The Parable of the Wheat and Weeds

The Parable of the Wheat and Weeds

This Sunday, we were privileged at CDC to have our own Pastor Micky share the message on the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds from Matthew Chapter 13. The parable speaks of 2 sowers - the farmer and the enemy, 2 crops – the wheat and the weeds and 2 harvest – the burning of the weeds, and the keeping of the wheat.

The first point to note was that the farmer sowed good seed in his field, and in a sense, God’s field can be interpreted as God’s church on this earth and this parable tells us of a time when there will be a sorting among those who call themselves God’s people. And the genuine will be separated from the counterfeit. There are Christians in name, but not in heart, in appearance but not in reality.

Charles Spurgeon was once asked by a man where he could find a perfect church. The great man of God replied that there was none, and he cheekily told the man “But if you should happen to find it, please don’t join or that church will no more be perfect”. The church is a mixed community of believers and non-believers, true and nominal Christians, not to mention the myriad of different personalities making up the church. Hence, there will always be problems, complaints, and dissatisfaction, but God accepts everyone who comes to Him. The primary task of the church is to help people to know Christ so that they can become children of God!

There are many visible churches of various denominations all over the world, but there is only one true “invisible church”, which spans across culture and race, land and sea. It is the church consisting of members who have Jesus Christ in their hearts. Only God knows who are genuine believers, for only God can see the heart.

In any case, we must also be aware that the devil is at work in the church. The more spiritual and God-centred the church, the harder the devil has to work. And the devil sows distrust, division and false teaching… If Satan cannot take the Word of God from your heart, he will use other means, bringing the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things to infiltrate the church.

Even at the very start of the early Church, Satan was already at work, deceiving Ananias and Sapphira who attempted to lie to the Holy Spirit in regard to their giving. Once the devil sows distrust and suspicion among church members, unity and harmony among the brethren breaks down, and no army can fight effectively unless they trust one another.

In the church of Corinth, division and trouble was also brewing. Some said they followed Paul, and others said they followed Apollos. A party spirit and politics have destroyed many a church, and even disputes over spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues have caused the fall of many.

Our Lord Jesus warned us of those who would come as wolves in sheep’s clothing. Wrong teaching left unchecked can also quickly destroy a church. Hence, the Apostle Paul strongly exhorted the Church to take action against false teachings and members who did not obey the moral laws of God.

We need to be constantly aware that there is a spiritual battle in the Church. Yet, we are not told to go around on a witch-hunt and judge the lives of others. The farmer told his servants not to pull the weeds at the beginning for fear that they would also uproot the weeds. Still, we need to expose Satan and his lies, and declare the purposes of God. We are called to continue planting good seed instead of focusing on uprooting false believers. In the end, it will be God who will do the separation of the weed from the wheats.

And this separation will come on judgment day, where the good seed, the wheat, the children of God will shine like the sun having bore good fruit in living righteous lives. However, the weeds, the children of the evil one, whose with no good fruit and reject the will of God will suffer punishment. One of the Lord’s most frightening prophecies was of those who would come to him saying 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' And the Lord replied, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of the Father in Heaven.

In closing, Pastor Micky asks us to reflect on 3 questions:-

-         How can we know we are true Children of God?

-         How should we judge or take action against wrong doers?

-         Howe can we defeat the devil’s work within the church?

Finally, we were exhorted to be on guard against distrust, division and false teaching and to always encourage unity, trust, love and forgiveness.

God bless,

Jason