In our last study Jesus answered the unasked question, “Why
doesn’t everyone accept the good news about the kingdom of heaven being within
reach?” He used the parable of the four
soils both to explain and to obscure the answer but then gave the interpretation
to the disciples. We saw that
distractions from the world, the flesh, and the devil have affected the hearers
so it is not God that is at fault when people respond unenthusiastically,
sluggishly, or not at all.
This time we will look at three more parables that explain
the status of the kingdom of heaven.
“How long is it going to take?”
And “How long do we have to put up with unrighteous people?” These also are unasked questions.
Notice that these parables begin with the same opening
formula: “The kingdom of heaven is like . . .”
The first parable we will examine is found in verses 24-30 and is frequently called the parable of the wheat and
the tares (or the wheat and the weeds).
In this parable, we also have a sower, seeds, a field, and a
harvest. But for this parable we need to
adjust our interpretation a bit.
Fortunately, once again Jesus gives the interpretation in verses 36-43.
The sower is the “Son of Man” (that is, Jesus.) The field is the world. The good seed is the “sons of the kingdom.” The weeds are the “sons of the evil
one.” The enemy is “the devil.” The harvest is the “end of the age.” And the reapers are “the angels.” (Perhaps this is where the idea of the grim
reaper comes from.)
So, Jesus is sending out “sons of the kingdom” (inheritors) into
the world. But people were sleeping. (The
idea is that no one noticed. This is
sleeping in the world –not the church—so Jesus is not talking about vigilance
in the membership committee). While the world was sleeping, the devil sent the
“sons of the evil one” into the world.
Jesus’ servants suggested removing the “sons of the evil one” because
they have mingled in with the “sons of the kingdom.” But Jesus says, “No, that will harm the “sons
of the kingdom.” Wait until the “end of
the age” when the angels will remove them and cast them into the “fiery
furnace” and then will gather the “sons of the kingdom” into His “barn”
(possibly the kingdom of heaven).
So, we see that this answers the question: “Why does God
allow evil people to mingle with believers?”
Notice that Jesus is concerned about this evil but He is more concerned
with harming His own. But at the end of
the age there will be justice. Why is
there evil in the world? Why does God
allow it? Because He is patient and
because He is concerned for the good of His own children. So, God is not only loving, but also
omniscient and just.
Note that when pulling weeds in your garden, it is sometimes
difficult to pull ONLY weeds. This is
even more true out in a wheat field. And
humanly speaking, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish a weed from a plant
that you want. In the world, there are good
reasons for not simply “removing” the “sons of the evil one.” There are potentially generations of unborn “sons
of the kingdom” who may be affected. And
God also uses the works of even “the sons of the evil one” to bring glory to
His name. Sennacherib discovered this
the hard way (Isaiah 36-37).
There is a brief pair of parables called “the mustard seed”
and “the leaven” in between the first parable and Jesus explanation in verses 31-33. The “wheat and weeds” parable helps us to
understand their meaning.
The “mustard seed” is sowed in a man’s field. The mustard seed idiom was cultural code for
“insignificant,” but it turned out to have great significance after all because
it grew into a tree that sheltered the birds of the air. Notice Jesus said the “kingdom of heaven” is
like this. The kingdom of heaven would
not begin with great fanfare and a huge inauguration. It would start very small—seemingly
insignificant—compared to the cultural ideas of the day. But eventually it would be huge. Jesus doesn’t say how long it will take—just
that it starts tiny and ends huge.
The “leaven” (or yeast) is “hidden” in “three measures of
flour.” Eventually, the flour was “all
leavened.” This is basically drawing
from the way that bread is prepared.
When you put yeast into the recipe, the bread rises. But no mention is made of this rising or the
baking. It just talks about how this
yeast or leaven affects the entire recipe.
In another context (later in Matthew 16:6), Jesus talked about being
wary of the “leaven of the Pharisees.” So,
some commentators have had a rough time understanding what the “kingdom of heaven”
had in common with the teaching of the Pharisees. The commonality is that our manner of life
and our words (the leaven) affect those around us. So, look out for false teaching and don’t
mimic the sinful practices of people just because they hang around the
church. And in this parable, Jesus is
talking about what the kingdom of heaven is like—how it progresses—from tiny to
huge in the case of the mustard seed—and the method of growth (the leaven) is
that it is affected by the words and works of the believers who live in the
world—for better or for worse. Putting
that into the context of the mustard seed, we have conviction about how we
conduct ourselves. It’s a tiny parable
with enormous meaning!
So, in this section we begin to see why our growth as
citizens of the kingdom is not accomplished by removing the ungodly people
around us (or isolating ourselves from them) but growing up among them with
godly responses in our words and our works.
God’s work in us progresses from a seemingly insignificant beginning
toward something greater than we can imagine.
This process is actually enhanced by what seems to be delayed justice.
© 2018 Eric Thimell
No comments:
Post a Comment