Old Testament: Genesis 33 & 34
Poetry: Psalm 14
New Testament: Matthew 13:24-43
“The Kingdom of heaven is like…”Six times we will read that phrase through the rest of Matthew 13 as Jesus shares parable after parable, with the purpose of explaining the Kingdom of heaven, first to the large crowd on the shore and then more directly to his disciples. Jesus knows that they are expecting a Messiah to come rule and set up a kingdom that will overthrow the Roman army and government. Jesus wants them to know the Kingdom he is teaching about is far greater and very different from what they are looking and hoping for.
It is interesting that Matthew is the only Old or New Testament writer who will use the phrase “kingdom of heaven”. Many of the same parables will also be told in Mark and Luke and they will use the phrase “kingdom of God”. John doesn’t include all of Jesus’ parables in his gospel account, but does write of the “kingdom of God.” So, why is Matthew different? As a Jew himself Matthew was writing to convince the other Jews that Jesus was indeed the Messiah promised to Jews long ago. His original audience was very aware of God’s laws about misusing His name and so they cautiously omitted referring to God by name and replaced God’s name with the place God dwells – heaven. Matthew was not trying to create confusion about where this Kingdom would take place. As we read these parables and continue throughout the gospels and New Testament let’s look again and again to see if the hope of the kingdom Jesus taught is to be whisked away to live in clouds or to inherit and possess the land. And when does it take place?
A word repeated many more times than “kingdom” in Matthew 13 is “hear”. Open up your ears and really listen to what Jesus has to say. Don’t assume you’ve heard this sermon before so you can check out. He has mysteries to reveal about the kingdom, but so many will miss it because they don’t really listen to the words of Jesus. So, this year instead of reading through Matthew 13 in one day we thought it would be profitable to slow down and take the parables one day at a time. Many times through the year in our SeekGrowLove Bible reading plan when we come to a new parable we will give a day to the reading and thinking and hearing of that parable. Sometimes the devotion might be written about one of the other Bible passages, but you can still take the opportunity to soak in what Jesus is saying and teaching, often about God’s kingdom.
So, today’s parable is about weeds (we’ll go back and hit the mustard seed and yeast tomorrow). Who doesn’t love a good weed story? And, with this particular weed parable we get the benefit of hearing Jesus’ explanation when the disciples questioned Jesus after the crowds were gone. But the story didn’t start with weeds – it started with the Son of Man planting good wheat seeds in the world. But then the devil sneaks in at night and plants weed seeds. And so the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the evil one grow up together. This is your neighborhood, your school, your office environment, your world. Side by side. Sons of the kingdom and sons of the evil one. Growing older and taller, together. All mixed up, together. Side by side. Wheat and weeds. Righteous and wicked. Until…
Why do we have to wait? Can’t we just take out the weeds NOW? No, Jesus says. Both will grow together until the time of the harvest at the end of the age. Will the weeds and the wheat be sorted out when they each die? No, Jesus says. Both will grow together until the time of the harvest at the end of the age. We aren’t there yet, but every day we are a day closer. What will the harvest look like? Let’s hear what Jesus has to say: “The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear” (Matthew 13:41-43).
Wheat or weeds? You are one or the other. There isn’t a third choice. Which do you want to be?
Son of the Kingdom or Son of the evil one? You are one or the other. Which do you want to be? Which will you strive to be? What will it look like?
Fiery furnace or shining like the sun? Which will the harvest reveal as your destiny?
Have you heard the words of Jesus? How will you respond?
-Marcia Railton
Reflection Questions
- What have you been taught about the Kingdom of God/Kingdom of Heaven? Does it line up with Jesus’ words and teachings?
- How can we better listen to and actually hear and then respond to the words of Jesus?
- What encouragement and warnings do you find in the parable of the weeds?
- How can you grow as a Son of the Kingdom living amongst the sons of the evil one?
- What are some of the “everything that causes sin” that you look forward to being destroyed at the harvest at the end of the age?
Seek Grow Love 