Thursday, May 30, 2024  

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Today's Scripture
Matthew 13:24–30

He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 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?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 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.’” (NRSV)

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Reflection

Although it doesn’t happen until a handful of verses later, this parable is one of the rare instances in the Gospels when Jesus spells out the exact meaning of the allegory he was sharing. “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field”, the disciples ask Jesus in Matthew 13:36 — only to receive a surprisingly direct response from him in verses 37–39: “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.”

Rather than satisfy the disciples’ request, though, Jesus’ response only generates more questions — at least for me! How does one actually know if they are good seed or a weed? Will it really be that binary at the end of the age? Is this similar to Matthew 25’s separation of the “sheep” and “goats,” where our treatment of our neighbor impacts how we are received into the kingdom of God? The questions are many, the answers few ...

Even if we struggle with the parable’s implications, though, the message about God’s sovereignty is clear. It is not for us to determine who is “good seed” and who is a “weed” — that responsibility lies with God alone. Instead, we are called to treat everyone as a beloved child and trust that, through God’s grace and love, we are beloved children of God too. May we give thanks for that truth — this day and all days.

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Prayer
O Lord, help me to trust in the goodness you have sown in this world, and may I be a small part of bringing that goodness to fruition. Amen.

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Written by Matt Helms, Associate Pastor for Children, Family, and Welcoming Ministries

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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