The Wagley GroupJuly, 2023 – Faithful Living ~
In leaving the Christian Family Centre one morning after a swim in early spring, I was struck by the vibrancy of a thistle growing in the landscape mulch to the right of the westside door. This observation is in no way trying to demean the value of the maintenance crew at the CFC, y’all do a great job!
However, I was amazed how robust and large this weed was after the long winter months. Many plants die off during the frozen three but this one was definitely thriving.
Thinking about weeds in general, got me pondering about what the Bible says concerning these undesirable plants that are seemingly all around us.
“God’s kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too. “The farmhands came to the farmer and said, ‘Master, that was clean see you planted, wasn’t it? Where did these thistles come from?’ “He answered, ‘Some enemy did this.’ “The farmhands asked, ‘Should we weed out the thistles?’ “He said, ‘No, if you weed the thistles, you’ll pull up the wheat, too. Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I’ll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.’” Matthew 13:24-30 [Message]
When Jesus taught, He often used a parable or allegory when speaking to the people and later explained the hidden meaning to His intimate followers.
The weeds in this story symbolize the wicked of the world. They use their power and influence in destructive and violent ways. They love the darkness and live in the shadows. The Bible is specific in stating if anyone hurts or kills one of God’s children [young or old], they have in essence assaulted the Creator Himself. We are all His image bearers. These evil people not only repulse God, they are detestable and marked as condemned.
Also bundled in this group, and I write with some tears and trepidation, are false Christians. False Christians are fake and do not authentically represent the triune God in the world around us. These counterfeit frauds disguise themselves as playing the role of Christ follower on the surface, but in reality, their hearts are far from a true relationship with the Lord.
Jesus exclaims, “Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence!” Matthew 23:25b [NLT]
When Jesus taught, He often used a parable or allegory when speaking to the people and later explained the hidden meaning to His intimate followers.
The weeds in this story symbolize the wicked of the world. They use their power and influence in destructive and violent ways. They love the darkness and live in the shadows. The Bible is specific in stating if anyone hurts or kills one of God’s children [young or old], they have in essence assaulted the Creator Himself. We are all His image bearers. These evil people not only repulse God, they are detestable and marked as condemned.
Also bundled in this group, and I write with some tears and trepidation, are false Christians. False Christians are fake and do not authentically represent the triune God in the world around us. These counterfeit frauds disguise themselves as playing the role of Christ follower on the surface, but in reality, their hearts are far from a true relationship with the Lord.
Jesus exclaims, “Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence!” Matthew 23:25b [NLT]
In other areas of the Bible, the weeds also represent negative human attributes that many of us exhibit from time to time in life. Here are just a few attitudes that are lumped in this bundle: jealousy, hate, envy, lust, anger, resentment, bitterness, rage, gluttony, sloth, contempt and pride. Maybe other adjectives come to your mind as well…
For the Christ follower that has been saved by grace through the finished work of Christ on the cross, acknowledging our short comings in these areas should compel us to ask for the Lord’s forgiveness when we falter and fall. Having an accountability partner can have a positive influence in helping to eliminate these caustic behaviors. Our brothers and sisters in Christ lovingly reach down and help us back up so we can begin the healing process of binding the root causes that precipitate these harmful emotions.
Do we have the power from our Lord to succeed? Certainly. But we can’t overcome strictly on our own. We need the Holy Spirit and others to breathe light and wholeness when we have walked away from God’s will and His way. Drawing good nourishment and water from the soil of our hearts that the Holy Spirit provides, will keep sinful thoughts and desires from starting to germinate and grow.
The ‘farmer’ noted above is God; the ‘wheat’ are the redeemed of the world; the ‘enemy’ is Satan and his demons; the ‘hired men and farmhands’ are the laborers in the kingdom on earth; ‘harvest time’ is the end of the age; the ‘harvesters’ are the reclaiming angels sent to gather those destined for Paradise; the ‘fire’ is the eternal punishment of Hell; and the ‘barn’ is our ultimate destination, Heaven.
If animate weeds cross our path, I hope that they will see something different in us. Pray they will feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in and around us. Maybe these connections will sow good fertilizer in their soil and draw them to Jesus. May they hear and see Christ in our words and actions. And, if these pesky inanimate weeds spring up in us, may they be bound quickly and completely removed, in the name of Jesus.
All of us would do well to cultivate a steady diet of truth, fellowship with other believers, prayer, meditation in the Word and time alone with the Holy Spirit.