"24 He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. 26 When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. 27 The landowner’s slaves came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this!’ he told them.
“‘So, do you want us to go and gather them up?’ the slaves asked him.
29 “‘No,’ he said. ‘When you gather up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but store the wheat in my barn."
Matthew 13:24-29
Good Morning Beloved,
Thank you for joining us today for what I believe is an amazing truth from the Word of God.
It is my prayer, that not one will be able to walk away, unchanged by this marvelous Word, that God has in store for all of us in today..
Today's Message: The Wheat and Weeds
One of Christs' most well-known parables is the parable about the Sower. In this parable, Jesus describes God as a farmer who liberally sows seeds. He casts seeds where other farmers wouldn’t waste their time and seed, pathways, rocky places, and patches of weeds. However, God is not the only one sowing seeds.
First, with every head bowed let us pray.
Heavenly Father,
Help us Lord, to look at our own lives to know whether we are wheat or darnel.
Lord Jesus Christ cause us to think deeply about the fact that if someone among us is not a child of God, a child of the kingdom, who us refusing to submit their lives totally and completely to Your Lordship as the King. Open their eyes, that they might see, if they are not one of Yours, they are a child of the wicked one, who will be gathered and burned forever. Allow them to know that it need not be.
Lord Jesus, guide us to those You want us to bring to You, transform their lives today and make them a child of Your kingdom. Lord, You have called us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Light and of Truth.
And if we are wheat, let us ask ourselves, what influence to world are we for good and for God? Burden our heart with an attitude of love, rather than condemnation? It’s so easy, for us, to sit back and condemn sinners, speaking evil of them and blast away at them with chapter and verses of Scripture, because we have cause due to their sin. Somehow, Lord, in the process of what we believe to be good, we begin to call down damnation upon them, rather than leading them to You, for salvation and forgiveness. Maybe we need to ask You to give us greater grace toward them, the same grace that You had toward Judas, and those who crucified You.
Help us to be more like You Lord,
in Your precious name we pray
Amen
Open your Bibles and your mind to the Gospel of Matthew chapter 13. We have some marvelous, marvelous things that the Word of God will reveal to us today, as we study this second parable in Matthew chapter 13, verses 24 through 29. It is a parable about the wheat and the tares, a parable about judgment.
In Matthew’s gospel, the parable of the Sower is immediately followed by Jesus’ parable of weeds, the tares among the wheat. In the text, it was literally zizania, which was known as darnel or false grains, rather than tares. Before we begin however, I'd like to remind you that the Lord Jesus is the King of the earth. The Lord, Jesus Christ is the ruler over this earth. And, as the Old Testament teaches us that God is King of the universe. However, within the kingdom, the Lord allows Satan a restricted amount of freedom. Just as He allows sinners a certain amount of freedom.
With that in mind, let's begin, shall we? Allow me to read this incredibly rich and marvelous text, follow along with me, if you would.
"He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. The landowner’s slaves came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
“‘An enemy did this!’ he told them.
“‘So, do you want us to go and gather them up?’ the slaves asked him.
“‘No,’ he said. ‘When you gather up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but store the wheat in my barn."
In verses 24-26, Jesus tells us, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared."
I'd like to point out, that the same ground that produced wheat also produced noxious inedible weeds, or tares as they're called in Scripture, which look much like wheat however, they are poisonous. The practice of sowing weeds or tare-like plants in someone’s field was so despicable and reprehensible that even the Romans prohibited it. And they punished anyone who was caught doing it, even if they sowed the weeds in the fields of Rome’s enemies.
In the parable of the Sower, Jesus said, in Matthew 13:18, that the seeds were "the Word of God."
"You, then, listen to the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path."
The "soil" was the hearts and minds of those listening to the Word of God. But the same soil, those same hearts and minds, however, can also produce noxious, poisonous, and deadly weeds. The seeds of sin are the temptations of various kinds and the enemy, much like God, is extremely liberal in the sowing of the seeds of sin! He will scatter his destructive seeds anywhere he can!
It is my belief, that the struggle against sin, might be a tougher, more difficult fight for us now, than any other time in history. We used to have to go out of our way to give ourselves over to sin. Now, I know, I’m giving away my age here, and that's OK, you older folks will know what I’m talking about. However, some of you younger people may find this to be a bit strange. However, you really did have to go out of your way to give yourself over to sin! You could only find pornography, and X-rated movies in a let's just say, a seedy part of town. The "seedy" part of town, was an area of town, where you wouldn't necessarily feel safe in going. And you certainly wouldn't want to go alone. Pornographic magazines, were not sold in the nearby convenience stores, there was not yet the invention of the internet, containing every conceivable kind of pornography imaginable, and so I've heard, unimaginable too, all at your fingertips, available with just a few clicks! You literally had to go to "that part of town," in order to buy alcohol or go to a night club.
I'd like to point out, that you could never see, or hear, the kind of stuff we see and hear on Television today. As a matter of fact, a rather raunchy comedian, George Carlin, had a skit, in which there were "7 Words You Can't Say on TV." Most of which, you can now hear on nearly every station! Today, the possibilities for sin are absolutely everywhere, we are exposed daily with a variety of opportunities for disobedience in both thought and action.
Thought and action:
James chapter 1, verses 14 through 16, James instructs us with some very powerful words, in which he says, "But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dearly loved brothers."
In Matthew chapter 5, verses 27 through 30, Jesus teaches, "You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery. But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell!"
When a thought, a seed, is planted in the mind, it grows in the heart! And that thought, that desire, takes root and it "conceives," it produces, meaning it gives birth to sin! Which leads to action! And we then find ourselves in serious trouble!
Because temptations are the seeds of sin! Temptations are the seeds of sin. If I were to put a seed right here, guess what? Nothing would happen. In order for it to grow it has to be planted. And, if the conditions are right, the growth process begins. The potential plant, which lies within the seed begins to stir, the shell that encases it, cracks open. It begins to swell and grow, roots begin to develop, while the infant plant begins to find its way to the things it needs to survive, sun, rain, and air. Once it breaks through the soil, it continues to grow until it becomes a mature, rooted plant that does what? Produces more seeds, which in turn, produce more plants!
Beloved, the same is true with sin! Before a sin is even committed, it must have a starting point, a genesis, if you will. Now, I'm sure you may have noticed this but what's the first book of the Bible? That's right, Genesis, which means "beginning." Beginning of what? Yes, the universe, creation, humanity. But what else has its "genesis," its beginning, its birth in the first book of the Bible? Sin!
What Jesus is saying is that adultery has a "genesis." It has a beginning! It’s birthed with a thought and that thought, says James, starts with an enticement, a temptation.
Allow me to read to you, from Proverbs 7, which gives us a perfect example of what James is talking about. The proverb stars out by describing a "young man lacking sense." No, I'm not making this up, you can find that for yourselves in Proverbs 7:7!
Allow me to read the passage to you from the Word of God, Proverbs 7:7, "I saw among the inexperienced, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking sense."
Hmmm! Do of any you know any "young men lacking sense"? Have you ever met, or in most cases, been a young person without sense? Come on! I’m sure I can not alone in this, amen?
Then, Proverbs 7:10-11 says, "A woman came to meet him dressed like a prostitute, having a hidden agenda. She is loud and defiant; her feet do not stay at home." WOW! I love that image, "her feet do not stay at home." Sin, and temptation, is like the Devil, as we're told in I Peter 5:8, is "prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour."
Now, the first mistake that the "young man lacking sense" makes is that he passes near the corner where she lives, in verse 8. As we'll call it luck, would have it, she happens to come out of her door right at the very moment that he is passing by. As further, uh hmm, luck, would have it, her husband just happens to be away, gone on a long business trip. "She seduces him with her persistent pleading;
she lures with her flattering talk. Suddenly, she's like a lion pouncing, and what does he do? "He follows her impulsively like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding toward a trap until an arrow pierces its liver, like a bird darting into a snare—he doesn’t know it will cost him his life."
Beloved, that a pretty graphic depiction isn't it? Yet it well makes its point! "as a bird hastens to the snare, so he does not know that it will cost him his life." in Proverbs 7: 21-23. So graphic, yet not at all over-stated if you ask me. Its a realistic image of the temptation of the devil! Verses 26-27, "For she has brought many down to death; her victims are countless. Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death."
Enticement leads to entrapment, enticement leads to entrapment! "But one is tempted by one’s own desires," says James, "being lured and enticed by it," verse 14. The Greek word that James uses for "lured" is a hunting term. It describes an animal that has been snared in a trap – and not a have a heart trap. The Greek word he uses for "entice," is actually a fishing term that means "to be lured by the bait." Once again, rather a graphic image of a fish or an animal being lured, being tricked into either to its demise or servitude to its captor! Combing both concepts of enticing and luring, and viewing them with metaphors for fishing, one can visualize the fish being first aroused, being enticed, from its original place of safety and then being lured, being tricked with the bait, that hides the fatal hook of death!
Beloved, I cannot stress enough, that Satan knows what bait to use, how to use the right bait for each and every one of us. He knows our every weaknesses and he knows exactly how to hide his hook in the bait, and he does in such a way that we will be enticed to nibble, to take a bite. Now, here’s the really sick and twisted part. We often know the moment we're being enticed. And yet, we "lacking sense," fall into his trap! We all know the old saying, "If it looks too good to be true, it always is!" Amen? Even though we suspect that there is a hook in what Satan continuously offers us, we keep sniffing around the bait, checking it out, examining it, poking at it, touching it! Then we find ourselves taking just a little nibble, then another little nibble until …. BANG! We're hooked!!
And once we are ‘hooked’, once that seed is ‘planted’ the process begins. At first, it doesn’t seem much like anything’s happening, there is typically, no apparent consequences. We get by with it! But below the surface, there's a lot is going on. People don’t lead upstanding, moral, and godly lives one day and then, suddenly have an an adulterous affair the very next! I want you to listen closely and hear that loud and clear! Allow it to get into your minds! People absolutely, positively do not lead upstanding, moral, godly lives one day and the have an adulterous affair the next!
You don’t just find something in your pocket that doesn’t belong to you! Someone put it there! Maybe you put it there! Maybe you stole it. The point is, you don’t just end up having an affair, there’s a process which takes place, it begins with a conversation, then flirting and then inappropriate thoughts, or fantasizing. The "genesis" process is generally overlooked, why? Because some stages are not that obvious to us, the viewer, the partaker, and therefore, they are often difficult for us to detect!
And that is why it seems to happen overnight. Now here’s the scary part. Anyone of us, that means you and I, could actually be in that process today, right now and not even be aware of it. Do you get it? Not a single one of us are immune! Now, some of you may scoff, in disbelief! So, let's see what the Word of God has to say about that, shall we?
Turn with me to Romans 3:10-12, "as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.
There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become useless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one." So, which one of you are immune? Not even one! Do you know what that means? That means YOU! It means your spouse, your children, your grandchildren! Heck, it even means your parents. That's right! And guess what else, it means even me!
There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become useless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one." So, which one of you are immune? Not even one! Do you know what that means? That means YOU! It means your spouse, your children, your grandchildren! Heck, it even means your parents. That's right! And guess what else, it means even me!
Wow! Do you see that? "All these evil things come from within and defile a person."
The inward person is also responding to provocation from the temptation on the outside. That means, we engage in the act of temptation, when something within us responds to stimulation of the temptation from the outside!
If there was nothing within us that could feel the draw toward worldly temptation, powers and sinful pleasures, there would be no temptation! I love ice cream. When I see it, whether in the store or in my freezer, it speaks to me. "Eat me! Eat me!" Now, some of you might not care all that much for ice cream , nah, I can’t imagine that or maybe it doesn’t speak to you like it does to me. For some of you, maybe it's alcohol, something that you drink once or twice a year or now and then, but that same alcohol, screams like an air raid siren for others.
Eventually what goes on below the surface shows itself, amen? “… when that desire has been conceived,” says James, "it gives birth to sin" in verse 15. However, in the case of a plant, a shoot appears. In the case of sin, actions appear. By the time we’ve started acting upon our sin, sin has put down roots. Sin might be exciting, enticing, at first, until we discover that our plant is not wheat but a tare, a destructive, poisonous weed that has over taken our minds, it roots, growing down into our hearts, our minds, destroying our lives!
So, how can we know the difference? Remember what happened in Matthew 13:27-29? Jesus’ parable of the tares among the wheat: "… the landowner’s slaves came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’ “‘An enemy did this!’ he told them. “‘So, do you want us to go and gather them up?’ the slaves asked him. “‘No,’ he said. ‘When you gather up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. ’”
I like you to pause for a moment, I'd like to you to just picture that. The roots of the tares entangled with the roots of the wheat. Sin mingles and insinuates itself into our hearts and our minds! Until the weeds, destroy the wheat, slowly and steadily choking the life out of it!
Let's face it, the earlier warning signs can be detected and responded to, the
easier it is to change direction of the action. If you love cookies and you know
that you can’t stop eating them until the box is empty, then you are certainly better
off not taking the first bite! I wish it
were always that simple, don't you? But quite often, the initial steps leading to
immorality, are not wrong in and of themselves, yet those are the very steps may
be the first bite of a cookie, for some people!
Since we know from Scripture, the wages of sin is death, wouldn't you think that it behooves us to learn how to tell the difference? And then know what to do once sin rears its ugly head in our lives? James begins Chapter 1, verses 2 and 3, talking about trials. Where James says, "Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance."
I'd like you to pay attention here: Trials come from God. Temptation comes from Satan.
Jot that down, if you'd like for future reference. Trials come from God. Temptation comes from Satan.
The Greek word that James uses for "trials" and "temptation" is the same. The word is "peirasmos."
James uses "peirasmos" as a noun. The noun peirasmos describes the outwardness of trials. In verses 13 and 14, he uses "peirasmos" in the verb form … pointing to the inwardness of temptation. In doing this, what James is trying to tell us, is to be careful. Like wheat and tares, troubles and inward enticements look an awfully lot alike.
Let's be honest with one another, most of us are not all that shocked when we hear of others falling prey to temptation but we sure are surprised when we are ourselves starring right in the face of it. Which is surprising in itself, since temptation is inevitable. No one escapes it. Not even Jesus! Remember His 40 days in the wilderness?
I'd like to make something very clear, the more we grow toward the Lord, the more Satan’s gonna come after us. You will be tempted. Though the types of temptation will change, for kids it may be sweets, for the adolescent and young adults, it may be sensuality and for those in their 30's and 40's, perhaps money and power for the aging. The devil can wield the changes of temptation with greater skill and accuracy far better than any advertising agency, I've ever seen! He knows the Achilles heel of every microorganism. You will be tempted continuously. You will be tempted ferociously, especially in times of crisis! Therefore, temptation itself need not dismay you. As it was your Savior’s lot and it too, will be yours. For as long as you live, you will be tempted! They key is resisting the devil, as Jesus did! And how did He do? Rhema! The spoken Word of God!
Oswald Chambers, an early-twentieth-century Scottish Baptist and Holiness Movement evangelist and teacher, best known for the devotional My Utmost for His Highest, rescues the concept of temptation from its totally negative connotations with these words from his classic devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest": "The word ‘temptation, has come to mean something bad to us today, but we tend to use it in the wrong way. Temptation itself is not sin; it is something we are bound to face simply by virtue of being human. Temptation is not something that we can escape; in fact, it is essential to the well-rounded life of a person. Beware of thinking that you are tempted as no one else – what you go through is the common inheritance of the human race, not something that no one has ever before endured. God does not save us from temptation … He sustains us in the midst of them."
James says in verse 12, "A man who endures trials is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him." So, when we overcome temptation, we receive the crown of life. However, when we give into temptation, we receive death. Here's the thing: We get to choose how you want to live!
Yes, my beloved, you are free to choose the actions, however, you are not free to choose the results! You are free to have your kicks, but you can not avoid the kickback from you actions. You are free to make choices, but you cannot to avoid the consequences of those choices!
Verses 16 and 17 are pivotal to James’ whole discussion on temptation, where he states, "Don’t be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning."
Up to this point, James has been concentrating on the evil of temptation. Now he begins discussing the goodness of God, reminding us that anything fulfilling, anything worthwhile, everything good or proper comes from the Lord. In contrast to the evil intentions that come from within us, all good gifts are from God who is over us, and they come down to us in a steady stream from the Father of Lights. James’ reference to God as the "Father of Lights" refers to the stars in the heaven and reminds us of God’s eternal and unchanging nature. He is trustworthy. He is the Giver. And, ultimately, He is the gift.
So, it looks as though we've gone full circle, eh? We’re back where we started! Back to the issue of our original problem: How do we uproot the weeds, or tares without uprooting the wheat?
The first thing, is we should not only refrain from thinking about gratifying our desires but also avoid focusing on not gratifying our desires. If I say, "Don’t picture a lamb," what are you picturing right now? Jesus.. a lamb...
Allow me to put to you in another example; let's just say I’m lusting after a person in my thoughts, OK? Now, I'm not supposed to, right? But I start thinking a person. Then, I start thinking about what I want to do with them. Next, I start thinking about what I am unable to do with them. Let's just say its something I really want to do. Now, I'm not going to elaborate on that, I'm sure you get the picture! Now, I'm thinking that I shouldn’t be thinking these lustful thoughts about that person! So now, I’m not only thinking about that person but I am also thinking about the lustful thoughts that I shouldn’t be thinking about that person. The point I'm making here is this; It doesn't matter whether I am undressing them with my eyes, my mind or if I’m trying not to think about undressing them with my mind. The bottom line is, either way, in my mind, they end up naked! Do you see it? The method may be different, but the result ends of the same.
So, when Satan tempts us, it is like Consumer Reports taking a car or a microwave and running some tests on it. The purpose of the tests is to bring out the flaws and the faults of a particular product. But when God tests us, it is like the manufacturer running tests on their own product to prove and demonstrate all the good qualities. When a fiendish murderer wields a knife to slash the flesh of his victim, it is for the purpose of hurting and destroying the person. But when a skilled surgeon uses a blade to cut the flesh, it is for the purpose of healing. Satan is a murderous tempter in contrast to our Lord Jesus, who is the Great Physician, a skilled surgeon. In other words, Satan tempts us to bring out the bad, James 1:13-15 and God tests us to bring out the good, James 1:2-12.
Christians have the external world, the internal flesh, and the infernal Devil to deal with every single day. And, if you have been a Christian for any length of time, then the Tempter is certainly no stranger to you. As he roars about like a hungry lion seeking to devour, I’ll wager that he’s passed your way more than a few times, am I right? You don't need to answer that, but you and God know the answer! I'll just say this, I'm speaking only for myself, he's attempted to trip me on the way up the church stairs more than once!
But here's the key:
The way to deal with temptation is not to grit your teeth and power through it. The way to deal with it is to refocus your thoughts. The more you fight a feeling, the more it grabs hold of you.
What you resist tends to persist, isn't that true?
So, since we know that temptation begins with your inner most thoughts, change your thoughts!
Pretty simple formula, right? Believe it or not, only God can think more than one thought at a time. We humans, fortunately, can only think one thought at a time, and sometimes, that's too challenging!
So, let's use that to our advantage, Amen? You can’t be thinking about Jesus, mediating on His Word, praying, and lusting after your neighbor’s husband or wife or co-worker’s possessions at the same time. You can only do one or the other, and guess what? The right to choose is yours!
Anyone who has trained a dog to obey knows the secret of focus or re-focus your dogs thoughts. A treat, or bite of meat or food is placed on the floor near the dog and the trainer says "No!" As long as the dog focuses on the meat or food, he or she is going to be tempted more and more. By saying No!" you're actually breaking the dog’s concentration. When the trainer says “no” it forces the dog to look away from the temptation and look at their trainer’s face. You get it?
When we look at the temptation, it tempts us, when we look at the temptation, it tempts us!
However, when we look at our Master’s face, temptation disappears! This is what brother James is trying to tell us … when we see temptation, look at our Master’s face!
James says in verse 15, that temptation conceives sin … and sin gives birth to death. Then, in verse 18, he states that God gives us birth through the Word of Truth. I Love that. And because of who we are, because we are "the first fruits of His creatures" … because we are God’s people … Satan is tempted to come after us! And boy, is he!
James 1:2-3 says, "Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." Now, allow me to say it this way, the greatest danger lies in the fact that we might be "lured" into doubting the authenticity of our relationship with Jesus Christ on the basis of the fact that we struggle with sin. When the real truth is, the fact we struggle with the sin, is itself, proof that God is very near to us. Our sensitivity to sin is a gift of God’s Spirit. It is a sign of our salvation. Look at it this way, there wouldn't be an inner battle if we were truly lost.
It is only when we can sin without remorse, with no experience of inner tension, and struggle, but only when sin becomes "easy" do we find ourselves in real danger!
It is my prayer today, that that doesn’t describe any of you here.
Remember what James said in verse 12, "A man who endures trials is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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