In Matthew 13 :24-30 Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while the men slept, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, then went on his way. When the wheat began to grow, so did the weeds. The servants of the householder came to him and said, “Sir, didn’t you plant good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?”
He said to them, “An enemy has done this.”
“Should we go and gather them up?” they asked.
But he said to them, “No, because while you gather up the weeds, you might root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, then I will say to the reapers: Gather first the weeds and tie them into a bundle to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”
Recently I had to go to our local clinic for routine lab work before having my very first, over-the-phone visit with my doctor. It went well. What struck me about the lab visit was how different everything was. They not only had changed the routine for registration but had rebuilt the entire entrance and several other parts of the building itself.
The waiting room chairs were several feet apart and only a limited amount available. The lab has been moved to the second level, so I took the elevator. The waiting room there was much larger, with hardwood floors and highback wooden chairs…socially distanced of course. I sat there and looked around. Everyone wore a face mask and sat quietly. It reminded me of a scene from the old TV show, Star Trek. I literally expected someone to say,” beam them up Scotty,” at any moment.
Many other changes have been made to our everyday lives since Covid-19 came along. The changes at the clinic made me wonder: just how long do they expect this virus to last? They wouldn’t renovate their whole building for something they expect to be temporary, would they? What exactly do they know that we’re not being told? I’m sure many of you have the same questions…questions I woke up to at 6 am this morning… and caused me to forget about going back to sleep.
Jesus’ story of the weeds growing along with the wheat came to mind as I pondered the state of our country in the wake of all the rioting and looting. While all of us, the good and the bad, were quarantined, many were busy studying God’s Word and looking for a purpose behind the craziness…a reason God wanted us to slow down and perhaps listen for His direction and reassurance that all was still right with our world. Perhaps others were plotting what mischief they could cause once the lock down ended.
It sure didn’t take long for them to get busy once things began to open up. As Christians, it breaks our hearts to see and hear of the damage the rioters have done to so many that were just beginning to get back on their feet. Where did all these bad guys come from? “An enemy has done this.” Just as the weeds were planted among the good seed. Our old enemy, the devil, has not been sleeping but roaming about as always seeking those he might use.
As they say, “it will all come out in the wash”…but what a big load of laundry we have to deal with. There will be solutions, I’m sure, and we Christians need to be a part of each one. We can call, we can write, we can vote…as we pray and follow Jesus final commandment to “Love one another as I have loved you.”
Good and bad will grow together until the time of harvest comes. Then, the weeds will be tied into a bundle and burned…the wheat will be gathered into his barn.
