The Explanation of the Parable of the Weeds, Part 2

Scripture: Matthew 13:39

and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 

Insights:  There are only two camps in which a person can exist—Jesus’ camp or Satan’s camp.  The disciples never saw this comingled time in which both would exist.  Let me emphasize a few things about this comingling between the wheat and weeds.  Wheat and weeds breathe the same air, they eat the same food, they drive the same highways, they live in the same neighborhoods, they work at the same factories, they go to the same schools, they visit the same doctors, they entertain themselves with the same entertainment, their under the same sky, they enjoy the same warm sun, the just and the unjust are rained upon in this mysterious church age because it's all commingled until the end.  There is, however, a harvest and today’s verse tells us it will occur at the end of the age.  I think the primary reason the Lord told us not to pull the weeds out of the world was because in the process we might actually pull out some wheat.  Our church history, unfortunately, is full of examples of the church reaping (judging) believers and pulling them out of the world.  I believe, instead, the message Jesus was truly attempting to communicate to us was, be patient and share the gospel with the weeds.  This redemptive attitude was modeled for us by the Lord Jesus the night in which He was betrayed. He took the sopped bread and gave it to Judas Iscariot.  This giving of the sopped bread to an individual was a sign that this person was an honored guest, and who did He give it to? Judas.  Jesus was still wooing Judas with love. Judas and Jesus are an illustration of how it is in the commingling in the age of grace.  Jesus never stopped loving and ministering to him.  Judas was in desperate need of a Savior and so is the world around us.  We need to be diligent in our pursuit of sharing Jesus with the weeds of the world.  We must never forget that at one time we were those weeds.  So, Beloved, be patient and proclaim Jesus and wait for the Lord’s harvest at the end of the age. 

Questions:

1. Are you prepared for the reaping at the end of the age?
2. Have you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

Prayer: Father, don’t allow me to attempt to take on the role of a reaper (judge).  Rather, increase my burden for the lost and those who would perish if they died right now without Jesus.  Amen.