Are You a Wheat or a Weed?

Jesus put before the crowd another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, `Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' He answered, `An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, `Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he replied, `No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”  (Mt. 13:24-30)

Not everyone is a Christian. Not everyone who calls themselves a Christian is truly elected by God's grace. The world is full of grain bearing wheat as well as weeds that bear no fruit. Jesus knows this. It is a part of God's plan. We are called to continually sow the Word of God to all people so those who may be called by God will hear His saving Word regenerating their hearts. (Rom. 10:17) The enemy is out there too filling the world with people who have no intention of surrendering to the will of God. It is not our job to judge who those people are but to continually keep our eyes on the things above. (Col. 3:1-4) Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead. He will know who has born fruit worthy of repentance. (Mt. 7:21-23) Until then, let us each take responsibility for our own discipleship. Let us daily pick up our cross and follow Him. (Lk. 9:23) Let us not look to the left or the right (Joshua 1:7-8) but look ahead to the cross, the means of our salvation inviting others to receive salvation that can only be offered through Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior.

"The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!"  (Mt. 13:37-43)