Category: Daily Prayer

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.”

In this parable Jesus teaches us about good and evil in the world. The example He gives shows how good and evil exist side by side, as do the wheat and weeds, and that removing evil from the world by force can often cause what we know as “collateral damage”. It isn’t easy to fight evil on its own terms.

We often ask why God doesn’t remove evil from our lives, and wonder why we must endure its effects. Yes, God could end evil – and it will end according to God’s plan – but we brought sin into the world through our choices and because God’s law is consistent, we bear the responsibility for that choice. Evil came as a result of our disobedience.

God has provided us a way back to the connection we were intended to have with Him through our repentance and His forgiveness. When we turn from the evil we have done and follow the path He made for us, we can resist evil. Let God into your life and you will see the eternal good He has planned for us.

Gracious God, thank You for forgiveness of our sins and teaching us how to live as Your children. May our faith and love spread the Good News to everyone. Amen.

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.”

This parable speaks of the world as a field containing good and evil. If we are honest with each other, no one is completely good, and few are completely evil, as are the wheat and weeds in the lesson. However, Jesus wants us to see that when the harvest comes, we must be counted with one or the other.

We must be sure we are on the “good” side when the harvest comes, right? While that is true, the hope that Jesus has for us is that we would follow His teachings all our lives, loving God and each other, and telling the Good News to everyone. If we do this, we need not worry about when the harvest comes.

This is the problem that those who think only of jumping over to the “good side” when the time comes face is we do not know when that will be. Jesus told us in Acts 1:7 “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority”. The apostle Paul warns us all “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). We must always be ready!

Loving Lord, we know You plant us as good seed and want us to be the good crop You intend. Help us to grow in Your love and share it with all the world. Amen.

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.”

Jesus wants us to understand that we come from good seed, not weeds. God made us in His image to be His children, but we have forgotten our heritage – or worse, chosen not to claim it. This parable calls us to wake up and remember who we were created to be.

God also calls us to care for the “field”, our own communities and the world. We must look after the crop, our brothers and sisters for whom we are responsible. While this is an awesome task, God promised us strength and the glad energy of those who work beside us.

The day will come when we will be judged as wholesome wheat to be stored for eternity with God or worthless weeds to be thrown on the burning pile. It is a hard lesson to hear, but there are no other options. When the harvest comes, may He find us ready!

Gracious God, we are thankful to be Your children, called to be part of Your work here and with You eternally. Help us to watch over each other in love, to become the people You intend us to be. Amen.

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.”

Jesus tells us there will be evil among us. In spite of our best efforts, we will face trying times and difficult issues in our lives. He teaches that God does not send evil to punish us but that it is a result of sin. Sometimes our sin harms us, sometimes our sin harms others and sometimes we are harmed by the sin of others.

God is constant and consistent and has created a world that functions according to His plan. Nature shows us that this is true. Human beings have been made in God’s image, given the gift of free will, and thus are responsible to God and each other for our actions.

When we choose our own desires over the things God wants, we go against His plan. It is not God’s wish for us to be harmed but because His laws are constant and consistent, our disobedience has consequences in the world. He has promised to be with us through everything, and when we turn to Him we receive strength and pardon to overcome earthly failure.

Gracious God, we know that we are weak; we fail to follow Your laws and the path You intend for us. Help us to give up our selfish behavior and live together as Jesus taught. Amen.

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.

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.”

Jesus tells us in verse 25 how evil comes in the world – “But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away”. He warns that while we are not paying attention, while we ignore the things for which God gave us responsibility, evil has its chance. We hear that once it has been sown, it cannot be torn out easily.

Jesus knows that we are susceptible to many earthly temptations and He teaches us to be aware of the danger. We are told plainly “if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell” (Matthew 5:30). This is hard to hear, but Jesus wants us to understand how profound the threat of sin is in our world and our lives.

We are all tempted, and Jesus knows our human weakness. We must admit when we have done wrong, ask forgiveness and earnestly work to do better every day. When we repent and turn from sin, Jesus is there to give us strength and put our feet back on the path.

Loving Lord, help us to give up the things of earth and accept the grace You offer. Make us the disciples You want us to be. Amen.

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.”

Jesus begins another parable to explain the kingdom of God to those who are gathered. In this lesson He speaks of wheat and weeds to explain the difference between those who follow Him and those who have been led astray. As the weeds are among the wheat, so the influence of evil is among us in the world.

We might ask, as do the servants in the story, why doesn’t God just pluck out the evil, leaving the good? It would certainly make things easier for us! We must remember that we were never promised “easy”, in fact just the opposite – Jesus told us we would face difficulties and opposition because we follow Him.

Because of our sin, there will always be evil in the world. However, through the strength Jesus gives, we can stand against it. In Romans 12:21 Paul tells us “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”. By doing good in the world as Jesus taught, we can reduce the effect of evil and show everyone the love of God living in us.

Gracious God, we see suffering and loss around us every day. Help us to be Your light in the world, showing our brothers and sister Your way. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 13:1-17.

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Jesus wants us to know all we need to be able to His work here on earth. Everything He taught was to make us more aware of our relationship with God and the responsibility that lays on us. However, more than anything, He wanted us to know how much God loves us and wants us to share that love here on earth.

The parables Jesus used were to get our attention, to make us focus on something familiar and then to teach us something new. Our minds aren’t able to comprehend heavenly things, but Jesus wanted us to be able to understand as much as we could and be ready to go into the world to teach others as well. However, before any of this could happen, we had to accept the offer He brought – to love God, love neighbor and then go make disciples.

Jesus wants us to be connected to God and each other so much that He was willing to come to earth as a human being to show us. His words and actions are the very blueprint of a life in God, and the example for us to follow. Let the lessons He gives us in scripture speak to you and show you the plan He has for your life.

Gracious God, we know that You have made us each for a purpose. Help us to understand the call You place on our lives and give us strength to fulfill it. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 13:1-17.

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Have you ever wished that you could have been with Jesus as He told the parables to those gathered around Him? What it must have been like to hear the Master teach! Jesus tells the disciples “For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

While those of us born after Christ’s return to heaven don’t have that face-to-face opportunity the disciples had, we are blessed by those who continued His ministry, ensuring the Good News was shared to all the generations that came after them. Once we have heard and accepted the truth of Christ’s word, we too become responsible for passing it to those around us. In this way, the world may see and hear just as the disciples did.

We need to take our charge from Jesus seriously and share His love by the things we say and do. Would the Lord be proud of what we say to each other and the way we treat our brothers and sisters? We must ensure that what they see and hear from those of us who call ourselves Christians is a reflection of the forgiveness and love Jesus brought to us.

Loving Lord, we should be ashamed of the poor witness we often bear for You in the world. Help us to be strong in the face of conflict and disagreement, to express Your care for all people regardless of the situation. Amen.