Matthew – God’s Purposes
Things grow rapidly and abundantly in this Bolivian climate. There are so many plants of beauty that line the roadways and pathways as we travel by taxi or by foot. When you walk the path, you come closer to noticing that behind the beauty there are also weeds that grow just as quickly as the flowers and trees. Sometimes the weedy vines choke out the beauty if you do not hack away at the fingers that wrap around every flowering bush or shrub.
The weeds here are so strong they can even tear down structures and fences! Randy and I took on a project of reclaiming a basketball/volleyball court by spending two mornings hacking away at the weeds that produced thorns and stickers that had grown in every crevice of this concrete slab making it unusable. ALL the weeds were thrown in a pile to be burned. SO, when I come to this parable, I GET IT! As believers, if we slow down to look at the “path” the world is taking, we see evil, like the weeds, choking the life from other believers as his fingers of lies and deception, temptations and betrayal wrap around the hearts of those of beauty. Let us help each other avoid what is preventing us from abundant, beautiful living for Christ alone before it is too late. The harvest is coming. Are you ready? Are we weed-free? What about our friends and family members?
Do we “get it”? Are we listening with ears to hear and minds to understand? Do we recognize the evil Satan has thrown into the mix? Are we reading ourselves for the harvest?
Matthew 13, NLT
Parable of the Wheat and Weeds Explained36 Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”
37 Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39 The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.
40 “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
Dear Heavenly Father,Thank you for your parables that explain clearly your Truth. We know the weeds are here among the beauty. Help us to avoid the weeds sown by evil. Help us avoid being the weeds. Help us to grow with beauty and life because of you living in us at the core of our being. Help us to bear the fruits of Your Holy Spirit so there is no doubt that we have been redeemed by you when it comes time for the final harvest. I love you, Lord with all my heart, mind and soul. Thank you for life in You.
In Jesus Name, Amen
