Words from the Rock
His servants then asked, “Do you want us to go out and pull up the weeds?”
“No!” he answered. “You might also pull up the wheat. Leave the weeds alone until harvest time. Then I’ll tell my workers to gather the weeds and tie them up and burn them. But I’ll have them store the wheat in my barn.”
Matthew 13:28–30 CEV
The farmer’s servants are asking if they should go out and weed the field. Knowing that weeds are generally bad news, we expect the farmer to say, “Yeah, get rid of those weeds, and hurry it up.” But his answer is an emphatic no!
He explains that pulling up the weeds will harm the young wheat plants. This suggests that the infestation of weeds is extremely severe—that the weeds are so prolific and so entrenched into the soil that they might destroy the wheat if they’re pulled up.
Now remember that the seeds (in this case seedling plants) represent believers and the weeds represent evil. So what Jesus is really saying is that there is so much evil, and it’s such a big part of this world, that it’s impossible to get rid of all of the evil without getting rid of everything. In other words, he’s saying that we have to endure it—that evil is simply a part of living in this world.
Does that mean we give in and let the weeds (evil) take over our lives? Of course not. Jesus wants us to have strong roots and to grow up healthy and whole. He wants us to hang in there until it’s time for him to finally remove the weeds (destroying evil once and for all), to rescue his believers, and to reward them with heaven—where no weeds are allowed!
My Prayer
Dear God,
I look forward to the day when I will be free from the influence of evil. In the meantime, teach me how to be strong and stand up against it.
Amen.
Final Word
The picture of thistles pulled up and burned is a scene from the final act. The Son of Man will send his angels, weed out the thistles from his kingdom, pitch them in the trash, and be done with them.
Matthew 13:40–41 Message
Stone for the Journey
I trust God’s plan and timing to eradicate evil from this world.