weeds "the sons of the evil one" (people who may claim to be Christians). The good seed and the weeds grow together — they look the same for much of the time, just as the weeds Jesus referred to in his story looked very similar to the wheat that the farmer had planted. But time will tell which of these are the real wheat or which are the weeds.

The approach of harvest time brings out the difference. Before the harvest is brought in the weeds are plucked out and destroyed. What is the lesson Jesus was teaching us? Just looking like or pretending to be a Christian is not enough. That will be exposed at the end. Only the genuine believers in Jesus will be taken into heaven.

"He who has ears to hear, let him hear" said Jesus.