Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.”
Matthew 13:24-26
Live as Wheat Among the Weeds
Daily Devotion – August 3, 2020
Devotion based on Matthew 13:24-26
See series: Devotions
Gardening is hard enough without someone trying to sabotage your efforts. It already requires a lot of vigilant work to keep the pests from chewing up your plants and the weeds from invading your garden. You don’t need one of your neighbors purposely planting weeds in your garden.
That, however, is precisely the situation in which the farmer in Jesus’ parable found himself. He worked hard to plant his field with good wheat seed. But one night, while the farmer was sleeping, one of his enemies came and planted weed seeds in the same field. When the wheat sprouted and started to grow, so did the weeds. And so, the farmer’s field was filled with both wheat and weeds.
Jesus later explained that this story was not ultimately about a farmer with weeds in his wheat field. It was actually about the world in which we live. In this story, Jesus is the farmer. The field is the world. The good wheat seed is all those who believe in Jesus as their Savior. And the weeds are those who do not believe in him.
Just as there were weeds and wheat growing together in the farmer’s field, those who believe in Jesus and who do not are living side-by-side in this world. This is unavoidable because we are sinners who still are living in a world cursed by sin. Those who believe in Jesus long for the day when they are finally freed from the curse of sin and live in the total perfection of heaven. But they are not there yet.
And so, believers in Jesus continue to live as wheat among the weeds. Even when it seems as if there are far more weeds in this field than there is wheat, they can remember that this field still belongs to God. Under his care and protection, they continue to grow in the place where he has planted them. And they remain confident that their God who planted them here will never allow the weeds to overwhelm them or choke them out.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me to live as your wheat among the weeds, confident that you remain in control and will always care for and protect me. Amen.
Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Powered by WPeMatico