Scripture

“Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat into the barn.”

Observation

Jesus explains the meaning of the parable about the sower and the different kinds of soils.

He goes on then to give another parable. A farmer plants good seed in his field, but an enemy comes at night and plants weeds. When his workers report this, he instructs them to let the weeds and wheat grow together. He will instruct the harvesters to separate the wheat from the weeds. The wheat will be put into the barn, but the weeds will be tied up and thrown into the fire.

Application

It was not unheard of for someone to contaminate a sown field with a weed such as bearded darnel which closely resembles wheat and cannot be distinguished until both plants are mature. It seems like a very determined and premeditated form of vandalism.

We need to be aware that our enemy is sowing things into our lives to distract us or even remove us from the kingdom.

In the previous parable, Jesus explained that the weeds were the cares of the world which choke out spiritual growth or which lure us away from God’s will.

Satan plants these weeds in our lives in the form of financial and relational pressures, temptations, people who distract us from God’s kingdom, and so on.

We must always be on our guard against satan’s distractions without becoming guilty of ascribing everything in our lives to the devil.

Just as farm workers needed discernment to tell the difference between wheat and weeds, we need spiritual discernment to tell whether people in our lives have been placed there by God or by satan, whether they are opportunities for the Kingdom or distractions.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, please show me how to react to different people in my life. Grant me discernment, Lord to know whether you are stretching me or satan is assaulting me. Amen.