Our scripture this week is Matthew 13:24-30.
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.”
Are there weeds in your yard? The answer for most of us is “yes” and each summer it is a constant battle to keep them from overrunning the lawn. It seems these unintended plants grow better and faster than the ones we wish to grow. It can be a frustrating season, but every fall things go dormant and we don’t have to worry about them…until next summer!
If we are honest with ourselves there are weeds in our lives as well. We may have a carefully crafted front “lawn” we share with others but none of us are perfect, we all have something that needs to be uprooted and thrown away, and these weeds don’t die off over the winter. It is often hard for us to think about these because we want to concentrate on the good things.
Jesus doesn’t want us to dwell on our sins, but to give them to Him. If we let the Master Gardener in, He will help us cultivate a life that is free from the weeds we would fail to remove. While there will always be sin in the world, Jesus can help us deal with it and keep us growing in the right direction.
Loving Lord, we are grateful for the guidance You offer us. Help us to accept the lessons You teach and make them part of our daily life. Amen.