Rev. Johnson V.
19th December 2010

In this, the second study on the Kingdom of God, we will look at another aspect of the Kingdom that Jesus referred to in the parable found in the Book of Mathew 13. Our Lord Jesus used parables to explain difficult concepts to the disciples. Each parable about the Kingdom of God reveals an element of the truth.

In this study, we will look at the parable found in Mathew 13:24-30 (KJV) “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Our Lord Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a man who sowed good seed. The man in the parable is a representation of our Saviour, our Lord Jesus, who left heaven in order to walk amongst us, who gave up His divinity in order to restore humanity. And He sowed seeds. He still does. Seeds represent the Word of God. Seeds, on its own, are useless. It is only when seeds are planted and bear fruit that they are useful to us. Similarly, it is not enough that we know the Word of God. The Word of God, like natural seeds, must be planted and take root in our hearts, in order to grow and bear fruit in our lives.

But there is a problem. For while our Lord Jesus plants seeds, the enemy (devil) plants tares (weeds). And this can only be done when men (that is, humanity in general), sleep. This is not a physical sleep but a deep spiritual slumber, a time when men let their guard down. The thing about the devil is that he always visits a place or person that God has visited. As soon as God begins to move on behalf of a particular person, the devil takes note and puts that person on his hit-list. It is not difficult to be in deep spiritual slumber. As a result of the fallen state of this world, darkness is all around us. We need to put in special effort to walk in God’s light, but we don’t have to put in any effort at all to walk in darkness. We only have to let our guard down or stop trying to bring in the light.

Now, the devil does not uproot what God has planted. Instead he plants tares or weeds that are useless and which utilize resources that are meant to grow what God has planted in us. If a plant does not receive enough nutrients and water from the soil, its growth will be stunted. In the same way, when the resources meant to grow God’s purposes in us, are used for another purpose, it will not allow God’s purposes to be properly fulfilled in our lives. The devil is on the prowl, looking for areas where we are not careful so that he can sow his seeds there.

Wheat and weeds cannot survive together. One will have to go. But our Lord Jesus knows how much we can take and allows the weeds to grow along with the wheat, until the time for harvest arrives. Then He will separate weeds from the wheat and burn the weeds. We will reap the consequences of sleeping-on-the-job, but our God will also allow the wheat or good things in our lives to grow. He will not remove the weeds, but He will reward us for the good things. Not one grain will go unrewarded. The weeds will be punishment enough, He will not punish us anymore.

So let us be vigilant and on guard. Let us fill our land with the seeds of God’s Word so that the devil has no room to sow anything more. It is a common saying that prevention is better than cure. Let us strive to prevent evil from having its way in our lives, so that we can live the lives that God intended for us, to its fullest possible extent. Let us press on towards the goal to which we are called.