Verse: Matthew 13:36-43
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Devotion:
These good and bad separation parables are sometimes hard for me to hear – they feel very black-and-white and harsh but what it reminds me of is that our God is a God of justice. So he cannot simply allow evil to go unpunished. This is why we had to have a savior, Jesus, and why he had to die. This was both love and grace and justice as well.
So while I don’t believe that at the end of our time we will be harshly judged for every mistake we’ve ever made, I do believe that we will be held accountable for our choices, and how we treated others. I’m reminded of the sheep and the goats, later in Matthew 25, where Jesus talks about the same sort of separation like the wheat from the weeds. he says that whatever we do for the least important person we come across, we do for Him. And whatever we refuse to do, we refuse to do for Him.
Love is an action. We are to love the Lord, and love one another. This love is shown, not in sweet Hallmark card words, but in caring actions. And not just for the ones in our inner circle. For all those that are hungry, cold, sick, strangers. There is room at the table. We are called to make room.
Who can you think of right now that needs to be included? Who needs a place at the table? You can make room and invite them in. And when you do, Jesus says that you are doing it for Him. How beautiful is that?!
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you are the provider and everything we have is yours. Help us to see and respond to the ones who need our generosity. Thank you for all you generously give us.
Author: Emily Costa
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