Use the links (ctrl+click) on the scriptures to access the bible verses.
Jesus’ twelfth parable focuses on the co-existence of all God’s children: the wicked and the righteous, until the Day of Judgment. He narrates how the good seed was found to have weeds growing amongst them, and how the laborers wanted to uproot them from amongst the good plants immediately. The farm owner however, commands them to leave the weeds alone to grow alongside the good plants for fear that some of the good plants would also be destroyed during the weeding exercise. He assures his harvesters that they would get their chance to gather and destroy the weeds when the harvesting season came!
According to Jesus, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels”.
Are you upset at the going trend that suggests the wicked prosper along with the righteous? Are you even more distressed at the fact that while the wicked prosper, some of the righteous seem to stumble from one difficulty to another? Are you discouraged and tempted to become a weed instead of a good plant? Do you think God is being unfair for giving the wicked ample time to reconsider their ways? Are you scared that the presence of weeds might undermine the health of the good plants?
Are you a good plant or a weed? Are you patient and non-judgmental, knowing that only God can ultimately determine who the weeds or good plants are?
More importantly, do you think there is a chance that some weeds would eventually turn out as good plants?

Lesson of the Week

1. Ask God for the grace not to judge others (Matthew 7:1-2).
2. Trust in God’s infinite wisdom and love for ALL His children (Isaiah 1:18).
God does not want us to judge others, no matter how terrible they might be. This is because ALL have sinned and are guilty, regardless of whether the sins were small or great!
Our prayer should be that we should be strengthened to run our race, and not look at others or envy them. In doing that, we should not resent them for ‘having it all’ (as the world would say), neither should we hope for the quick return of our Lord Jesus so that judgment can speedily be administered. Only the Father knows the weeds from the good plants; we should ask for grace to remain good plants, and the meekness of spirit to pray for those who have lost their way (the weeds).
Do you know that the weeds also exist by the grace and permission of God? Only His love for all His creation stays His hand from the immediate destruction of those who fall short.
God’s hope is that a longer tenure in the fields (the world) would afford the weeds a chance to mend their ways! In the meantime, the good plants must persevere alongside the weeds, righteously competing in love for the blessings of life with those whose only reason for living is to suffocate those around them.
The good news: with Christ, we the good plants are greater than victors (Romans 8:37), and will survive, nay, thrive, until the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Weekly Nugget: “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45; KJV).

Dr. Kene D. Ewulu ministers from Columbia, South Carolina, The United States.
All scriptures were linked from www.biblegateway.com

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