Joel M Bradshaw

24Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

28“ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29“ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”–Matthew 13

1. This parable is about the activities of God in Heaven.
2. So for Jesus to give it meant he was describing allegiances.
3. The wheat represent followers of Jesus.
4. The weeds represent followers of something else.
5. They exist on the earth together until the end. When I pull weeds, I notice that some weeds look the same as the other plants for a time or at the beginning. They may even have nice flowers on them. But they are not the plants I want.
6. Jesus here proclaims one harvest, not two (as some believe). At the harvest, followers of Jesus will be gathered to Jesus and others will be bundled for destruction.
7. Who do you follow? Many claim to follow Jesus, but actually live lives that are all about themselves. I know, because I used to be one of them.–JMB