Stay Out of the Weeds

Good Morning! 

Can you believe we are already fifteen days into the new year?  It seems the days just pass by so quickly.

Yesterday was very rainy in the early morning.  I decided that my usual activity (golf0 wasn’t a possibility … so I used the day to get an upgrade on my Iphone.  My last upgrade was in 2014 or 2015 … so long ago that I didn’t remember how long it took to switch information from one phone to another.  Our local phone store uses a internet provider with a checkered history for service … often very slow … which was true in my case.  But now I have a phone that I think may be useful for many, many years.

Later, I gathered with some of the cast of the latest play I am involved in at Habersham Community Theatre. The play is entitled “Number the Stars” and involves quite a number of young people.  The play comes from a book with a similar title and is a fictional account about historical events occurring in Denmark during World War II.  We were privileged to have a Swedish lady as a dialect coach and who was very familiar with the coalition of people cooperating together in both Denmark and Sweden in helping protect Jews during the period.  The play is quite good … and, if you live in the area, I encourage you to get tickets.  Our theatre holds just over one hundred seats … and I am convinced they will be gone soon.

Enough about the daily adventures of an old man!  As often happens, I awoke this morning with a blank slate when it comes to a subject for our Good Morning posting.  I began a quick review of some of the passages I have been reading in Matthew this month.  In Monday’s reading, there were several parables that Christ spoke to the people who were following Him.  One of the parables stood out to me this morning … the Parable of the Weeds.  Let’s take a look …

Matthew 13:24-30 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Parable of the Weeds

²⁴ He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, ²⁵ but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds^[a] among the wheat and went away. ²⁶ So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. ²⁷ And the servants^[b] of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ ²⁸ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ ²⁹ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

Footnotes:

Matthew 13:25 Probably darnel, a wheat-like weed

Matthew 13:27 Or bondservants; also verse 28

Later, His disciples would come to Jesus, seeking an explanation about what the parable meant. Here is His explanation …

Matthew 13:36-43 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

³⁶ Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” ³⁷ He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, ³⁹ and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰ Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, ⁴² and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

The weeds (tares) are probably darnel.  Here is a definition:

www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/tares

Tares. There can be little doubt that the zizania of the parable, ( Matthew 13:25) denotes the weed called "darnel" (Lolium temulentum).The darnel before it comes into ear is very similar in appearance to wheat; hence the command that the zizania should be left to the harvest, lest while men plucked up the tares "they should root up also the wheat with them."

Darnel is a host to a fungus that is poisonous to animals that consume it.  In the parable, the farmer is planting wheat that is to be harvested later.  Jesus (the Son of Man) is planting good seed that will bring about a rich harvest.  The enemy (the devil) comes along afterwards, sowing darnel in an attempt to taint the harvest.  The sower’s instructions to the reapers is to wait until the harvest to separate the weeds from the good wheat.  Then, the weeds will be separated and bundled and tossed in the fire that burns forever.

For me, the parable is a warning to all who would seek to pervert the gospel message of Christ Jesus as Lord. This includes those who preach and teach “Jesus plus”.  The gospel is simple. Jesus is the one and only way for each human to be saved.  It tells me to “stay out of the weeds” … not try to add to or subtract from that simple truth … believe on Jesus and you will be saved.

My prayer is that God will be close to you this good, good day and provide you with peace and joy through out the day.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer:  Father, thank You for reminding me that You guide the harvest … and that You will separate the good from the bad. Help me, dear Father, to keep the weed seed out of the teaching of Your Word. I realize that I am only a human who needs Your guidance moment by moment to handle Your Truth carefully. Guide my mind. Give me the words You want conveyed. Help me lift up Christ in all.  I ask this in the precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture for today:  Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43