Matthew 13:28-30

Matthew 13:28-30

And he was saying to them, ‘And enemy man did this.’  And his slaves say to him, ‘Therefore, do you desire that after going we should gather them?’  And he says, ‘No, lest while gathering the undesirable seed you should uproot the wheat together with them.  Permit them to grow together until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘Gather first the undesirable seed and bind them together in bundles in order to burn them.  And gather the wheat into my storehouse.’

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Notice that when the slaves of the master offer to weed out the field that the master tells them no.  It is not their job to weed out the field.  This is a really profound point to make sure we notice.  The job of the one who sows is to sow good seed.  The job of the one who sows is to plant true seed, not uproot false seed.  The job of the disciple is to make disciples.  The reapers are the ones who sort out the weeds and the wheat at the time of the harvest. 

Are you asked by God to sow seed?  Have you ever felt the temptation to play the role of the reaper instead of the one who sows? 

Second Thought:

The master isn’t concerned about uprooting the undesirable until the time of the harvest.  The master is concerned about the growth of the wheat.  It is the growth and yield of the wheat that is of preeminent importance.  It is of little concern if some bad seed growth for a season.  What is of dire concern is that the full harvest of wheat be allowed to grow!

What are you more concerned with: the growth of spiritual fruit or the growth of the enemy?  What should your focus be on?  What are you in a position to do more about?

Third Thought:

In the end, the reapers will bundle good with good and bad with bad.  However, it is God who will appoint the reapers.  It is God who will discern the difference between the wheat and the undesirable seed.  It is God who will set the timing for judgment.  We can be quick to take the place of God and try to take judgment into our own hands.  But it is God who is in control.

Why is it important to remember that God is in control?  Why is it important that the timing of judgment rest in God’s hands?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 13:31-33