I think the question that I can ask more than anything other, any other question that troubles both people who would describe themselves as Christians and people who would not describe themselves as Christians.
! Really is this problem of evil and this problem of suffering and trouble in the world.
So questions like, why did God allow this to happen to me?
And why did God allow this to happen to that person?
I was at Express of Cabance at the Sunday of the hour on Thursday nights with Presbytery Men and this front man when he found out we were ministers he said, well why is God allowing all the stabbings to happen?
Why doesn't God do something?
Why doesn't God do something about the situation that's in your life?
Why does God allow what's happening to you to continue?
And does God not care?
And is God just not interested?
Does God have the resources and the strength to do what needs to be done?
Does God not have the wisdom to understand what seems to be really simple solutions?
How does it all tie in?
How does it tie in with the concept of a God who is universally loved?
And it's an issue which the Lord Jesus spoke about again and again.
And from many different angles.
But I've come to see that this week I don't think he addresses it in any other place with such clarity and more poignantly than from Matthew chapter 13.
The story is next of a man who goes out into a good field.
He sows good seed and then during the middle of the night an enemy comes and sows weeds, lettuce, thorns.
And his field has kind of been invaded.
It's been polluted.
And his servants suddenly see this when the crops begin to pop on the ground.
And it's endangered his purposes.
Along with the parable of the sower, this is probably the most well known.
It's one of the most significant.
And it's one of the most important parables.
It's full of divine, really great divine truths.
It's only the second parable of the sower that's explained by the Lord Jesus.
And there's a really detailed explanation there in verse 36.
The disciples come to him and they ask him,
what do you want about with the parable of the sower?
And he tells them.
And I want to give you four lessons and the small note from it.
I want to say first of all, what Jesus is highlighting is
Jesus concentrating our attention this morning
on the ultimate origin of evil.
That's my first point, the ultimate origin of evil.
Look at verse 27 and 28.
The servants of the master of the house came in and they said to him,
Master, did you not sow good seeds in your fields?
Do you see that?
In other words, the servants, they recognize that the master is good
and what he's done is exclusively good.
You have sown what is good, so why then doesn't have weeds?
They're asking the basic question, where has the opposition, everything that you have done, come from?
How is it that there's weeds in your fields?
Where do they come from?
And Jesus puts it into the master's lips, doesn't he?
He says, an enemy has done this.
And so Jesus has absolutely no hesitation in identifying the origin of evil.
Now let me say to you, this is not a complete and total picture of all that the Bible says to us.
About the origin of evil.
But Jesus is saying to you and I, that there is a sinister, personal, supernatural power.
He calls him the devil and Satan.
He identifies him in verse 39.
The weeds that are sown, the one who sown them, the enemy who sown them, is the devil.
That's verse 39.
And both in the parable of the sower, significantly, and in the parable of the tares and the wheat,
the devil appears as the one who in both church and in the world
is constantly and feverishly opposing all that God is doing in the church and the world.
The devil is engaged in trying to snatch away the good seed of the word.
The devil comes, says Jesus, and snatches the good seed away.
He is kind of engaged in sowing thorns and thistles and weeds.
He is opposing that seed which God has sown.
I want to say to you that that is absolutely vital in all our thinking.
But if you dismiss this dimension of the devil, of evil, from your thinking,
if you refuse to recognize and believe that there is a personal, supernatural, spiritual power of Satan,
who as well is solely motivated by hatred towards God,
will that be a disaster for you.
I think that's one of the reasons why we find it so difficult to think and to speak as a preacher about the devil.
Now as we think, it's difficult to think of a God who is motivated only by righteousness and holiness.
We find it difficult to think about personal devil who is motivated only by opposition to everything that God is and God does.
But I say to you that if you dismiss, if you refuse this dimension from your thinking about the devil,
then you'll not only be able to understand the Bible,
you'll not only be able to understand yourself,
and you will certainly not be able to understand the world or the culture that we live in.
Let me read you words by Ronnie Wallace.
Ronnie Wallace wrote this,
The disciples of Jesus are not the only people who have seeds to sow or a gospel to tell.
There is an Antichrist, something with Antichrist.
And he has seed to sow and a plan to execute,
that seeks to displace the true Lord and Creator from his throne.
Jesus, in his explanation of the parable of the tares from wheat,
declares quite bluntly that the enemy is the devil.
And no one can deny that to Jesus the enemy was a most sinister and concrete personal reality.
Jesus did not speak of himself as one who was fighting against fate.
He did not describe himself as one who was fighting against human beings.
He did not come to fight against bad social conditions.
Jesus did not come to fight wrong ideas,
but as the one who came to fight against a single person.
A single personal will which has defied God in a sphere far greater than this earth.
To Jesus, the power of evil was directed by one evil personality.
One great mind.
Having at his disposal a host of agents and emissaries of evil,
all moving as part of a strategy to thwart the purpose of God.
Headquarters of this power, this evil, is beyond this earth.
That this earth is the battleground on which he throws out his challenge to God.
And so in many ways, the Apostle Paul, he summarised it,
the teaching of Jesus and the life of Jesus,
when he said to the Ephesians,
we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities and powers and rulers of the darkness of this world.
Against spiritual wickedness in high places.
That is the ultimate root and origin and seat of every such phenomenon.
And Jesus is referring to that when he speaks of the weeds of this world.
In other words, more simply, this world that you live in
is not the world as God made it.
It is this world that has been spoiled.
And it is absolutely vital for you to recognise that.
Because we are intertwined in the whole fabric of a world
in which sin and all its crop of disease and death
and tragedy and cruelty
and violence and sickness and stabbings
and natural disasters so occur.
And that means that if you are willing to think of it in this way,
you will look at the world in a very different way.
And you will read the news on the internet in a different way.
Because you will see what is the ultimate explanation.
The ultimate explanation in the words of Jesus is,
an enemy has done this.
When you see death
in the midst of life
and you discover the
anguish and the agony
that death brings.
That is what brought
Jesus indignation
as he came to Lazarus' tomb.
It was an enemy that had done this.
And that's right as well.
I'm often asked to take funerals
and people are often saying
we want this funeral
to be a type of celebration
of the person's life.
And I know what they mean.
We want to give thanks, don't we?
And yet in every single funeral
there must be an element
of an enemy has done this.
It is not right.
What's the real explanation of terrorism?
What's the explanation of a senseless destruction?
Of stabbings that seem to be
utterly and totally random
and meaningless.
It is.
An enemy has done this.
When we see families
destroyed by adultery
or one partner
walking away,
what is the ultimate answer?
That an enemy has done this.
When we read of victims
of abuse
and broken hearts
and families
and the nameless heartache
that is all around our society
and is in this room,
an enemy has done this.
Amen.
Well,
my friend Johnny Gibson
and Jackie
they had a daughter,
Leila,
you remember,
she was stillborn.
And
it's the most remarkable funeral
I've ever been in.
I've never felt sadder.
I've never believed the gospel more.
Johnny
got up to give a tribute
to his
stillborn daughter.
It was a remarkable thing.
The most memorable thing
of that day
was he pointed at the coffin
and he said,
an enemy has done this.
That's right, isn't it?
And in the church
we have to face
exactly the same thing.
Do you see,
the devil does not
stand outside the church
on a Sunday morning.
The evil one
does not stand outside
the gates passively.
But when you begin
to see something eroding,
someone's dedication
or love
or devotion
to the Lord Jesus,
we might say
they're cooling off
in their Christian war.
Or when you see
division
coming into church life
and little things
becoming really
big things.
and when you see
someone intent
on damaging
the church
by grumbling
and groaning
and throwing
your own accusations,
Jesus Christ
tells you the origin
and he says,
an enemy
has done this.
So the next question
is this,
what will this
be done about?
Where does it come from?
Well,
the answer to that
was the first point,
the ultimate origin
of evil
and the second question
is,
well,
what's going to be
done about it?
And perhaps
it's the most
perplexing thing
of all
this next year,
it's the apparent
indifference of God.
The apparent
indifference of God.
In some ways,
that's the crux
of the passage,
that's the really
sticking point.
The servants
say to their masters,
look at verse 26,
and they say,
when the plants
come up
and bear grain,
then the weeds
appeared also.
And the servants
of the master
of the house
came and said to him,
Master,
did you not sell
good seed to your feet?
How then is it?
Weeds,
and then an enemy
has done this.
So the servants
say then,
well,
do you want us
to go and gather them up?
But he said to them,
no,
less than gathering
the weeds,
he root up the wheat
along with them.
Now let both
grow together
into the harvest
and the harvest
will tell the weeds,
gather the weeds
first and buy
them bundles
to be burned.
And what they say
to him,
they come to the farmer
and they say,
this is what we would do.
And the servants
of the household,
and they said,
Pharaoh,
didn't you sow
good seed
into your field
and nectar
as weeds?
if I was you,
let's go and gather
them up right now.
Let's go into the weeds
right now.
And he goes on
to say,
doesn't he,
in verse 30,
let them both grow
together
until the harvest.
So let's say,
it's the beginning
of the summer time,
the plants
are beginning to grow,
the wheat is beginning
to grow,
but also the weeds
are beginning to grow.
And you walk past
that field
and you look
at the field
and in the field
are loads of weeds
and loads of wheat.
What do you think
about the farmer?
You think,
he can't be bothered,
can he?
He's not taking
very good care
of his field.
You think,
that farmer,
look,
it's indifferent.
He's indifferent.
He's letting these
weeds grow.
He's careless.
What is he doing?
It's such a serious
problem, isn't it?
The weeds growing
in this field.
It obviously
doesn't matter to him
that he's got
this field.
And many people
say that about God.
There's a parent
difference.
Maybe you're saying
that this morning.
Maybe you say,
what is God doing
about this situation?
And like these servants,
we may go to God
and we might say to him,
well,
if I was you,
God,
and this is what
I would do.
If I were God.
And there's an account
of the blitz in London
where there's suddenly
the tragic ashes
of a bomb site.
Hundreds of people
have been killed.
The bombs are still
falling.
And one man
says to the person
next to him,
I can only be God
for ten minutes.
If I could only be God
for ten minutes.
And his neighbour
said to him,
if you were to be God
for ten minutes,
I wouldn't want to
live in your universe
for ten seconds.
But you know
what the first man meant,
don't you?
You know that.
He thought he knew
what he would do
about it.
And that God
apparently didn't know
what he was doing
about it.
But you see,
the simple fact
is not that
God's care
is inferior
to ours,
but his wisdom
is superior
to ours.
Have you got that?
Have you grasped that?
It's not that God's care
is inferior
to ours,
it's that his wisdom
is superior to ours.
for us.
For us,
the heavens are higher
than the earth,
shall I buy
ways higher
than your ways,
says the Lord.
And the vital issue
in facing life
and the world
and thinking about
issues of this kind
is that God's ways
and God's wisdom
and God's thoughts
are not like ours,
are they?
That means
to be my third
question.
And that is
the dangerous
fallibility
of human judgment.
The dangerous
fallibility
of human judgment,
which isn't actually
a question.
So we don't know
the whole story.
The ultimate origin
of the first thing,
the apparent indifference
of God is the second thing.
And they say to him,
Master,
do you not want us
to lift the weeds?
And he says,
no,
let them grow together.
But the third thing
is this dangerous
fallibility
of human judgment.
Because in verse 29,
look what he says,
no,
lest in gathering
the weeds
you root up
the weeds
along with them.
Let them grow together
until the harvest.
And the harvest
have all.
I'll tell the reapers,
gather the weeds first,
find them,
but they'll see burnt.
But gather the weeds
into my garden.
Now do you notice
what the owner
of the field
is saying?
He is saying to them
he has a plan
for the whole
of his field.
And the owner
of the field
will not allow
the enemy
who would come
into the field
to dictate
the timetable
or afford
his purpose.
The enemy
will not wait.
The master
here
is saying
that the time
for now
and the word
for now
is wait.
That's the word.
That's the word
the farmer says.
The farmer says
wait
because
human
interference
at this point
would be
directly
against
the general
purpose
of God
and the world.
For the farmer
to go out
and to
dig up the field
to separate
the wheat
and the weeds
at this point
would be
against the purpose
of God.
And the people
who were working
for the farmer
they might have said
we don't understand
this
we don't get
this
why?
But the master
said of course
you don't understand
you just need
to accept
my counsel.
You live by
my wisdom
and you
wait.
They were saying
judgment
now.
That was their
word.
Their word
was now.
God's word
was wait.
Is that what
people say?
Why doesn't
God judge
now?
Why doesn't
God act
now?
Why doesn't
he do
something about
it now?
But actually
if I'm
honest I don't
think I want
judgment now.
Do you?
And the
reason God
is saying
wait is
because God
is a God
of infinite
patience
and infinite
grace and
he is not
careless and
he is not
complacent
and he has
a greater
and bigger
purpose than
what the
servants
grasped
and he
says wait
because this
day is a
day of
grace
and it's a
day of
God's
kindness
but there
is a day
of judgment
to come.
The amazing
truth of
God's
delay is
precisely
that.
It's about
how 2 Peter
3 says
he says
you must
understand
he says
know this
there will
come people
that will
mock and
they'll
scoff in
the last
days
and they'll
just do what
they want
they'll live
for their
own sinful
desires
and they will
say where is
the promise
of his
coming?
Why hasn't
Jesus come
back yet?
For
ever since the
fathers have
seen all
things are
continuing as
they were
from creation
nothing's
changed
it just
goes on
and on
so let's
just live
for ourselves
in other
words they
say God
is not
interfering
with his
world
but then
Peter says
but do not
overlook this
fact
because with
the Lord
one day is
a thousand
years and
a thousand
years is
one day
but the
Lord is
not slow
the Lord
is not slow
to fulfill
his promise
and some
count slowness
but he's
patient towards
him
not wishing
!
and he should
perish
but the Lord
should reach
repentance
one day
the Lord
will come
but in the
meantime
until that
time he
has a
purpose
to preserve
his wheat
the older
commentators
as you read
them on this
passage
the Puritans
and others
they say
what Jesus
is saying
here is
don't touch
the wheat
don't endanger
the wheat
my heart
is set
upon cultivating
the wheat
Jesus
saying I
I'm
building
my church
the gates
of hell
will not
prevail against
it
don't touch
my wheat
and the
point of that
wheat
growing is
that it's
going to
confront
the world
it will
confront
the world
and the
weeds
with
all that
God is
going to
do in
the world
with the
holiness
of God
and God's
great concern
is with
the growth
and the
prosperity
of his
courts
and he
will not
let the
devil
win
he will
not let
the devil
dictate the
timetable
or the
pattern of
his works
you see
these
servants
they thought
the master
will suddenly
go to the
field
and he'll
get frightened
by what
he sees
and he'll
be alarmed
and he'll
scurry about
and he'll
change his
plan
and he'll
say we've
all got to
get out
there and
get the
weeds up
but he
says wait
God is
not
panicked
God is
not
surprised
his
purposes
will
ripen
fast
but there
is a
danger
in men
and women
interfering
that person
was really
right to
us
the second
man
of the
place
that if
you were
God
for ten
minutes
I
wouldn't
want to
be in
your
universe
for ten
seconds
here's the
last thing
the inevitability
of divine
judgment
the dangerous
dangerous
fallibility
of human
judgment
we don't
know the
whole story
but the
inevitability
of divine
judgment
and it's
paralleled
isn't
there
these
inevitability
and perfection
look at
verse 30
let both
grow together
until the
harvest
and at
harvest time
will tell
the weepers
separate
gather the
weeds first
bind them
into bundles
to be
burned
gather the
weeds
into my
bath
and then
look at
verse 40
just as the
weeds are
gathered and
burned with
fire so
it will be
at the
end of
the age
the son
of man
will send
his angels
they'll gather
out of his
kingdom all
causes of sin
all lawbreakers
throw them into
the fiery
furnace
in that place
there will be
weeping and
gnashing of
teeth
then the
righteous
will shine
out the
sun
in the
kingdom
of the
father
he who has
ears to hear
let him hear
what Jesus
is saying is
there are times
when the world
looks like it's in
the hands of the
evil
but the very
reverse is the
case
it is God's
world
and it is God
who is determining
his purpose
and it is God
who is clearly
guiding his
timetable to the
day that he is
determined
not the devil
but on the day
when he comes
again
on the day he is
determined
at that moment
there will be
infallible and
inevitable judgment
God will make
his arm bare
of course the
godless forces
and the evil
men and women
they are unaware
of it
they think it's
all in their
hands
but Jesus
is saying
there will
come a time
when my
word will
change
do you remember
what his
word is
his word
is wait
but there
is a time
coming
when his
word will
be reap
and gather
out my
kingdom
you see
here's the
answer
why is
God not
doing something
about this
or that
or the other
well God
is not
coming yet
he's not
yet coming
in judgment
upon a
sin sick
world
to sort
the evil
from the
good
but a
day is
coming
when he
will do
that
and he's
given to
you a
day of
grace
let me
summarise
and then I
conclude
number one
we live in a
fallen world
a world
where there
is sin
and disease
and death
and tragedy
of a
thousand
different
forms
and it
is all
part of
the evidence
that this
is not
the world
as God
made it
it is
his world
that has
been spoiled
and the
promise of
God is
no more
death
no more
sorrow
no more
tears
no more
sin
and that
relates
to the
new heavens
the new
earth
and it's
at the
end of
that age
of the
age
that we
enter
into that
glory
not now
and we
need to
come face
to face
with these
issues
when so
many people
say why
why has
this happened
why am I
going through
this
why is so
much of it
frustrating
it's because
we live in a
world's
spoiled
boy
sin
and we
have the
evidence
all around
us
and being a
Christian
doesn't
insulate
you
that's
position
that's the
first
lesson
the second
lesson
is every
move made
by God
in the
world
and especially
in the
church
will be
resisted
it will be
resisted by
the opposition
and the
cunning of
Satan
constantly
and we
need to
expect that
and not be
surprised by it
I'm not saying
why has this
happened
it is part of
the course
opposition
is normal
and thirdly
we need to be
very cautious
lest we
kind of employ
a human
wisdom
a worldly
thinking
where we
think
well we
can combat
Satan
by this
and the
key note
for the
time that
we live
in
is
patience
and prayer
and a
life of
holiness
and
weight
here's the
last thing
we need
to live
with an
absolute
assurance
of the
triumph of
God
that's the
ultimate
note of
power
Jesus
says
to you
and I
do not
imagine
that life
is going
to go
on like
this
forever
don't
imagine
that God
has lifted
his hand
off the
wheel
or that
it's out
of control
no he
says the
day is
coming
and the
moment
is in
the
mind
of
God
and it
will be
dictated
by the
hand
of God
and when
he says
now
and when
he
will
say
to
a
world
that
has
gone
madly
towards
hell
enough
that's
what
Jesus
means
doesn't he
when he
says I'll
build my
church
and the
gates of
hell
will not
prevail
and God
is saying
I have
exalted
my son
to a
place of
unique
glory
and one
day
every
knee
will
bow
and every
tongue
will
confess
that he
is
Lord
to the
glory
of
God
the
Father
and one
day
that day
is
coming
and we
have to
fix our
eyes
on that
day
and know
that in
heaven
or earth
or hell
no one
or nothing
will ultimately
thwart
God's
purpose
and it's
only a
matter of
time
it is
only a
matter of
time
until God
will display
his triumph
and the
parable
speaks
personally
to you
and I
doesn't it
that it
will only
be a
matter of
time
until God
will exercise
his judgment
upon every
area of
evil and
offence
let's not
imagine
that he is
careless about
it
but listen
to his
voice in
the light
of that
day
that's
the wind
not the
judgment
of the
Lord
but one
day that
will come
that's
fine