Articles
Let Them Grow
“But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them.” (Matt. 13:29)
Weeds are a destructive force. They compete for space among healthy soil, and the removal process is arduous. Who enjoys weeding? Even so, it is necessary if the ground is going to thrive. The world has produced and continues to produce a lot of weeds. When Christ comes, the true plants will be separated from the weeds. Let’s think for a moment about whether we are the true plants or if we are the weeds.
What a sight the Garden of Eden must have been (cf. Gen. 2:8ff)! Nothing out of place, everything lush, and the epitome of peace on earth. Outside of Heaven, there would have been no place like it. It’s hard to imagine that there would be any concern about weeds or anything that would have been an irritant. Poison ivy, for instance. Of course, the peace of knowing that God was present (Gen. 3:8) and that one could enjoy a friendly stroll in the meadow. How wonderful! Sadly, that was not to last. Even though there was infinite beauty, mankind lost their access to that paradise (Gen. 3:23).
Thankfully, God has provided a way to regain access to paradise. Most importantly, a relationship with Him. The apostle Paul wrote, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Rom. 5:10). In that passage, Paul uses an unpleasant word—enemies. It’s hard to grasp that God’s creation had become His enemies. However, many have made the conscious choice to be a child of the Devil (cf. Jn. 8:44).
In the Lord’s “Parable of the Tares (Matt. 13:24ff),” the enemy is Satan. He is constantly working the field (v. 38). The Devil seeks to influence as many as possible by spreading his deadly seeds among the good seed. God’s children are the good seeds. God’s children have to exist for a period in that same field. This doesn’t mean that they will automatically become polluted. Followers of Christ do have to be careful not to fall into the world’s trap. Ultimately, the wheat and the weeds will be separated at the final harvest (vv. 41ff).
Even though a lot of bad seeds are in the world, God has provided hope. God desires all to be saved (cf. 1 Tim. 2:4). It doesn’t mean that the children of Satan will repent, because most will not (cf. Lk. 13:5). Nonetheless, God has offered grace. Paul wrote, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:11-14). People have to be willing to accept the free gift of grace, and His mercy will cover our sins (cf. Eph. 2:4f).
Sin (cf. Rom. 5:12) reared its ugly head from one poor decision. The very creation was cursed, and it desires to be made right once again (cf. Rom. 8:19ff). Therefore, God’s children have to live among the weeds, and hopefully, they don’t get swallowed up. Christians have to be careful not to think too highly of themselves. At one time, we were once weeds (cf. Rom. 3:23). Fortunately, we have a caretaker, Christ, that provides the tools to nourish the wheat with healthy growing conditions despite the weeds.
The next time you garden, or see someone planting, consider the “final harvest (Matt. 13:39ff).” On that final day, there will be a reaping, where the Lord will gather His children to Himself and the others will be destroyed (Matt. 24:31). Eternal relief will be experienced by the faithful, but for the unholy/unrepentant everlasting sorrow.
