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The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds Part 2
““ ‘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 the parable of the wheat and weeds in Matthew 13, Jesus teaches that two things are growing; His kingdom and evil. At a certain point, He will send His angels to remove everything that is “evil and causes sin” from His kingdom.
Until then, He says, let them both grow together.
Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Why is evil in His kingdom in the first place?
We must remember that Jesus said His kingdom is at hand, it is in our midst (Matthew 4:17, Luke 17:21). He initiated His kingdom when He came to earth as a human, and it has continued to increase since then (Isaiah 9:1-7, Matthew 4:12-17). His kingdom's ultimate goal is to destroy all of God’s enemies, the last one being death (1 Corinthians 15:26), and bring about the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21).
It’s easy to see the darkness, but it takes faith to see the kingdom. You must look at the kingdom with the eyes of your heart. The evil is real, and the kingdom is real. Which one is more real to you? Which one are you allowing to influence your life?
“Evil and things that cause sin” are in the earthly side of His kingdom because mankind has dominion over the earth for a season, we allow it. One day that will come to an end, and there will be no difference between His eternal spiritual kingdom and the physical kingdom of creation. Until then, He is busy destroying His enemies through His church.
Are you allowing Him to reign in your life and destroy the plans of the enemy in your life?
1 Corinthians 15:24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Jesus Is King
You know that Jesus is king, but you may not know what is currently happening. Jesus is the preeminent one. God gave Him a name above all names, meaning He has the highest authority. Jesus humbled Himself as a human to face and overcome everything that separates man from God. In this, His Heavenly authority was shared with humanity.
In His sinless life, He qualified to be the sin offering for the whole world. He suffered the punishment for all sin and died the death we deserve. In His obedience and faithfulness in death, Jesus overcame the power of death and the grave. He conquered all the evil spiritual forces and gained all authority as a man.
He rose again as the triumphant God-man and is currently reigning in Heaven. His authority extends to all of creation, but mankind has dominion over the earth, for now, Because He is a man, He can operate in the earth, but He’s choosing to co-labor with His church.
In His collaboration with His church, He is destroying the enemies He overcame in His death, burial and resurrection.
He stripped these evil forces, principalities, and powers of all authority in His resurrection, but He is now enforcing His victory over them by destroying them through His church. It’s the same thing He’s been doing since He came here as a human, going about doing good and healing people who are oppressed by His enemies.
This is not a dualistic battle of equal forces. This is a battle between a dominant, conquering king and an enemy that sneaks around trying to subvert His authority and deceive His citizens.
When we become aware of our king’s victory and walk in His authority, we too experience victory over His enemies.
Wheat and Weeds
Jesus told us this would happen. He said that His kingdom and evil would grow together at the same time. He taught us to remain patient and nurture the wheat. We are not to attack the evil, let it grow, and face its own fate.
This does not mean we make provision for the evil. This does not mean we focus on the evil and darkness. We are not to be afraid of the darkness. We are not to make life plans governed by the presence of darkness. We are not to hide in our homes and churches praying the darkness away. We are not to give up hope on the increase of His kingdom. We are not to watch TV news reports that tell us all about the darkness.
He instructs us not to worry about the rulers of this world. He instructs us to cast our cares on Him. He warns us not to be afraid. He instructs us to recognize that there is darkness, but remember that we are light. He instructs us to walk in the light, so those in darkness come out into the light. He promises that we can reign in this life with Him as He puts all His enemies under His feet.
Hope Or Despair, It’s Your Choice.
Can I be honest for a moment? Some people are so overwhelmed with life that they want the rapture to come tomorrow. They want God to swoop in and fix everything for them. Some folks are so defeated by life that they see no potential for the kingdom to make a difference in their lives or the world. Some people are so full of what’s happening in the world that they think the darkness is winning.
WAKE UP!! The light is winning! The kingdom is growing!! Jesus is reigning!! Whose report will you believe?!
Are you allowing Him to reign in your life? Are you reigning in life with Him? Are you co-laboring with Him and destroying the oppression of the enemy? Or is the oppression of the enemy more real to you than the victory of your king?
When you're watching the news and posting on Facebook about the state of the world, remember that His kingdom is growing too. I see too many people focusing on the evil, the darkness in the earth, seemingly forgetting that we have been delivered from the power of darkness and have been translated into His kingdom. We are in His kingdom NOW.
Fulfill your kingdom assignments. Quit allowing the assignments of the darkness to dominate your thoughts and emotions. Fill your mind and heart with God’s written Word so it will become the Living Word for you. Inject the Word into every facet of your life and watch it grow. Condition your heart to trust God. Think His thoughts so you will be receptive to Him when He leads you.
Jesus told us this would happen. The wheat and weeds are growing together. One day there will be no more weeds, but until then, don't forget about His increasing kingdom.
How can you reign with Him in your life today?
