In this study of the Parables of Jesus, we are reading many of the stories Jesus used to teach hearers about how to live as His followers. Each day we’ll read parables in their immediate context, focusing on a different category of parables each week. Then we will work through a series of questions to understand the meaning of the text and take to heart the “secrets of the kingdom.”
Editor’s Note: In this Parables study, Jesus Himself is telling us stories—stories He wants us to reflect on and process. Rather than asking our writers to write their own stories about Jesus’ stories, we thought it would serve you and the text better to provide questions to help you dig into the meaning of each day’s parable. If you find a parable or passage particularly confusing, stop and pray. Ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you in His Word, and thank Him that we can know Him without knowing all the answers to our questions.
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Week 1: Parables about God’s Kingdom
Parables are stories with a point. They are designed to make us think about what is being said, why, where, to whom, and in what context. To get to the heart of Jesus’ parables, we need to pull them apart and take a careful look at the details He gives us. One detail that runs through this week’s selection of parables is that Jesus says they all describe the kingdom of God in some way. As you read through these passages, use the following questions to unpack the stories Jesus tells.
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Day 2 Reading: Matthew 13:24-43
Questions:
1. Jesus says the kingdom of God can be compared to the parable of the wheat and the weeds. How so?
2. What is the problem Jesus addresses in the parable of the wheat and the weeds, and what is the outcome of the story?
3. What is the central point of this parable?
4. How did Jesus explain this parable to His disciples? What is your response to Jesus’ explanation?
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162 thoughts on "The Wheat and the Weeds"
I’m interested in the yeast working through dough. I’m looking that up in more detail. It takes time, but it works all the way through. Why did he say those two back to back? The weeds and wheat and the leaven…
This is such a great follow up to yesterdays parable because he is speaking of wheat and weeds. Weeds are those that are focused in the world and selfishness rather than the Lord and the love he provides to others. We are already chosen but need to stay among the weeds until the Lord calls us home.
…kind of seed ..
I feel like I have been every looking of seed. Thank you for your mercy Lord!
I love how you got this from scripture as well!! It is SO true and that is why we have to retreat to be with God every day because we NEED him in order to continue loving and giving ourselves to the weeds, just as Jesus did on his life on earth. SO GOOD. Thank you for this.
It was very sweet reading the parable. My spirit sensed all of the elements of the story as I was reading it and I was moved and became emotional. The wheat is the sons of the Kingdom like Jesus explains, his ambassadors, us, are to seek righteousness and produce good things in our life and such a great encouragement which is why he explains it as such. And weeds, we know, are elements we do not want to find in our gardens because they kill all of our good and growing crops which is why it symbolizes evil and the devil. I think his central message is to give us a picture of what happens when we seek one life or the other.
I really enjoyed reading through all these different interpretations of this parable. It also made me think that God allowed the bad seed to grow along with the wheat as an example to the weeds. I feel God wanted the weed (bad people) to understand and see what it meant to be good!
My walk in my faith hasn’t been at its strongest and I feel reading Jesus’ words and especiallly these parables are helping me get back in track.
The parable of the wheat and the weed mirrors the happenings in paradise. Back then, God created Adam and Eve. They were perfect beings and also God gave them the gift of free will. Everything was good until Satan showed up in the form of a snake. Satan tempted Adam and Eve and succeeded. They were thrown out of paradise and also God told Satan that there will come an offspring (Jesus) who will set things right and punish him, – in my opinion, the field is the earth, the good sower is Jesus, the wheat the good news offered by God himself and the weed stands for the many temptations and sins Satan confronts us with. But because mankind still has the gift of free will God does not allow to rip out the weeds before the harvest of the wheat is due. To me, the harvest means the ultimate “cleaning” of today’s world. This can be found in the last book of the New Testament. The prophecy tells us what will happen when the time has come. All people will be judged according to their doings. We still have time to draw close to God. But once HE decides the time is over we will be judged. To me, that is the meaning of the parable.
I love that the parables can speak to us differently depending on what we’re experiencing in our own lives. How I relate to a parable today may be completely different than how I’ll receive it 4 years from now.
1. Jesus says the kingdom of God can be compared to the parable of the wheat and the weeds. How so?
The kingdom of God was created to be pure, but somehow evil got mixed into it.
2. What is the problem Jesus addresses in the parable of the wheat and the weeds, and what is the outcome of the story?
Enemies came an sowed bad seed… he lets them grow with his wheat (followers) and at the end, it is distinguished between heaven and hell.
3. What is the central point of this parable?
The central point of this parable is that we are living between evil and amongst evil, which may tempt us, and has tempted us to be evil as well. However, it will be determined in the end what is right and wrong, what is good and bad.
4. How did Jesus explain this parable to His disciples? What is your response to Jesus’ explanation? It is a good explanation. But scary.
These are all beautiful interpretations I myself have trouble trying to understand theses parables but the cool thing God doesn’t expect you to know it all. It so amazing to just sit here in the presence of a perfect God. When you pray to him even about reading the bible he is here and showing you something that you can use for his glory.
This resonated so strongly with me. I too, have questioned why evil is allowed to exist. But through this parable, I realize that it is evil which makes the good stronger. It is through pain, loss, heartbreak, and devastation that we truly recognize the good in our lives and in ourselves. It forces us to rise up, hold strong in our faith, and come out as better Christians who believe in His plan – a bigger, more beautiful plan than even we could imagine for ourselves. The evil will be dealt with by God, and the good will inherit His kingdom. God is so so good!!
This is also a great reminder that it’s not our job to worry about evil people in this world because Jesus will take care of them at the harvest. Our job is to grow as wheat in spite of the weeds around us. So good!
after reading this parable i think that we should all learn from it!! it shows a great lesson that can impact loads of peoples lives!! the wheat and weeds make perfect sense as jesus describes it and i hope that we are all the wheats!!
Only those who produce fruit of the spirit will inherit the kingdom of God – go and tell it to the word, the Good News
This parable reminds me of people who ask, ” If God is good, why doesn’t He just erase evil from the world?” and other questions along those lines. To our minds it makes sense that something evil or bad should disappear as soon as possible, but by God’s logic it’s quite different! In the end He’s always thinking of His children and those who are still growing or getting to know Him. In a way, I think the fact that He still allows such things to happen shows just how much grace He’s given to us.
A really great point about the amount of grace God shows us – thanks for sharing!
I’ll come back to this one often I think. There are so many things to ponder and see through this parable. I love all the comments and insight. This parable is full of promise for believers. Promise of trouble here on earth but also promise of abundant every lasting life. Beautiful
I hope this makes as much sense as it does in my head lol , but in reading this I see the weeds not as people, but as trials, persecution and attacks from the enemy that we experience while on this earth (the field). As Christians (the good seed), we will be surrounded by weeds until we enter the barn (Heaven). During the midst of these trials it may seem like we are entangled with the weeds, but if we keep our faith in God, when harvest comes we will be standing tall and beautiful, set apart from the weeds.
Exactly where my mind was going!
I was really struggling with this but you really pitch it in a way that really makes sense to me. Thank you!
Love how you viewed this parable! So insightful and helpful.
This really explained things to me
Spot on! Thank you!
I love that! I never considered the wheat being persecution, trials, evil, etc without being tied directly to a person. Thanks for sharing this!
This has really helped me understand and see this parable from a completely different perspective – thank you!
I feel comfort from this parable knowing that once you are a wheat you can’t become a weed. However I think it can be a hard balance sometimes loving and spending time with the weeds without getting entangled in their sin. I also see the weeds as Satan’s lies he feeds our minds to make us feel abandoned by God. It will be a constant battle to not let the weeds trick us!
Debbie…I am so very sorry to hear this. May God continue to blanket your family with peace and comfort.
Jesus used this parable to bluntly show that only those who produce fruit of the Spirit will inherit the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit residing in us brings the kingdom on earth. There are those who claim to have it, which are the weeds or those who deliberately do not follow Christ— these will be thrown into the fire. I pray that we will strive to press into Christ, who by His Spirit will produce fruit in our lives and then at harvest time we will be shining bright like our Father in Heaven. In Jesus name.
Does anyone understand when Jesus is saying “I will declare things kept secret from the foundation of the world?” Does it mean his parables reveal other than worldly knowledge?
Yes- as the devotion explains and as Jesus says (revealing prophecy) these parables reveal secrets of the Kingdom of God- so not Worldly knowledge.
I believe that what Jesus means is that there are secrets of God’s kingdom that the carnal mind can never comprehend and they will only be revealed to the righteous that diligently seek after these mysteries.
I never have studied the parables. This is something that was very important to God – as he so clearly states. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Another way to know get to know God’s heart. What a treasure!
Hey ladies. I’ve been reading the passages and following the comments. I keep coming back to this reading and have a question. Can the weeds be changed to wheat? I want think we can turn the weeds but is that even possible? Am I making this harder than it needs to be?
Hi Stephanie, idk if the weeds can change, but the sower doesn’t allow the weeds to be pulled up too soon because some wheat might go with it. So maybe what looks like weeds might really be wheat that needs some extra love to grow. So while everything is still growing we must treat everything like wheat, just in case.
I love this response. I initially read it as if all the children of God are planted on this Earth with the Holy Spirit to allow us to ripen our longing for heaven and nurture our relationship with the Lord. Your response is Christ-centered when you admit that everyone on this earth is wheat and not planted as weeds. It’s comforting to know that weeds can grow on wheat but at harvest (judgement day/or our time to be with the Lord) that the wheat can still be picked out of the weeds (masked by the sins of this Earth but with a Christ focused heart) thank you Emma for sharing such insight.
Hi Stephanie,
I think it’s a good question and I like Emma’s answer a lot. If weeds can indeed be turned to weeds, then it is only through Christ it can be done and it’s not up to us to judge who is “weeds” and who is “wheat” since we don’t know the true heart of people or God’s ultimate plan. So, like Emma said, we should just treat everything like wheat. :)
I love this response! It makes a lot of sense.
I don’t know if he is referring to “bad people” when he is talking about weeds. The way I read it, the weeds are the sons of the Devil which would make them demons and the like. The devil can’t make people can he? I definitely get what you are saying though, and if the weeds are people, Emma’s response is really comforting.
Hi Stephanie! I like everyone’s answer listed above, and I was wondering the same thing you asked. But as stated in the parable the weeds are “people of the evil one”, so I don’t believe those are “people of the kingdom” or God’s children. In the parable the master didn’t want the weeds to be pulled immediately in fear that it would uproot the wheat, as well. I interpret it as, God is giving us all the time to grow and mature for the time of harvest, but some wheat that is too entangled in weeds (sin) may be uprooted in the end, despite given all of that time.
Remember that the no one is outside the reaches of the Lord, I was a weed once myself but I was reborn and sown into a new field, thank you Jesus!
Praise God, Deb! That is so amazing!
As I read though this parable I am continually brought back to the part about how the master told his servants not to pull the weeds. The master knows best, can see the end, however the servants are I’ll equipped, uneducated, inexperienced, to make that decision on their own. To me WE are the servants in this story too. As Christmas followers we have wheat and weeds among our friend circles, who are we to decide who to pluck and who to let grow — what may look like a weed to me may just be an immature wheat plant. Nurturing the whole field, despite the weeds, ensures that the steong wheat grows but also that we don’t pluck out small, immature wheat that just needs a little more love and encouragement to grow.
I’m grateful for the Lord’s persistence in my life in loving and supporting me through my journey even though I haven’t looked like those tall, strong, steady, and obvious wheat stalks, but have had a slower growth, often overshadowed by the weeds that surround me.
Slowly I’m starting to rise above the weeds in my midst, to stand tall and firm in my faith, “to catch up”, but I’m so grateful for a parable such as this to remind me that we all have a different journey to the harvest, yet He loves and nurtures us the same!
As I read though this parable I am continually brought back to the part about how the master told his servants not to pull the weeds. The master knows best, can see the end, however the servants are ill-equipped, uneducated, inexperienced, to make that decision on their own. To me, WE are the servants in this story too. As Christ followers we have wheat and weeds among our friend circles to care for, who are we to decide who to pluck and who to let grow?!? What may look like a weed to me may just be an immature wheat plant. Nurturing the whole field, despite the weeds, ensures that the strong wheat grows but also that we don’t pluck out small, immature wheat that just needs a little more love and encouragement to grow beyond the weeds surrounding it.
I’m grateful for the Lord’s persistence in my life in loving and nurturing me through my journey even though I haven’t looked like those tall, strong, steady, and obvious wheat stalks, but have had a slower growth, often overshadowed by the weeds that surround me. Thankful I wasn’t plucked out among a handful of weeds!
Slowly I’m starting to rise above the weeds in my midst, to stand tall and firm in my faith, “to catch up”, but I’m so grateful for a parable such as this to remind me that we all have a different journey to the harvest, yet He loves and nurtures us the same!
I love that you pointed this out! So very true!
So awesome Jess, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I love how you said, “thankful i wasnt plucked out among a handful of weeds”.
I can definitely relate! totally looking to the world and church as a harmful weed. Praising God for his redemption and pulling the veil from my eyes!
Blessings on you xx
I love this Jess- so true. My parents received an email last week from an older adult who has been praying for their father to received Jesus for decades. Last week at the age of 85 he asked Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of his life. In our ill equipped, judgmental state we would have been prone to identify him as a weed and pluck him up and throw him out…but God! He is faithful and patient and the best master there is. Thank you for your insight today.
This will be my first time to comment on here after reading for close to two years, but I can’t deny how deeply your interpretation struck me this morning, Jess. I’ve been deeply struggling to find a solution for an issue of friendship over the past few months. I’ve invested so heavily into a friend and it has been exhausting and draining and I think what it comes down to is that we don’t share the same “heart” = Christ. I’ve considered just being done and moving towards friends with whom I share my faith with. The thing I struggle with is giving her the wrong idea of who Christ is and how powerful His love is – forgiving of hurt or burnt expectations that I’ve experienced through her interactions. I expect a lot, perhaps too much, but I KNOW that God designs friendship to be as “close as a brother” and that’s what I desire. So, all this said, I’m thankful to read your words and to feel a sense of sticking with it, to not view her as a weed, but instead an immature seed. I say that with the most love and care. She is anything but a weed, but as a way to apply it to this passage, I think it is an apt metaphor. SO thank you for speaking out and sharing. It touched me.
So true!! Thanks for sharing! ❤️
Lovely Jess. Thanks for sharing.
What I take away from this parable is that like us, God loves the unbeliever and provides for them as well. I’m reminded of the scripture “the rain falls on the just and the unjust” and “the sun rises on the godly and ungodly”. He allows the tares to thrive and grow because of his great love and He plants them with the wheat who share in the nourishment from the sun, soil and rain. This tells me that we are too love others and share in all things. God gives the unbelieving world every opportunity to repent and uses us to hopefully influence them. So many angles to this parable. Love everyone’s insight.
Sandy! Thank you for this insight.
Amen!
I love this Sandy. Something I didn’t see!
While in this world we endure the enemy, but we can take heart, we are being leavened, and the time will come when we are harvested to the Kingdom of heaven, like a mustard seed grown largest of all. I will open my ears to hear what the Word has to say to me and pray for others to find this hope, faith, and salvation.
The Kingdom of God is like the parable of the wheat and the weeds because it shows God’s ability to give His children second chances and His love for His children. He has so much love for us that He will not just give up on us even though we may run into some setbacks and wrong turn along the way. It is up to us to decide if we will accept His love and become the wheat or get so tangled up in the weeds that we are not ready when the harvest comes. I really relate to this parable since I am just now coming back to my faith after a long time of saying I am too busy, stressed, etc. to go to church or read the Bible. It was great to hear in this parable that I am not too late for the harvest and have a chance to separate myself from the weeds still through God’s love.
Miranda, I love this! I too find myself enduring setbacks and love that he allows us additional opportunities to grow. i didn’t gather this from the parable initially but you helped me understand. Thank you!
There are a lot of thoughts I have from this parable. But one of the most prominent ones is this: the master said not to pull the weeds because he didn’t want any of the wheat to be damaged or pulled with the weeds. Jesus has planted each of us, he has sown us all to be in his kingdom, to be children of God. Even the ones of us who might be clumped in with the weeds for a bit, he knows are his children, he knows are “wheat” even when others don’t recognize it, including ourselves. The master values the wheat and knows he has sowed good seed that will endure to the harvest. We are planted with the care and love of the father, whether it took longer for that seed to grow or not, and no weed, no evil can destroy the good seed the father has planted in us, even when we think we are weeds.
I love this!!!
So good! Such a powerful interpretation!
This was a really powerful message for me because I found my faith later in life, during college. I would not have considered myself evil or down the “wrong path” but I was lost when it came to religion. God showed me his grace in a very interesting way and I have not turned back since. He never gave up on me and I feel was patiently waiting for me to find my way back home
I had just graduated college when I got saved. He is indeed merciful.
1. Jesus says the kingdom of God can be compared to the parable of the wheat and the weeds. How so?
The kingdom of God is like the field in this parable. Both the wheat and the weeds are trying to overcome the field. The wheat represents the righteous who belong to the kingdom of God. The weeds represent those who have turned away from the Lord to pursue the temptations of the devil. The kingdom of God is constantly at war with the weeds of the devil. However,the parable ultimately tells of the victory of the kingdom of God over the weeds of the devil.
2. What is the problem Jesus addresses in the parable of the wheat and the weeds, and what is the outcome of the story?
At the beginning of time, the Lord created everything in the world to be good. This is like when the farmer plants the wheat. However, sin soon entered the world by the hands of the devil. This fact is representative in the scattering of the weeds. During our time on earth, the nature of sin intermingles with the nature of God in the same way the weeds and the wheat intermingle. As Christ followers, we must live in the sin-fallen world where the weeds constantly threaten the growth of the wheat. Our growth in our relationship with the Lord is constantly threatened by the temptation of the devil whether it be achievements, pride, or a litany of other sins. However, we can look towards the glorious day when the reapers, the angels of the Lord, come to remove the weeds permanently from our lives as we enter into the kingdom of our father.
3. What is the central point of this parable?
We are like he seeds of wheat in the field. The Lord’s original plan was for us to grow strong and fruitful without the chokehold of the weeds of the devil. Nevertheless, since sin entered the world, we are called to stand our as wheat amongst weeds as we look forward to the future when the kingdom of God overcomes the weeds in the end of days.
4. How did Jesus explain this parable to His disciples? What is your response to Jesus’ explanation?
Jesus breaks down each aspect of the parable. The field is the kingdom of God, the good Sower is Jesus Christ, the wheat are the righteous, the bad sower is the devil, and the weeds are those who have turned away from God. My response is to follow the direction of the one who planted me. Jesus Christ allowed us to enter into the kingdom of heaven. His death on the cross created that access. It is my joyful burden to pursue the good Sower in all things lest I become like a weed following the ways of the enemy. I look to the future knowing that in the end days the righteous’ access to the kingdom of God will fully open as we “shine like sun in the kingdom of our father.” If we submit to the ways of the weeds, we will be heaped together and thrown into a fiery furnace. In order to follow the ways of the good Sower, I will strive to be in constant communion with Him through His Word, my prayer life, and a community of believers who continuously point me back in His direction.
Katelyn, I so love your insight. Thank you. It helps me to understand on a much deeper level. :)
I️ enjoyed reading your insight on this. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing. This helped me really see what exactly the correlation is between the parable & our lives as believers.
Loved this one. To me this parable is God once again promising deliverance and victory to his people. Weeds are thieves, just like Satin. They steal from healthy flourishing plants in order to ensure their own survival and the others demise. Even as weeds grow and flourish around us on this earth, desperately trying to steal and destroy what God has done in us for themselves in hopes we will fail and God will be proven a farce. We must stay steadfast in the word because no matter how much the enemy and world tries to destroy us, no matter how much they take from us, God’s word is an endless source of everything we need to live and bear fruit until the harvest. This parable is a reminder that we must stand out amongst the weeds and keep our eyes on God as the enemy works tirelessly to steal and kill for we will be delivered and Satin along with the weeds of the world will perish is a pit of fire.
I️ love your thoughts on this Amie. I’ve never actually looked at it this way.
My first thought that came this morning as I read this passage I have read so many times before was the fact that the master told them not to uproot the tears from the wheat. Maybe we are not wise enough to recognize the tears but as Christians we are certainly quick to call them out. I think many times we are uprooting our brothers and sisters (wheat) thinking they are tears because they don’t look like us or grown as fast as us, or maybe have had our growth stunted by sin in our lives from the past. I cannot even tell you how it hurts my heart to see in social media and/or hear someone slander another Christian. It seems rampant these days. Because we may not have the same sin in our past or have the same soapbox as our sister or brother, we start trying to “pull them up”.
we start playing “God” and categorizing the wheat and the tears. He said we don’t know the wheat from the tears. We should wait until the harvest. The wheat will produce fruit and the tears will be pulled up and burned, that’s His job not ours.
Please be careful about what you post on social media (or anywhere) about someone who claims to be a brother and sister in Christ. We are not to judge. We can pray and trust that God will pull up the tears. It will be better for them to stand before God accountable for their actions than for me to be accountable for judging and unforgiveness and slander of a fellow believer.
Love this!
Amen!
So so good!
Sometimes weeds are subjective. A flower that I love may be extremely aggressive and bothersome in someone else’s garden. (I live in Canada so flowers that grow only in the summer here are probably a scourge for you sisters in milder climates!) Self seeding spinach can overgrow other vegetables in a hurry (and while I like spinach, I don’t want a whole garden full!)
While it’s not my job to sort the weeds out in the Kingdom of God, I am a sinner and I can drift towards judgment. But God is the Gardener and what I perceive as a weed, He may have a purpose for.
My job is to know the crop I’m responsible for. My job is to follow the voice of God, the leading of the Spirit and the example of Jesus. My job is tend the good seed in my own life and pray for discernment about the questionable seed. Am I too involved in something that takes me away from God even if it is not a sinful practice? (Too much spinach)
May I be a faithful fruit producer until the harvest!! Blessings to you today sisters!
Amen! Love your illustration.
Me too!
Loved this one. To me this parable is God once again promising deliverance and victory to his people. Weeds are thieves, just like Satin. They steal from healthy flourishing plants in order to ensure their own survival and the others demise. Even as weeds grow and flourish around us on this earth, desperately trying to steal and destroy what God has done in us for themselves in hopes we will fail and God will be proven a farce. We must stay steadfast in the word because no matter how much the enemy and world tries to destroy us, no matter how much they take from us, God’s word is an endless source of everything we need to live and bear fruit until the harvest. This parable is a reminder that we must stand out amongst the weeds and keep our eyes on God as the enemy works tirelessly to steal and kill for we will be delivered and Satin along with the weeds of the world will perish is a pit of fire.
Love!
Love this!
I love how Jesus teaches in word pictures, but this image of the spinach helps me gain new insight. Thank you!
This parable gave me a new perspective on God’s heart for us. When bad things happen, people can sometimes wonder, “Why did God let this happen to me?” This parable is a clear answer to that. After discovering the thistles had been planted, a decision had to be made, “The farmhands asked, ‘Should we weed out the thistles?’ “He said, ‘No, if you weed the thistles, you’ll pull up the wheat, too. Let them grow together until harvest time.” (Matthew 13:28-30) To me in this parable, the thistles not only represent the enemy, but they represent enemy attacks in our lives. We read in this scripture that if they weeded out the thistles the first moment they notice them growing, they would pull out the wheat and stop the growing process. When the enemy attacks in our life, if God removed all of our troubles right away, we too would stop a growing process. That’s why the harvest time, the Kingdom of God, is so encouraging. We know that trials and difficult times are only helping us grow and that when it feels like too much to bear, we have hope for the future Kingdom of God to save us. In the meantime, this parable encourages me to continue growing no matter what trials come my way.
Amen! Thank you for this perspective!
I love this view
Good morning. I’m asking for prayer for my family this morning. My 30 year old nephew ended his life with a drug overdose over the weekend. We dont believe it was intentional (to end his life), but in times of stress, instead of calling on the Lord, he ran to drugs and alcohol to numb his feelings. He was a beautiful little boy who received Jesus as his savior at a young age. But as he grew up among the weeds he was slowly attracted to the things of the world and eventually began running from the Lord as hard as he could, until it ended in this tragedy. My sister and brother in law are in total anguish over the loss of their son. Please pray for them and all of us. The pain is unbearable. Thanks.
Debbie thank you for reaching out – I am so sorry for your loss. I am even now lifting up you and your family – comfort and strength for just each next step in Jesus name.
Debbie, I am so sorry to read this. My heart breaks for your family. I am praying for you and your family – that God will show Himself so real right now, and that there will be a supernatural strength and comforted hearts.
Praying for you and your family.
My prayers are with you and your family as you all go through this difficult time. Losing a loved one, especially at a young age, is one of the hardest trials for a family. God bless you all!
Praying for your family now, Debbie!
Prayers for your family!
I am so sorry! I will pray for strength and comfort for all of you at this time.
Praying.
How heartbreaking :( Praying for your family now.
Oh Debbie – I can only imagine your heartache. May our ever present Saviour go before you and never let go of you and your family during this very thorny stretch of road.
Oh Debbie. Praying for all the family and friends. How heart breaking.
Praying over you, your sister & her husband and the whole family, Debbie. May God nearer than ever, His strength is truly perfect and we are believing Him to be everything you all need through this grief. God bless, keep, and watch over all. ♥
Debbie, we are so sorry to hear this. Praying over you and your family today in the midst of this tragedy. We are so grateful to have you as a part of this community. <3 - Abby, The SRT Team
Dear Debbie, my heart goes out to you and yours at this very sad and confusing time. .
Praying and lifting you all up the the Almighty God, who weeps with you, and knows your pain.. I pray you know His peace and comforting love and arms around your family. He is near… love and hugs. .
I’m so sorry to hear this. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit, but I can’t imagine how hard this is to navigate. Praying for your family <3
1. Jesus says the kingdom of God can be compared to the parable of the wheat and the weeds. How so? There are good seed and bad seed. And very interesting to note that the tare is identical visually to the wheat before it is fully ripe (mature, producing fruit!) just like humans.
2. What is the problem Jesus addresses in the parable of the wheat and the weeds, and what is the outcome of the story? Problem is the weeds, but Jesus takes care of it.
3. What is the central point of this parable? Don’t worry about “weeds”. Gods got it. And we are to grow among the weeds until the time has come. So exciting!
4. How did Jesus explain this parable to His disciples? What is your response to Jesus’ explanation? Thankfulness, gratitude, and concern for my fellow humans. :/
I found this commentary very enlightening: https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=979
Something that struck me in today’s reading was that it doesn’t say that the weeds choked out the good plants or killed any of the good seed. I’m reminded of Jesus’ teaching in John 10 about how he is the good shepherd and no one will snatch us out of his hand!
Yes! That’s such a good point!
Wheat and tares: Satan’s effort to to deceive the church by mingling his children with God’s, in some cases making it impossible for the believers to discern the truth from the false.
He who sows: the true Sower of salvation seed is the Lord Himself. He alone can empower the heart to transform. He is the One who saves sinners, even through the preaching and witnessing of believers.
(The MacArthur Bible Commentary)
Sometimes, ok most times I read through the parables and think I know the meaning of them, thankful to she reads truth for making me delve more into these little parables and find the true meaning and how to apply them to my life. I am always amazed at what I learn and so very thankful for the Spirit who works these thing in my heart. Thanks be to our heavenly Father who opens our ears to hear and our eyes to see, because so many are missing His love and grace because of closed ears and blind eyes. Praying that God works in their hearts so they too may be gathered into his kingdom with the rest of God’s wheat.
It feels sort of odd to admit this, but, rather than peace, today’s reading almost brings up a bit of fear for me. While I love the point of the parable, and the illustration of grace by which God allows us time to grow and be rooted in Him, references to judgement day always make me squirm. Perhaps it’s the unknown, or the magnitude, but I find myself more and more dwelling on these concepts with a bit of worry. I have friends from all walks of life, and I worry about what eternity might be for them – people whom I love but who may or may not be true believers, and people whom I love but who I know are not believers. I worry about my child and whether he’ll grow and remain a true believer. I even, in weak moments, worry about myself and whether my faith is sufficient – although one of my personal goals lately is to try to replace doubt with faith as it arises.
I don’t really know if I had much of a point here, other than I felt the need to be truthful with this. I’m praying for faith and wisdom around these things, so that I can someday approach the concept of judgement day with more hope than fear. Especially with the pain of our present times, I long for a world without weeds – I pray that I can come to embrace and be at peace with the harvest as well.
I had the same thoughts and feelings as I read this, Caroline. Thank you for sharing.
Caroline, my heart goes out to you as there was a time I, too, struggled as you have. If you have truly confessed you are a sinner and asked God to forgive you and given your life to Him, then regardless of what you feel at any given moment, He is faithful and has promised in His Word that He has saved you. Our Father, by the work of His Spirit through His Word wants to move us from being confident in our feelings to being confident in HIS Word. He is faithful and He will do this work in you just as He hs done in many of us who have so struggled. Spend some time in John 10 and 1 John. Let Him fill you with His Word and build that confidence in Him. It’s not about us….praise God, it’s about Him! You’ll be in my prayers sweet sister!
And I share this with you too, Merideth. Forgive me as I did not see your post when I hit reply.
Yes, I am here as well! Fear of, “What if I am a weed?” But in this, I must speak truth and know that this thought is a sowing of weeds. “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1 Clinging to this promise today!
Caroline I too can identify with what you wrote. Also I work in prison ministry and I see the men struggle about their redemption as they grow in faith and hope that there is that in confessing and believing they too may find a place in heaven.
Think of the thief on the cross beside Jesus. For all we know, he lived life as a criminal. He deserved his fate. Yet with his statement to Jesus, he is promised eternal life. There wasn’t one thing he had to do, not one thing he could have done, to further assure his entrance to heaven. His confession of faith was his irrevocable entry ticket. The same is true for us. The confession must be made. And then welcome the grace!
Caroline, I have been there—wondering if my faith is enough, wondering if I am really “wheat” or actually a weed. It has helped me to realize that I am saved not because of the strength of my faith, but because of Who I put my faith in. My faith may be weak—in fact, it probably is, because I’m imperfect—but Christ is gloriously perfect, and strong, and He saves me not because I believe “enough” but because I believe in Him. I will not face judgment because He faced it for me. If my salvation rested on any quality of mine, I would be doomed. Thank God that freedom from condemnation has nothing to do with me and everything to do with Him! “There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION to them which are in Christ Jesus…” (Romans 8:1) I hope this encourages you. He came to cast out fear (1 John 4:18), and I know that is His desire for you!
Thank you all for your wonderful words of encouragement! I deeply value the wisdom, prayers and love, and look forward to also delving into the passages offered! So appreciated :)
So here’s what I gather. The field is the world the one who says the good seed is obviously the Son of man. The one who sews the tares is the enemy and the harvest is the end of the age. The reapers are God’s angels who come and separate and divide the wjeay and tares . At that time the tares will be thrown into the fire and the wheat will be gathered into the barn which is heaven. Pretty simple. Keep walking in faith abiding in him and his word abiding in us.
Often, and especially during make believe, while my children are playing, they will come to me to sort out sibling bickering. Who can pretend to be the teacher first; A mean look; a snappy response. This is the weeds of their play. I think it happens most during make believe because this is the play that most reenacts the outside world where both wheat and weeds grow simultaneously. Frequently, they are frustrated with me that I won’t root up the weeds as soon as they come to me – give a time out, discipline, whatever they feel is just. I noticed in today’s parable the servants also wanted all of the weeds pulled immediately. But, Jesus doesn’t permit this. In fact, he fears it could hurt the wheat. I know the parable is about the Kingdom first and foremost. It was encouraging, however, that Jesus permitted the weeds because he foresaw pulling the weeds could harm the wheat. Of course, my first choice would be for no weeds while they play. But more than that, I want my children to be patient, long-suffering, gentle. I don’t want them to grow up with a false view that there is only wheat or that someone immediately plucks them from the weeds. Until Jesus returns, we will live among the wheat and yet by His grace it will make us stronger.
What a good mama to allow discomfort in your children’s lives! They will be blessed.
The notes in my study Bible explained that the tares (weeds) were most likely darnel, which in the blade resembles wheat but can be distinguished from wheat when fully ripe. This is the same as people. There are some that will look like true believers on the outside, but their fruit is quite different and in the end will be shown as false believers. But we must remember that it is God’s responsibility to separate the false believers from the true believers.
Yes! I did a google image search on tares and so very interesting!
It really can be hard to tell the wheat from the weeds. (Have you ever noticed how pleasing to the eye some weeds can be?) Some people put on great disguises…I can be a decent actor myself. In light of that, sow the good seed. You never know, you may just be the fertilizer that helps a weaker wheat stalk thrive and keep the weeds from invading the field.
LOVE your response, Bobbie!! Thank you for sharing it!! Xoxo
I like a point that someone made earlier – it isn’t our place to sort the weeds and the wheat. We are to sow weeds, but only God alone can determine the weeds from the wheat. This parable also made me think of my heart as the field…am I sowing wheat or allowing the field to be over grown with weeds. Praying that I will be diligent in guarding my heart from the weeds and would also be apart of his kingdom work in planting wheat fields.
Sisters, if it’s alright, I wanted to request prayer for someone I’ve had on my mind lately. His name is Danny, and I apologize if this sounds strange, but I’ve come to care about him despite not knowing him personally and as such I greatly desire that he know the grace of the Lord. Since I’m not sure what his personal beliefs are, my prayer is that God will shine His light and truth in his life in order to either bring about salvation or strengthen that which already exists. I know that prayer is more powerful when two or more are praying in unity, so it would comfort me to know that others are praying on his behalf too. Thank you and God bless.
Praying for him, and for you as well!
Thank you so much!
Hi Jessica, thanks for sharing with us. Praying over Danny now, and we are grateful to have you studying along with us. – Abby, The SRT Team
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Resting in these truths of parable of the wheat and the weeds, made me truly think of how weeds and wheat (plants), are battling everyday. It seems elementary, but when you plant wheat, you have the labor portion (tilling the ground, preparing the ground, or you may have your soil tested), then you plant the wheat seed. Once you plant the seed, you must have the proper soil temperature, and then it’s a patient waiting game. On most seed bags, it states germination rate, which is the percentage that the seeds will germinate or turn into a plant and will grow. What we do not always see is how often times, when the wheat is being planted, there are spaces that are missed, and weeds are carried, dropped, and even left over the places that are deemed fields. Within those gaps, weeds make their new home. They take the nutrients that the wheat desire, and they often times appear to the naked eye the same crop, when in reality, genetically they could not be more different. In our society now, we see that weeds are among the wheat, and that we may be deceived by the exterior of the wheat, but genetically the species are different. Yes, there are spaces left open for weeds, but we are believers, we as His children must fill in the spaces and overseed. The overseeding comes after the wheat comes up, and it comes with the daily interaction with God, to learn about His character, and being still with Him as well as the overflow of promise and truth He provides will be the intentional action of filling in the gaps and spaces in the first attempt to receive a harvest.
The field = the world, or the Kingdom of God. What we are sowing is the word of the Lord. As followers of Jesus, we must take the Gospel into our hearts. When good seed is sown, it must be tended, watered, and cared for. But in this world, good and evil coexist. The enemy wants nothing more than to sow weeds into the world. Humans can’t make the exact separation of good and evil, God will do that on judgement day and there the good seeds and bad weeds will be parted.
For me this means that this world has lots of temptations to become a weed. But in order to keep my heart following and focusing on Jesus, I must tend to it. By worship, by being in His word daily, by prayer, by keeping my heart healthy much like I would tend to any seeds I plant. The care I give my vegetable and flower gardens each year must be the same care I give to the seeds of my heart.
Great analogy! Thank you for sharing!
We will always live alongside evil, but it is up to us “the wheat” to stay rooted in the word of God and the “weeds” will not over take us, but they will continue to live among us until the day of judgment. This passage, for me, is a reality check that life isn’t perfect and we will always have encounters with “weeds” but we have the word of God to keep us rooted.
We are in the last days. The end of the age is coming. Justice is coming for both the believer and the unbeliever. That can be an encouraging thought or a scary thought. There will be no gray area. One side or the other. You can’t sweet talk your way when in front of the throne. He knows and will judge decisively. Accurately. Fairly. You are His or you are not. No more time to play games or put it off. He’s not kidding. There’s no bell curve. Harvest time is coming.
amen!
i once saw a bumper sticker that said “many who plan to seek God at the eleventh hour…….
die at 10:30”
as you said “no more time to play games or put it off”
Jesus is returning – hallelujah!
Lately it seems as though the weeds are choking out the wheat. It struck me this morning that Jesus said, while everyone was sleeping the enemy came and sowed weeds among the seeds. I’m thinking that we Christians have been asleep and let the weeds grow and thrive. We/I need to wake up and start sowing more of the good seed.
That is a great observation. I was so focused on the difference between the wheat and weeds I didn’t even see that. Thank you for this challenge. I love how something different is revealed to each person in these parables. It is so interesting to read people’s comments and learn new things from each perspective.
Yesterday I read Exodus 34:29-35 “When Moses cane down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord”. I wrote in my journal “Oh to be in such close relationship that His radiance would literally shine through me”. Today I read Matt 13:43 “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father”. What a promise! That is amazing. Just imagine it! That’s a promise I’ll hold onto.
Yes! I️ think the evil that has been sown too is trying its best divide us. We know a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand (like 11:17). So while we may not agree with one another, we have to be able to have loving conversation and know that in the end where we may not agree, we are His Kingdom, United to stand against this evil that has been sown. Like you said, start sowing more of that good seed!
I love this! Thank you for sharing what God has been pointing out to you. Oh to be so close to Him that we ooze Jesus out of our pores and all the world will see.
I was struck by the difference between wheat and weeds. Wheat is life giving, it will give us nourishment. Weeds are the opposite of that, they choke life. I want my actions to always be life giving, positive, nourishing. It’s like my boss says: you’re either moving forward or moving backwards; you can’t stand still.
There is a battle going on right now for the heart, soul and mind of my precious 15 year old grandson. Right now, he is believing the ‘weeds’ in his life are more exciting than the love of his family. This child who, not so long ago would have asked for prayer for a friend and perhaps even prayed for them himself, is being led astray… I’m not saying he’s an angel, but his true heart is in the right place… yet, he is becoming like a ‘weed’ and it’s so heartbreaking to watch..
But God…
As in The parable of the weeds, He sees and He does know my grandsons heart, however it looks now, He knows the boys true heart, and He will save him in the last days… my grandson may be covered by ‘weeds’ now, but God knows His own and He will rescue him.
In my heart, I have the hope, because of Jesus, that the mustard seed of God’s Word that was sown in his heart, will one day real soon, grow to be the biggest and most crucial words of his life. They may be hidden now, But God is never and can never be hidden..
Trusting the Lord God to keep hold of this dear dear child, precious to us, but even more so to Our Father God.., that His angels watch over him and protect him, his mind, heart, and soul..
Thank you Lord God that you are able in All circumstances to heal, and bring new life through all that even we may have doubts about. Thank you Lord God that you fight for us, and no matter how dark the night, your light will shine through in the victory that Christmas won for us rough His death and resurrection. ..
Thank you Lord for everything… you are the source of my strength. Thank you…Amen.
Lord praying your peace and grace over all here today.. In Jesus’ mighty and most power filled name.. Amen.
Blessings. .
Tina thank you for sharing this morning. I pray for your grandson. I will remember your words “in ALL circumstance to heal, and bring new life through all that that even we may have doubts about…” I needed to hear that this morning.
Tina, your grandson is a child of the king, loved and treasured by Him. I know in my own prodigal days God never gave up on me. He never stopped wooing me home. You can rest in the assurance that God will continue calling your grandson by name and the truths rooted in his heart will overcome the weeds. Praying today for your sweet boy. ❤️
From this parable I take away that we all have to exist together.No matter how bad the situation is deliverance is not immediate but it is sure.Jesus Christ purchased our salvation.Thank you Jesus
❤️ “Deliverance is not immediate but it is sure”
I was talking on the phone with my mum last night and she shared with me the struggles she’s been facing at work lately. What saddens me most is that this isn’t the first time she’s persecuted and harassed in her workplace.
We were praying for deliverance and justice, that we can see the Lord’s zealous love for His children overpower the evil. Yet reading this today made me think… If He doesn’t deliver us in this age, He’s still good. He’s still Lord over all. Why? Because we have absolute certainty that He will deliver us in the end and that justice will be done. He has already purchased it for us!
So encouraged and motivated by God’s mercy this morning. Please pray for my mum :)
Praying!
Hi Tochi, thank you for sharing. We are praying for your mom now, for encouragement and peace as well. Grateful to have you here! – Abby, The SRT Team
This has always been a parable that I just skimmed over when reading the Bible. But, there is so much in this that is so relevant to right now. I read a commentary on this and one of the things I got from that is that it is not my responsibility to try to seperate true believers from false believers. That is for God alone. The difference between true and false believers isn’t always obvious. Each of us must examine our own relationship with Christ. This reminded me of a lesson I learned from one of my high school students. There was some discord amonst some of the students in FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and I was asking him if he knew what the problem was. He told me, “Mrs. Stansell, it takes all my time and effort to be sure I am walking with Jesus like He wants me to. I don’t have time to worry about how other people are walking.” Out of the mouths of babes.
One last thing about this parable – every day I get up and it seems like evil is winning. But, this is such an encouragment that we don’t have to right every wrong done to us. God has promised that He will one day exercise His righteous judgment when Christ returns. “He is more than capable of balancing the books.” (David Platt)
Be blessed today, Sisters!!
Amen Kathy, such a relief that God is in control and the one with the decision making authority. What your student said reminds me that when/if I am focusing on my faith and relationship with God I will not have time or energy to think about others walk.
❤️❤️ thanks for sharing !
Thank you for that insight that it is God’s responsibility to separate the false believers from the true believers, just an added layer to the parable!
This is so powerful! Who are we to separate the wheat and seeds- to think we can even scratch the surface of the Lords work! Thank you for sharing. ❤️
That is so true Kathy! Those who are true believers don’t have time to worry about every detail of others’ lives. You become engrossed in your own journey and your loved ones’ journey. Of course I always want to guide someone to Christ, but it’s not my job to decipher their heart.
I am reminded of second Peter chapter 3 and the delay in Jesus’ return to allow as many people as possible to find Him as saviour before ‘the harvest’. I know that’s not that main point of the parable but it’s really by grace that weeds aren’t just destroyed immediately, there is time! Weeds can’t change into crops but people can find Jesus and end up in the barn rather than the fire. Ok a lot of metaphor there but I hope I am making sense!!!!!
Yes, Sarah! What grace, too, to be given the chance to grow to maturity with more established roots!
I love your metaphors! What a reminder of God’s grace. He will do all He can to bring us into the barn. As His child, I need to be a part of that work of grace.
Yes, this stood out to me too. That the one asked, should we remove the weeds now. But the master said, leave them and we will sort it out in the end and cull the weeds first and throw them into the fire. There’s always time for people to turn to Jesus. He doesn’t throw us into the fire right away or cast us aside when we sin or fall short. But grace…
I needed to hear this. Reading these parables, I feel like I’m a weed. But God’s mercy is that I have a little time to change and do the best I can. Jesus said he came to call sinners, not the righteous, so anyone who follows him can be saved.