Weeds, Wheat & The Kingdom of God

It's a parable that I don't like in Matthew 13.24-30, that make me nervous--the wheat and the weeds--and I think the reason that I don't like it is simply because there's part of me that wants everyone to know who Jesus is.  And somewhere in the midst of that I get stuck.  

In reading this parable, unlike the last one with the Sower and the Seeds......the enemy sowing weeds is a little bit different.  In the last parable, the thorns, birds, hard soil of the path, all impeded the growth of the seeds growing.  Here it's a little different.  The weeds that are growing up are not specifically mentioned as being detrimental to the growth of the wheat.

Which is where one of our struggle comes in.  Much like the servants in the parable, we too are all over the place.  We realize--much like Dan Barr would tell us--that it's not necessarily healthy.  The weeds make take water, nutrients and sun that the wheat needs.  We get focused on the immediate solution of well, ok.  Let's pull the weeds out.  Cause that would be better overall, right?

One of the keys to understanding what's going on here is the fact that Jesus doesn't say anything about that subject directly, as in, it's not a real concern.  While that's where our focus drifts in the midst of this parable, when we read ourselves into the story, the real focus is on what the enemy is doing.

And what the farm is telling his servants who are only thinking of light and momentary things is, don't worry about it.  He has a greater strategy.  He could right this one injustice being done in the midst of how irritating it will be for the servants to cultivate the plants.  But he's fighting a bigger war.  He's going to take care of the problem once and for all at the end.  This leads to the thought process of...ok, so you think that you've bested me and my harvest, that my life is ruined by this.  Just wait.  You thought you defeated me.  That's ok.  Just wait.  I think you see the image I'm alluding to in the midst of all of this.  (I Corinthians 1.18 ff)

You see people are searching for the answer of where evil comes from.  It's the deeper question of our souls in and amidst the troubles of our life.  The suffering and injustice that is too great to even speak of.  

That's not what this parable is pointing us to.  Much like Genesis 1 isn't meant to answer the question of biologically how everything came to be according to scientific method, in our desperate search to make sense of what appears to be meaningless suffering, pain, and hardship, we come to this parable asking the wrong question.  This parable talks about how to act in the presence of evil.

In verse 19, the very first word appears in differing English translations as 'let, suffer, permit, etc.'  It comes from the root word of 'aphiem' when used in conjunction with debts, sins, treasures, is always translated 'to forgive' in verb form.

In fact, it's the very word used in the Lord's Prayer "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us...'

So the farmer in this story is answering in a completely unexpected and backwards way.  His response is to 'forgive' the grievous actions of his enemy.  The idea that springs forth being that in the midst of the evil that is truly present in this world, our job is not to deal with it by attacking it and/or the people in which it dwells, but rather to 'forgive.'  

Not that evil goes unpunished.  Because God is just.  God is righteous.  God is holy.  That is His job to worry about such things.  The justice lies upon His shoulders as does the responsibility.  And so while we find it incredibly hard to fathom and even less understandable at times...especially when we would like to become the right arm of the Lord and declare justice on His behalf.  He says.  Wait.  Forgive.  Love your enemy.  I will take care of the rest.

Was Jesus speaking all that to them and us?  You have to love the layers of parables.  But part of me wants to say that, he was speaking directly to the Pharisees and saying.  You think I am the kind of Messiah that would throw out Rome right now.  That would rid the kingdom of people who 'don't' belong (see the parable of the Mustard seed as a continuation of this thought).  My kingdom doesn't work the way you expect it to.  

And so the same to us.  You don't understand who is in and who is out in my Kingdom.  It will never be as you expect.  But trust me.  And love.  Love the Lord your God with all your strength, your soul, and  your mind.  And love your neighbor as yourself.  The good news of the kingdom is that you who were far off are near.  You have been adopted into the family.  And you are mine.  That is my love.  Just understand it in the midst of a picture that is being painted on a canvas that is bigger than you can see.