Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat

He put before them 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.” ’

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds

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.’ He answered, ‘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!

The parables of Jesus are a key feature of the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, though not John. The parables are typically about the kingdom of God and are a teaching tool intended to achieve a number of disparate ends.

On the one hand a parable is a literary device that makes use of familiar ideas, objects or experiences to describe the unfamiliar (eg the kingdom of God). Parables that fall into this category often begin, “The kingdom of God is like … a mustard seed, a pearl of great price, treasure in a field, lost sheep” etc.

However, on the other hand, some parables can also be a way of speaking hidden truth that is only available to the initiated. In other words, some parables are designed to ensure that the casual hearer does not understand. The best example of this is the Parable of the Sower. Jesus’ disciples are instructed later in private what the parable means.

So it is with the Parable of the Weeds and Wheat. The disciples are instructed later what the parable means. It suggests that this parable falls more easily into the latter rather than former category.

Parables, of course, do not necessarily have fixed meanings. They seem to be able to be applied to different contexts, either by Jesus himself or by the writers of the Gospels. So, for example, Jesus tells the Parable of the Lost Sheep to make a point about pastoral care. However, when the parable is used in Luke 15:4-7 the point is how much God loves the straying sinner.

One helpful reading of the Parable of Weeds and Wheat is that it offers some insight into the problem of evil as well as into the nature of God’s kingdom.

In traditional Methodist three-point sermon style here are three points:

• Sometimes evil appears inexplicable – the enemy who sows weeds among the wheat is not explained but simply is.
• Evil sometimes appears unavoidable – the weeds are completely intermingled with the wheat.
• Sometimes evil appears irresistible – the weeds cannot be removed from the wheat because to do so will put the wheat at risk as well.

However, this is not the end of the story; evil does not triumph. Rather the Lord of the harvest ensures that even though it takes some time the weeds ultimately are destroyed and the wheat safely gathered in.

Blessings as we pray that we might understand and act on Jesus’ teaching this day.

To Ponder:

• Sometimes the problem of evil can seems overwhelming. The age-old question, “Why does an all powerful and loving God allow evil not only to exist but also to flourish?” does not allow for easy answers. How do you maintain your faith in a loving God in the face of evil?
• The parable suggests that it is at the end that the problem of evil is dealt with finally. How do you make sense of the kingdom of God in the here and now?