May 08, 2009

Who’s who?

Jesus tells the parable of the weeds

Matthew 13:24-30 Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer sowing good seed in his field; but one night as he slept, his enemy came and sowed thistles among the wheat. When the crop began to grow, the thistles grew too. “The farmer’s men came and told him, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that choice seed is full of thistles!’ “‘An enemy has done it,’ he exclaimed. “‘Shall we pull out the thistles?’ they asked. “‘No,’ he replied. ‘You’ll hurt the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest, and I will tell the reapers to sort out the thistles and burn them, and put the wheat in the barn.’”

The Kingdom of Heaven is not a geographic location, but a spiritual realm where God rules and where we share in his eternal life. We join that Kingdom when we trust in Christ as Savior.

The Coming Harvest

The young thistles (weeds) and the young blades of wheat look the same and can’t be distinguished until they are grown and ready for harvest. Thistles (unbelievers) and wheat (believers) must live side by side in this world. God allows unbelievers to remain for a while, just as a farmer allows weeds to remain in his field so the surrounding wheat isn’t uprooted with them. At the harvest, however, the weeds will be uprooted and thrown away. God’s harvest (judgment) of all people is coming. We are to make ourselves ready by making sure that our faith is sincere.

One Year with Jesus, © 1994
The Livingstone Corporation.

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