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.
“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?’
“‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
“‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let 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.’”
We don't have to guess what this parable means because Jesus explains it to His disciples. He tells them that the man sowing good seed is Himself. The good seed represents Kingdom people, and the weeds are unrighteous people sown into God's field by the devil. The harvesters at the end of the age are angels sent out by God.
The point Jesus is making here is clear and important. In any church -among any group of Believers, there are going to be some who truly love God and who are Kingdom minded people; there are also going to be some wrong minded people who are not truly serving or seeking God. Many Believers assume and even defend the idea that it is our job and our duty to search out (and weed out) sinners in the church -it is our job to hunt down heresy -it is our job to protect God's honor -it is our job confront and eliminate any wrong doctrine. God said, "No!' Seeking out heresy and confronting sin is His job.
We can't do God's job. The sad reality that we see played out in churches every day is that when we try to do God's job, people get hurt. I don't mean just a little hurt -I mean when we take the role of heresy hunter/sin confronter, people are spiritually wounded, sometimes eternally.
God is perfectly capable of defending His own honor. God is able to deal with sin and heresy. God protects His own. In fact, God is the only One who can effectively deal with sin because in Jesus He has, literally, dealt with sin. Sin is forgiven. Jesus died and rose again. That is Good News! Sin is no longer the problem -the problem now is that people (in spite of sin being forgiven) do not choose to love God. And often the reason people do not choose to love God is because they do not see God's love lived out among His people. Our "job" is not to confront sin; our job is to love God with all of our hearts, souls, minds and strength -and love others as we love ourselves. As we live out this life of love, God is honored, Jesus is lifted up, the works of the devil are destroyed, walls come tumbling down, and the Kingdom grows.
In the end, God will sort out the wheat from the chaff and the good grain from the weeds. That's His job, not ours.
Well said. It sure makes our job more fruitful once we get on track. Loving God is so much more, intensely fulfilling than most of us realize. Thanks for the post Steve.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, yes, yes!!
ReplyDeleteI am convinced it is a sin of arrogance to attempt to do the work of the Holy Spirit. It is He who works to bring conviction and a wooing of man to repentance and love for God. Only He can do that work to perfection and with the desired results.
If we can only strive to achieve I John 4:7-21 then that is quite enough of a task for us.
Leave all else to Him.
i love to read your stuff, Steve. it's true. Our job is to grow in the Lord and to speak His language to others. Remember when he addressed the men who stood in derision at the woman putting oil on his head (or was it perfume on his feet?) 'you who haven't sinned - cast the first stone'. he knows what we are. We are the sinners. And we are to show Christ's love - not judgment. Lord - help us be your hands and feet and heart here on earth.
ReplyDeletecorrection: I think she was crying...and wiping his feet with her tears.
ReplyDeleteoops. just looked it up. It was a woman caught in adultery. So that's what I get for thinking big thoughts. :>)
ReplyDelete