Red Letter Bible Study--Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43 (The parable of the weeds)

 Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43

Comprehension (What does it say?)

Jesus continues to talk to the crowd in parables.  The parable of the weeds is the story of the kingdom of heaven as compared to a farm.  The farmer sowed good seeds, but overnight an enemy came onto his property and sowed weeds mixed in with the farmer's crops. (The word for weed here is "zizanion", which is a weed that looks very similar to wheat, but is useless.)  The farmer didn't know the enemy had trespassed until the seeds started sprouting, and the workers noticed it wasn't just the plants they had expected. The workers offered to "weed" the field, but the farmer said no, because that might uproot the good with the bad.  When it was time for harvest, it would all be sorted out. 

Interpretation (What does it mean?)

Jesus does the interpretation for us 😊 This parable leads us to think in terms of two worlds.  The world Jesus established here is the kingdom of the Gospel, the Good News that we have a rescuer and a redeemer.   Once we pledge our allegiance to Christ Jesus--the farmer in this story--we start noticing the enemy trying to ruin everything! So we, as the bondservants (used  in the New Testament in a mostly positive light--those who have tied themselves to their master out of love, not oppression or fear.), warn the farmer.  But the farmer isn't scared of the weeds. They are a representation of the "false teachers", those who would try to weaken the message of Jesus by sowing their false, weak, useless version of a kingdom.  The servants offer to yank the weeds out of the ground, but Jesus says don't waste your time.  The weeds may undermine the crop, but they do not undermine the Farmer!  Which leads us to the next world, the world where eternal judgment will be rendered.   In a final  "vengeance is mine, I will repay" scenario, God will send His angels to uproot, gather, and bundle the weeds and toss them in the fire.  Then the harvest of the original crop, the one that The Farmer sowed Himself, will be free of the "weeds" and will be gathered into the storage place specially prepared for it.  The righteous, those who've pledged allegiance to Christ Jesus, will shine like the sun in the kingdom of our Father.  If you are kingdom-minded, both for this world and the next, you will understand. 

Application (How should it change me?)

I tend to think in worst case scenarios.  "How can this go wrong?" "How can I follow a situation to it's logical conclusion, and avert any disasters?" The weeds stick out to me, sometimes bigger than the crop. This type of thinking can cause me to act rashly by borrowing trouble and often ruining a good thing.  Along these lines, I can spend so much time proving the falseness of the false teachers, that I completely miss opportunities to tell the truth of the Good News of Jesus!  I guess I imagine that Jesus needs me to defend Him and I'm going to rip those useless people up by the roots.  They make us feel angry and defensive and undermined, but they do not make God feel any of those things.  He knows who their father is--The Devil--and He has plans for them.  We should be able to recognize the false teachers, but then move along, because God has plans for us, too!!💓