Title: Lessons from the Wheat and Weeds
(Matthew 13:24-30)
It is the season of harvest, when the five grains are ripe and the berries bear fruit.
We give thanks to God for bringing us a bountiful year full of golden waves as the results of sowing with sweat.
In the newspaper, I heard that there was so much rice left that there was no place to store more.
In any case, compared to countries where food is scarce and there is nothing to eat in some parts of the world, we are truly grateful.
As we approach the harvest season, what are the spiritual lessons we should consider?
Today, we should think about the lessons of the wheat and tares through the word of the Lord.
Whenever our Lord spoke precious truths, he would use the most understandable parables. The parable of the wheat and the tares is one such parable.
The first thing we need to realize is why does evil exist in the world? is a problem.
Why do you wield more power and torment the grains? is to do
In this sense, we need to think deeply about a few things:
1. We need to know that wheat and tares coexist in this world.
God originally created this world for good. But it is said that Satan sowed tares.
In today's parable of the Lord, it is said that the enemy came at night to a field sown with grain and sowed weeds.
Therefore, we must know that wherever we go in the world, there will always be wheat and weeds.
The fact is that the wheat and the weeds coexist in any country, any organization, any organization, any workplace, or any church.
Here, if wheat is gin (眞), then tares are (僞) stomach.
In other words, and are always meant to exist.
We need to know this first.
Sometimes, there are people who are too pessimistic about the world, can't adapt to work life, and even more so, when they don't adapt to the church.
It means that there is always light and dark everywhere in the world.
A world where lies and truth coexist, good and evil coexist, and truth and falsehood coexist.
Knowing this, you can lead a good life of faith.
This is also true of our individual minds.
On one side of our heart, we have the heart to live according to the laws of God, and on the other side we have the heart to live according to the laws of the flesh.
We need to learn the meaning of the coexistence of wheat and tares in this structure of light and shade.
If we do not know this, we often become discouraged in our religious life.
Our country is one of those countries where fake trademarks are said to be global.
It is said that fakes look more real than famous makers' home-grown products.
I've heard that there are people who buy it even though they know it.
Even within the church this is no exception.
There are bound to be wheat and tares.
Therefore, the 16th-century Reformers spoke of two churches.
One is the visible churches on earth, and the other is the invisible spiritual church.
In the spiritual kingdom of heaven, there is one church, but in the church on earth, as the wheat and the tares always coexist, so lies and the truth always coexist.
No one knows who is the weed and who is the wheat.
But in the process of growth, and moreover, at the harvest, it is to be revealed.
So we said that we should not be easily discouraged.
Just as there is night and day, it is a fact that there are good people and bad people in the world.
It is a fact that the wheat and tares coexist even among the saints.
2. What is the reason for making the wheat and the tares coexist?
① First, it is because there is a risk of injury to the wheat while pulling out the weeds.
There are roughly four weeds in Palestine.
All of these are similar to grain, so even farmers do not know about it.
So, trying to pull the weeds prematurely can hurt the wheat.
In Korea, you might think of growing up with .
Growing with , they look similar on the outside and are difficult to distinguish at first, but as they grow, they become evident at the end of the harvest. Farmers distinguish it well.
However, it is true that ordinary people do not distinguish well from rice and blood.
This means that the rice should be left as it is first, as it may injure the rice while drawing blood.
This time, when the United States is trying to punish terrorism, it is the same as being cautious, considering that trying to hit those directly involved in terrorism will result in the death of other vague countries and other people as well.
Lies are not exposed at first, but are all to be revealed in the end, so all we have to do is leave them alone.
However, it is the word for self-governing.
② Second, because there is finally the Last Judgment Day.
This is because the final judgment is made by God, not by humans.
The Last Judgment is different from human judgment. You can't hide it.
Because all injustice is revealed as injustice.
The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk raised this question to God.
"Why does evil prevail in this world you have made good?"
"And why are you ignoring that evil?"
Then God answered, "This vision has an appointed time, and the end will come soon, and it will not be false. Although it delays, wait for it, and it will surely come without delay" (Hab 2:3).
said there is.
God does not stand by evil, but says that He has His appointed time.
Just as the wheat and the tares are separated at the time of harvest, so there will always be a harvest.
Therefore, believers must live with the conviction that there is an appointed time.
So you shouldn't be discouraged.
All the members of the early church realized this truth.
It was because they were convinced that the time of God's judgment was coming, that they were able to endure all kinds of hardships and oppression by unrighteous forces, never give up, never get discouraged, and endure to the end.
This is still the case today.
In our reality, we criticize the church and criticize the clergy and the saints, but it is often subjective and emotional.
All must be left to God's judgment.
At harvest time, the wheat and the weeds are to be separated.
If you do not know this, you may show arrogance as a judge who judges the church and others.
So, there are plenty of cases where mistakes are made.
On the other hand, conversely, we should not think too ideally of a certain church.
It is because this is the case in which new believers stumble when they have excessive expectations for the church.
There are also wheat and tares in the church.
However, on the Day of the Last Judgment, we must not stumble because everything will come and be born.
③ Thirdly, it is because they are trying to refine the wheat through the tares.
In all things, suffering is a refinement, and that refinement produces growth and maturity.
This is the meaning of the saying 'a person grows through hardship'.
We realize the importance of health when we are sick, and we learn humility only when we fail.
It is painful and unbearable for the wheat to be with the tares, but it makes for a strong root
will bring it down.
There is no case anywhere in the world where one becomes strong without going through a refinement.
Railroad mud is also strengthened through the podium several times in a fire crucible.
Even faith cannot have strong faith from the beginning.
Just as the roots are firmly planted while with the weeds, so it is suitable for the life of faith.
It needs to be strong to grow strong.
But the Bible says that while he was sleeping, the enemy came and sowed weeds.
We must understand the meaning of this.
What does sleeping symbolize?
It means being unconscious.
It means to live a life of faith without consciousness.
King Saul and Judas Iscariot also did well at first.
But when Satan entered it, it became tares.
When we doze off and sleep in our religious life, we also fall into the temptation of the devil.
That's why the Apostle Peter said to us, "Be sober and watch and pray that you may not fall into temptation."
All.
Because in the last days, the devils are short of their days, so they say, 'Like a roaring lion, they seek someone to devour' so that not even a single soul may be devoured.
If you look at the animal world, lions can't be so docile when they're full.
I've seen him just slept.
But once they get hungry and go hunting, their eyes glow.
Then I saw them pick up an opponent to prey on and sneak up on them and attack them.
In conclusion, what must we do to become a wheat and bear faithful fruit?
It is well illustrated in the parable of the vine in John 15.
He said that it should be the branches attached to the main stem.
The main stem is Jesus Christ.
The church is the body of Jesus Christ.
This means that you should not be separated from the church. It is difficult to become a grain by neglecting the church.
In reality, there are people who believe alone at home, saying that the church is corrupt and that the Holy Spirit has left.
Ultimately, if you are alone, your prayers will lose power. Charcoal is like the principle that gets hotter when they are gathered together.
Therefore, no matter how negative the church is, it is impossible to leave the church and lead a good life of faith.
There is no place in this world without tares.
Wherever you go, you are bound to live with the tares.
You need to know the reason for coexisting with the tares.
There are bound to be tares in any church.
Therefore, it is not possible to pluck the raw crops ahead of time at the time of harvest.
Because on the day of the harvest they will all be harvested.
Let's not try to believe too easily.
Let's not insist on pureness too much.
Because trying to pull the weeds can hurt even the wheat. Let's be patient as we look forward to that day.
That is how the early church believers walked.
We earnestly hope that we too will understand the parable of the weeds and the wheat and become all believers in the harvest. ♣