Freedom to Pull Weeds

7-19-20Sermon Notes“Freedom to Pull Weeds”
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. A time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to weed…” Actually, the KJV says, “a time to pluck up that which is planted,” but where I came from, we called that “weeding.”
A time to plant, and a time to weed – even a time to refrain from weeding…everything in its season.
Last week we talked about planting – the parable of the sower. This week, it’s weeding. In the parable of the sower last week, we read where Jesus said that sometime the good seed that gets sown falls on ground that is, well, “weedy.’ If the weeds grow up with the good seed (the words of the kingdom), it will cause the good word to be choked out of our lives, Jesus said in Matt. 13: 7. Jesus called them “thorns,” but we’re talking about the same thing. We’re talking about something that isn’t supposed to be there.
BUT – How do we know the difference between the weeds and the good plants? Sometimes it is hard to tell. In the parable Jesus told in this week’s Gospel reading, Jesus speaks of “weeds” or “tares.” Let’s read the parable:
24 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ 28 He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen! (Matt. 13: 24-30, 36-43 NRSV)
So – good seed is sown in a field…then while everyone is asleep, an enemy comes and sows “weeds.” This particular kind of weed was a “bearded darnel.” And here’s the thing about the bearded darnel…it looks exactly like wheat while it is growing. You can’t tell the difference until the heads develop on the stalk, and by then it is too late. By then, the root systems have become intertwined, and you can’t pull up the weed without destroying the wheat.
The master’s advice is to “let both of them grow together until harvest.” Pulling out the weeds would damage the wheat. How, then, do we know when to weed and when not to? That’s what we are going to be looking at this Sunday. Join us online at 9:00 am or at 11:00 am on Facebook live, where we will ask the question, “Are we free to pull weeds?”
Grace and peace,
Pastor Sam