7-19-26                 Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

24 [Jesus] put before [the crowds] another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field,25 but while everybody was asleep an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 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?’ 28 He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he replied, ‘No, for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 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.’ ”
  36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”

Got ears? Then listen! That is Jesus’ plea made to you on this day. Amen.

Once again Jesus used parables to get across his message. Taking illustrations from a life those people knew about, he worked to get them to recognize the importance and the urgency of his message. This week we hear about a constant issue with which the farmer is challenged- those blame weeds! You don’t need to be a farmer to be acquainted with weeds and the destruction they can cause - we get weeds in our yards, in our lakes, and in gardens. The farmer in Jesus’ story claims that an enemy has purposefully introduced those weeds into his fields. We realize that many of the weeds we have to contend with have arrived by our own carelessness, bringing the seeds of the weed on the soles of our shoes & on our unwashed boats. Also birds, insects, and a strong breeze can deposit those nasty seeds where we don’t want them. Regardless of the source, weeds vie for the nutrients and moisture in the soil, robbing them from the plants that are meant to yield a useful product.  Such a hostile takeover is not the sole concern of this parable. Jesus is relating it to the nature of heaven’s reign. We are being instructed here about God’s method of operation in this world and the work we are to be about.

The first thing we discover about how God operates, is God does so with patience. There is no doubt that the wheat is the desired crop, it will be the source of the good harvest. Yet the Master says: 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. With that approach the wheat can be separated safely and those weeds become a source of fuel. The threat is removed and even turns into an asset. We are to recognize that in this world both the good and the bad exist side by side. Sometimes they get quite tangled up, like the growing plants of wheat and weed, and they will have influence on each other.  Unlike plants, people are not clearly and only good or definitely and completely bad; also people can change their actions and character. The Son of Man motivates the children of the kingdom but the devil, those evil influences, also have an impact on those very same children.  The warning that is provided here, is that eventually there is a time of separation, a harvest will be realized. The judgment that happens then will be in the Father’s hands but we are to know that it cannot be ignored. Oppressive evil needs to be identified and opposed. Just because God is patient and loving does not mean that anything goes. 

Jesus is revealing here what the kingdom of heaven, that reign of our God, is to be, right now, today; as well as at the end of time. We have other information about this kingdom in the prayer our Lord taught us. We pray: Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as in heaven. We say that by rote, perhaps without thinking too clearly or deeply about what we are really asking for our God to make happen. That’s why ages ago Martin Luther bothered to write the Small Catechism, for he realized that not everyone understood what they were saying, or even took time to try to figure it out. So I remind you what explanation Luther gave. What does it mean when we say ‘Your Kingdom come’?  God’s kingdom comes on its own, without our prayer, but we ask in this prayer that it may also come to us. And how does this come about? Whenever our heavenly Father gives us his Holy Spirit, so that through the Spirit’s grace we believe God’s holy word and live godly lives here in time and hereafter in eternity. So God’s kingdom comes near, right here among us; when, by means of the Spirit, we accept God’s Word as true and live according to it today, and in eternity as well. We are like that valuable growing wheat when we live as God would have us live each day. We are bringing forth fruit - the good stuff.

That becomes more defined as we pray for God’s will to be done, which is what we are asking for in the Lord’s prayer. & God’s will happens, according to Luther, whenever God breaks and hinders every evil scheme and purpose of the devil, the world, and our own flesh, for those schemes do not allow us to hallow God’s name, and they prevent the coming of God’s kingdom.  So in answer to our prayer request, God steps in to strengthen us and keep us firm in his word and in faith until the end. We are encouraged to seek God’s help so we don’t get all tangled up in the weeds of this world - that want us to follow personal, selfish desires, & evil designs to make us appear better than we are. Such schemes will eventually be revealed as the lies they are. Jesus does not want us to be fooled.

If the warning is heard, if God’s support is depended upon, then as the parable said: the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. That’s the good news !