Sermon summary (Click on the title) Parable of the weeds Chris Khoury Matthew 13: 24 - 30

Jesus often talked about the kingdom of God.

He would say, “The Kingdom of God is like...” And then he would tell a story.

These stories we call parables. Each parable reveals something different about the Kindgom of God. The parables have been called, “heavenly stories with earthly meanings.”

On some few parables Jesus provided an explanation of what they meant, but in most cases he did not give any clear explanation.

So how can we know what the parables of Jesus mean?

Many modern day theologians believe that each parable has one or two main points.

In most cases the climax or lesson will come at the end of the parable. More often than not they reveal what God is like - what his Kingdom is all about - and how he expects us to respond to the lesson.

Today I will look at the parable of the weeds and see what lessons we can learn.

Before we get there let’s lay the foundation.

Mark 1:15 The Voice

Jesus: 15 It’s time! The kingdom of God is near! Seek forgiveness, change your actions, and believe this good news! The time has come for the K of G. It is Good News - believe it - repent!

PARABLE OF THE WEEDS

Matthew 13: 24 - 30

Jesus: The kingdom of heaven is like this: Once there was a farmer who sowed good seeds in his field. 25 While the farmer’s workers were sleeping, his enemy crept into the field and sowed weeds among all the wheat seeds. Then he snuck away again. 26 Eventually the crops grew—wheat, but also weeds. 27 So the farmer’s workers said to him, “Sir, why didn’t you sow good seeds in your field? Where did these weeds come from?” 28 “My enemy must have done this,” replied the farmer. “Should we go pull up all the weeds?” asked his workers. 29 “No,” said the farmer. “It’s too risky. As you pull up the weeds, you would probably pull up some wheat as well. 30 We’ll let them both grow until harvest time. I will tell the harvesters to collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, and only then to harvest the wheat and bring it to my barn.”

PARABLE OF THE WEEDS - EXPLAINED BY JESUS

Disciples: Explain to us the story You told about the weeds.

Jesus: 37 The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world; the good seed represents the children of the Kingdom. The weeds—who do you think the weeds are? They are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who threw the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the workers are God’s heavenly messengers. 40 In the parable, I told you the weeds would be pulled up and burned—well, that is how it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send His messengers out into the world, and they will root out from His kingdom everything that is poisonous, ugly, and malicious, and everyone who does evil. 42 They will throw all that wickedness into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. 43 And the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

SUMMARY

The good seeds are the disciple (the people of God). They are scattered throughout the world. The weeds are “bad” people “sinners”- spread by the devil. We are all sinners, at some time we were all bad. The weeds really are those people who have not said “yes” to the salvation offered by Jesus.

NOTICE:  The “no” people are mixed in with the people of God. And this is what the Kingdom of God is like. God allows this. It is part of his plan. Jesus is describing the age in which we live today. The age in which Satan is active. Jesus allows the good seed and the bad seed to grow together until the harvest where they will be separated.

The parable does not describe the world after Jesus’ returns. K of G is not a utopia in which everything is perfect. No, it is a time of struggle, trial, worries and deceit. But it is also a time of growth that leads towards the harvest. It is salvation time! The harvest is the time when God’s people will be resurrected to be with God forever. The parable describes a kingdom that exists in this age, a kingdom that will also include a future judgement. It describes a long period of growth in which his disciples are to produce fruit for the kingdom.

So the kingdom of Heaven captures both good and bad people. The message is given to both. They live together and are given a chance to grow. Eventually the time comes when judgement is made and God keeps the good. Some people choose to say “no”. For them their is a judgement.

John 17:13-17 Jesus prays for us to come out of the world.

SINNERS IN THE CHURCH

Sometimes I think we still have a long way to go. At times I think too much of the world rubs off onto us. Over the years, I have seen it and heard it - even in the church. There are some who criticize and gossip, who undermine the authority of the church and its leaders. What I do know is that this kind of attitude is not of God. It is dismaying. Sometimes if a decision is made and people don’t agree with it, what happens? They do not come out and openly and honestly question what they do not agree with or do not understand but they will cause division. They will deliberately withhold tithes and offerings, will make unfounded accusations and will undermine all the efforts and good that the church is striving to accomplish.

PARABLE OF MUSTARD SEED

Matthew 13:31-32  Jesus told them another parable.

Jesus: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a sower took and planted in his field. 32 Mustard seeds are minute, tiny—but the seeds grow into trees. Flocks of birds can come and build their nests in the branches.

THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED.

What this is telling us is that the kingdom begins small and inconspicuous, but it grows large. Eventually to fill the whole earth. The Jews in Jesus’ day wanted a political messiah. One who would lead the Jewish people to a great victory over the Romans. They wanted to become an independent nation again, with the power of David’s kingdom and the wealth of Solomon’s. Jesus on the other hand said the Kingdom would start small and grow over many years.

Living by the Holy Spirit’s Power

Gal 5:13 My brothers and sisters, you were chosen to be free. But don’t use your freedom as an excuse to live under the power of sin. Instead, serve one another in love. 14 The whole law is fulfilled by obeying this one command. “Love your neighbour as you love yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18) 15 If you say or do things that harm one another, watch out! You could end up destroying one another. 16 So I say, live by the Holy Spirit’s power.

22 But the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy and peace. It is being patient, kind and good. It is being faithful 23 and gentle and having control of oneself.

25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.