PARABLE 10 - Unfruitful Fig Tree

PARABLE 10 — LUKE 13:6-9 — UNFRUITFUL FIG TREE

                  

6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Discussion Questions – Parable 10

PARABLE 10 – LUKE 13:6-9 – UNFRUITFUL FIG TREE 

1. What is the context in which Jesus tells the parable of the barren fig tree?

What we are given for today is the parable from Jesus about a fig tree planted in a vineyard. It sounds unnatural for a fig tree to be planted in a vineyard, but it seems that it wasn’t all that strange after all. Figs, along with grapes, have been altogether quite familiar in Israel from of old; they have been used as tree stands letting the grape vines be entwined upon them. Well, because [this one in our story] was planted in the good earth of the vineyard, it was expected to be fruitful. But yet, there stood the fig tree fruitless for years. Jesus began to speak as follows: “A certain man planted a fig tree in a vineyard, but when he came to look for its fruit, he didn’t find any,” (verse six). So, finally, the owner of the vineyard ordered the garden keeper to chop that tree down. Better Chop It Down! 

First, let’s listen to the words of the owner of the vineyard. He says, “Even though already for three years I have been coming to search for fruit on this fig tree, I have never found any at all. So, chop it down. Why let the ground be plugged up for this?” (vs. 7). 

Just before this parable the following words are found. “Unless you all repent, you will perish the same way,” (vs. 5). In other words, this parable is given in the context of “the judgment of God.” 

2. In this parable, who are the characters represented by the fig tree, the owner, and the gardener? What do the figs (or fruit) represent? 

The three characters represented in the story all have clear symbolic significance. The vineyard owner represents God, the one who rightly expects to see fruit on His tree and who justly decides to destroy it when He finds none. The gardener, or vineyard keeper who cares for the trees, watering and fertilizing them to bring them to their peak of fruitfulness, represents Jesus, who feeds His people and gives them living water. The tree itself has two symbolic meanings: the nation of Israel and the individual.

3. What eventually happens? Is the tree cut down? Does the owner give it another year? If so, does it bear fruit? 

As the story unfolds, we see the vineyard owner expressing his disappointment at the fruitless tree. He has looked for fruit for three years from this tree, but has found none. The three-year period is significant because for three years John the Baptist and Jesus had been preaching the message of repentance throughout Israel. But the fruits of repentance were not forthcoming. John the Baptist warned the people about the Messiah coming and told them to bring forth fruits fit for repentance because the ax was already laid at the root of the tree (Luke 3:8-9). But the Jews were offended by the idea they needed to repent, and they rejected their Messiah because He demanded repentance from them. After all, they had the revelation of God, the prophets, the Scriptures, the covenants, and the adoption (Romans 9:4-5). They had it all, but they were already defected. They had departed from the true faith and the true and living God and created a system of works-righteousness that was an abomination to God. He, as the vineyard owner, was perfectly justified in tearing down the tree that had no fruit. The Lord’s ax was already poised over the root of the tree, and it was ready to fall. 

However, we see the gardener pleading here for a little more time. There were a few months before the crucifixion, and more miracles to come, especially the incredible miracle of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, which would astound many and perhaps cause the Jews to repent. As it turned out, Israel as a nation still did not believe, but individuals certainly did (John 12:10-11). The compassionate gardener intercedes for more time to water and fertilize the fruitless tree, and the gracious Lord of the vineyard responds in patience.

Jesus is still interceding for us, “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one – for Christ died, yea rather, was raised to life, who is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us (Romans 8:33-34).

4. What is the message of this parable? 

The lesson for the individual is that borrowed time is not permanent. God's patience has a limit. In the parable, the vineyard owner grants another year of life to the tree. In the same way, God in His mercy grants us another day, another hour, another breath. Christ stands at the door of each man’s heart knocking and seeking to gain entrance and requiring repentance from sin. But if there is no fruit, no repentance, His patience will come to an end, and the fruitless, unrepentant individual will be cut down. We all live on borrowed time; judgment is near. 

That is why the prophet Isaiah wrote, "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7).

As mentioned at the beginning, this parable is given in the context of “God’s judgment.” When we think of how it is on God’s judgment, our thoughts inevitably turn to whether we will be chopped down or saved on “the last day.” However, the parable of Jesus draws our eyes so apt to turn to “the last day” back to “now, this hour.” For, the main thing is not “the last day, but “now, this hour” in which we stand under the intercession of Christ and are shown God’s mercy and patience. It is always the “now, this hour” that has do to with repentance. We must respond with gravity to this hour given to us as a gift of grace for now, for the very present moment. Paul had something to say on this, “Right now is the hour of grace; right now is the day of salvation,” (2 Corinthians 6:2). 

Read John 15:1-10

To know more about repentance - see my blog "What is Repentance?"

PARABLE 11 - The Sower, Seed, And Four Types of Soil

PARABLE 11 ~ MATTHEW 13:3-23 ~ THE SOWER, SEED, AND FOUR TYPES OF SOIL

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

JESUS INTERPRETS THE PARABLE.

18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

  

Discussion Questions – Parable 11

PARABLE 11 ~ MATTHEW 13:3-23 ~ THE SOWER, SEED, AND FOUR TYPES OF SOIL  

1. Now, the meaning of this parable isn’t difficult to comprehend, because Jesus explains it later in Matthew 13:18-23. Who is the sower? What is the seed? And what do the four types of soil represent?

Though this parable is more commonly named after the sower of the seed, I purposely titled this parable "The Sower, Seed and Four Types of Soil", because each is symbolic and important to the point made by the parable.  The Sower is Jesus.  The Seed is His message of the kingdom (the gospel).  The four types of soil represent the four possibilities of what can happen when people hear the message.  And as we’ll see, three out of the four give in to circumstances and pressures.

2. Why would a farmer allow precious seed to land on the path, or rocks, or among thorns? Is he an irresponsible farmer scattering seeds at random? 

This parable appears in all three synoptic gospels (Matthew 13:3-9, Mark 4:1-9, and Luke 8:4-8). The parable is simple: the sower (Christ) scatters his seed generously and it ends up on four different types of terrain. Some land on the side of the road, some on rocks, others in thorny soil, and some in good soil. The first three groups of seed don’t survive and the seed planted in the good soil flourishes. 

Think About the Sower, if we reread the parable from the perspective of the sower, we get a better understanding of it and why Jesus himself emphasized the idea of sowing the seed. Jesus tells us that the farmer scattered seed (the Word of God) on all types of ground. He didn’t say that the farmer was meticulously planting the seeds in designated ‘good soil’ areas in nice neat rows – Jesus says he was scattering the seed everywhere. 

Actually, this method of planting wasn’t so strange back in Biblical times because the custom of planting was to first scatter the seed and then plow it into the soil.

3. What happened to each group of seeds?

Some of the seed fell on a path. A path is where many people have walked, and the dirt there is well worn. The ground of a path is harder than the ground on either side of it. The more people walk on a path, the more “packed down” the dirt becomes. The seed that fell on the path could not sink down into the dirt. Before the seed could even take root, some birds came and ate the seed.

Some of the seed that he scattered fell onto rocky places. Do you see much dirt there? No. Do you think that this is a good place for things to grow? No. It is possible for things to grow on the rocks, but usually, plants don’t live long. Plants must have roots down in the soil. But in rocky places, the hard rocks block the roots. Any seed that started to grow in the thin soil soon withered in the intense heat and died.

Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and crowded out the plants. Have any of you had to pull weeds out of your yard or garden? What is the number one rule about pulling weeds? You must get the roots out! If you don’t pull out the roots, the weeds will grow back. Weeds are very strong and forceful. Wherever there are weeds, they take over the good plants. The strong roots of the weeds use up all the nutrients in the soil, and the plants are left with nothing. These plants barely grow at all; they don’t produce fruit or vegetables.

Finally, other seed fell on good soil. It produced a crop 100, 60, or 30 times more than what was planted. Farming experts know just what kind of soil is needed for their crops. They will add the right kind of fertilizer (vitamins and nutrients) so their plants can grow. They want their seeds to grow into large, healthy plants that will give them good fruits and vegetables. If it is done right, a handful of seeds will produce bushels full of good things to eat!

4. How did Jesus conclude his parable? What did he mean by that? (13:9) 

Jesus knew that most of the people in the crowd would say, “Wow, great story,” and move along with their lives. When he ended the parable with, ‘he who has ears to hear, let him hear,’ Jesus was challenging them to think about the meaning of the parable. 

That’s the message for us too. Think about these different types of soil not only with respect to other people, but with respect to yourself as well. It’s tempting to say, “oh, well, he’s like the rocky soil or he’s like the soil with all the thorns.” But Jesus is suggesting that you think about it with respect to your own life and the several types of soil that you personally might have experienced. 

5. Why is perseverance necessary for all who receive the Word? (Luke 8:15) How long did it take for you to understand the gospel of Christ? 

Jesus said that the same seed produced no crop, some crop, or a great crop. The seed was the same in every place, but the condition of the soil was different.

This may seem like a strange story for Jesus to tell. But remember, many of the people who were listening to Jesus were farmers. They knew a lot about dirt and soil. Jesus was talking to them using words and word pictures that they could understand. Jesus wasn’t teaching them something new about farming. He was using what they already understood about farming to teach them something they didn’t know about the kingdom of God.

This is what Jesus was saying to the people: The seed that is sown is the gospel - the good news about Jesus.

The soils are the hearts of the people who make a choice about the message. The condition of a person’s heart can be compared to the different kinds of soils that received the seed.

Now we’ll look at this story again with the understanding of what each part of the story stands for. If the seed stands for the truth of Jesus, the Word of God, and the soil is the hearts of people, what would it mean to scatter the seed on the soil of your heart? What must you do? Listen for answers. It happens when someone hears the truth through teaching, or reading the Bible.

6. What kind of soil do you most resemble right now? What worries or temptations have hindered your growth as a Christian recently? Now let’s look at the four different “soils,” or hearts:

Wayside (hard path): Some of the seed fell on a path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some people hear the truth, but like hardened paths, they do not let it sink into their hearts (Zechariah 7:12), they are hardened by sin, they hear the word but don’t understand it. Soon Satan takes the truth away. (In the Bible, birds are sometimes a picture of Satan.) If people do not receive and respond to the word with faith, their opportunity will be stolen by the evil one.

The wayside soil is beaten down again and again by passing feet. At first soft, the soil hardens more and more until it becomes almost like rock. So human hearts, at first tender and sensitive to every impression, are trodden over by a thousand influences as life goes on, and often grow like the beaten wayside.

One way in which human hearts are thus hardened, is by resisting good impressions. Another way is by life’s ordinary experiences treading over them like passing feet. Still another way is by sinful habits. Thus it is with the heart over which the heavy feet of lust, sensuality, greed, selfishness, and passion are allowed to tread. They beat it down into hardness, and when the seed falls on hardened soil, it lies uncovered, not sinking in, and the watchful hungry birds come soon and pick it up. Just so does Satan do with the good word of God that falls upon hardened hearts – he comes and takes it away.

Rocky Places: Next, some of the seed fell onto rocky places. These people hear the message with great joy, but like seeds on rocky soil, they do not let it take root. They seem to be happy to hear about Jesus and His great love, but they do not let it sink into their hearts. On the outside, they may express great enthusiasm, but inwardly, they do not carefully consider it. There were great crowds who followed Jesus, but only a few were His true disciples. When these people face pressure or bad circumstances, they quickly forget about God’s word. A true believer follows Jesus no matter what.

Some of the “rocky” people may be under the misunderstanding that God will take away all of their problems. Therefore, when problems arrive, they fall away. God’s word never promises that life will be easy, without any trials. He promises something far better. He promises that He will be with us in our problems. He promises that everything will work together for our good - to become godlier and to bring glory to God.

Thorns: Still other seed fell among thorns. Some people hear God’s Word and start to grow and bear fruit. But soon they become worried about the problems of daily living. They may think if they only had more money and more “things” they would be happy. These wrong beliefs take up all the person’s time and energy, just like the weeds steal all the nutrients from the good plants. These people do not focus on living for God, so they don’t produce any spiritual fruit. There is nothing wrong with the sower or the seed. The problem is the soil - the person who hears the Word. He must trust God to deliver him from his worries and greed so that he can grow in God’s Word. 

1)            They hear the word, but do nothing with it.

2)            They know the word, but don’t truly accept it.

3)            They teach it, but don’t practice it.

4)            They let themselves get overwhelmed by the worries and problems of life. 

5)            They don’t grow in maturity.

The thorny soil represents those who have a more complete grasp of the cost of discipleship, but who have never rid themselves of the “cares of this world.” Their concerns for money and for pleasure outgrow their seeking first the kingdom of God, and thus their priorities are reversed. It is not that the people represented by this thorny soil do not  understand the costs of discipleship, but that they are not willing to pay the price. It is not lack of knowledge which causes them to err, but lack of commitment, lack of dedication. This type of soil has never been properly cleansed. The weeds of sin was never pulled up by the roots, thus causing them to come back and choke out the word of God.

Good Soil: Still other seed fell on good soil. It produced a crop 100, 60, or 30 times more than what was planted. Isn’t it great to know that some of the seed fell on good soil? This represents the people who heard God’s word and believed it. They put their trust in Jesus. Their hearts received the message of the kingdom, and the seed will take root.

But just like when you plant actual seeds into the ground, the message of the kingdom will grow gradually. We don’t plant a seed and see a plant the next day. True growth takes time. And sometimes when we plant seeds, we see different kinds of things that actually grow. Some trees produce fruit; some plants produce vegetables. Some produce lots of fruit, and some produce little. Even the soil that produces a small crop is “good.”

The same is true in the hearts of believers. There are people who hear the same truth, read the same Bible, grow in the same church, but produce different kinds of fruit. Some are missionaries to other countries. Some are simply sharing God’s love with a friend in need. Everyone’s fruit will look different, but if each person allows God’s truth to grow in their heart, it will be the right kind of fruit. It will be kingdom fruit.

7. How could you listen more faithfully and intently to the voice of God? What will most help you to be responsive to God in your study of the Bible? 

Remember, the fruit of sharing the Gospel doesn’t just happen on its own. It takes a humble heart and meditation on the Word of God to produce a good harvest and to further the Kingdom of God. The way you sow your seed will be different. All of you can tell your own story. Your own testimony. Some of you might be in a position to lead a small group. Some of you could become preachers. Some of you could start a small Bible study where you work. Some of you could go on missions trips. There are so many opportunities to become a sower if you just keep your eyes open. That’s what Jesus wants you to do. 

His purpose was to bring salvation to everyone. If we keep this in mind, we can see that the parable actually has three meanings: 

1)   To show that Christ came to share the Word of God with everyone. We don’t serve a stingy God who picks and chooses who is good enough to hear the word. He graciously sows into everyone who is willing to accept his word. 

2)   To show us how the different soils in our life can encourage us—or stop us from     receiving the Word of God, the “Good News.”

3) To encourage us to share the Word of God with others. And like Jesus, we should spread the Good News with everyone, not just those who are receptive.

8. How can we test the soil of our heart and keep it right?

How can you test the soil of your heart? Jesus gives us the answer: We can look at the “fruit” in our lives. Teachable, faith-filled hearts (like good soil) will produce much spiritual fruit. The spiritual fruit that comes from God’s Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5:22-23), which can be enriched with forgiveness, healing, righteousness, glory, grace, compassion, knowledge and truth. Another fruit is sharing God’s truth with others. So the test for good “heart soil” is checking to see whether there is any of this fruit in your life. If so, you know that God’s word has taken root in your heart. You have believed the truth of Jesus, and your beliefs guide your actions. You have trusted Jesus, so His Spirit lives in you.

It is interesting to note that a plant does not “decide” when to bear fruit. It just happens. In the same way, we can’t “decide” when we’re going to bear spiritual fruit. Fruit comes naturally when we remain connected to the Vine. Jesus said, “I am the Vine. You are the branches. He that abides in Me, and I in him, the same will bring forth much fruit: for you can do nothing without Me.” (John 15:5) We must stay connected to Jesus, because without Him, we cannot bear any fruit!

We aren’t responsible to make the fruit. We are responsible to keep the soil in good condition. Good soil has sunlight, water, and nutrients. How do you think we can “water” and “fertilize” our hearts? Read God’s Word, listen to good teaching, pray, listen to God. (Jesus is the Light!) Good soil is also free of rocks and weeds. How can we keep rocks and weeds out of the soil of our hearts? We don’t plant things in our heart or mind that are against God - bad TV shows, movies, books, video games, etc… just to name a few.

Now, for the “problem soil.” Sadly, there are three kinds of “heart soil” that don’t bear any kind of spiritual fruit. These people don’t share the truth that is deep down in their hearts. Instead of good fruit, their lives are full of worry, fear, greed, and frustration. They think more about themselves than about the Lord. If this sounds like your life, there is only one way to make a change! Jesus says He is the WAY (John 14:6). Confess: Tell the Lord that your heart has not been good soil. Ask Him to plow up the hard places and replace them with a good, soft heart that will be the perfect place for His truth to take root and grow. Listen to God’s promise: I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. - Ezekiel 36:26

9. Can we also see ourselves as the “sower” in this story? 

Yes! We can also see ourselves as the “sower” in this story. As you begin to share the truth of Jesus with others, you will see these four different reactions. Some people will be good soil. They will accept the truth, it will grow deep roots, and they will bear much fruit. But, sadly, others will be like the four problem soils. God wants everyone to follow Him (2 Peter 3:9), but each person has the free choice of whether to accept the truth. Remember that you are not responsible to make the seed grow! (1 Corinthians 12:3) You are just asked to spread the seed (Acts 22:14-15). It’s always right to pray for God to soften the hearts of those you speak to!

Main Point: We want to have a teachable heart where God’s truth can produce good fruit!

PARABLE 12 - The Wheat and The Tares

PARABLE 12 ~ MATTHEW 13:24-30, 36-43 ~ WHEAT & TARES (WEEDS) 

24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

[IN VERSES 31-35, JESUS TELLS TWO SHORT PARABLES ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.] 

THE PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND TARES (WEEDS) JESUS EXPLAINS 

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

  

Discussion Questions – Parable 12

PARABLE 12 ~ MATTHEW 13:24-30, 36-43 ~ WHEAT & TARES (WEEDS)

1. In this parable, who is the sower? What does the field represent? The wheat? The weeds? The enemy? The harvest? The harvesters? 

The parable of the wheat and the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30) is unique to Matthew and is one of the few parables for which Jesus provides a detailed interpretation (Matthew 13:36-43). The farmer represents Jesus as the Son of Man. The field is the world and the good seed are the children of the kingdom who are in relationship with God. The enemy is the devil and he sows his weeds - the people of the evil one. The workers are not identified but are most likely Jesus’ disciples. The harvest is the end of the age and is symbolic of final judgment. The weeds are gathered first then burnt in a fiery furnace, symbolic of punishment, while God’s people are finally rewarded. They will shine like the sun, reflecting God’s glory. The message of the farmer is to let both the wheat and the weeds grow together until the time of harvest when there will be a clear separation. In the end, good will triumph.

There are a lot of interpretations to this parable, most think Jesus is speaking of the church but the most likely interpretation is that Jesus is answering questions about how the kingdom of God can be present when there is still so much wrong with the world. The mystery of the kingdom is that it is already present but in unexpected ways. Yes, the kingdom has arrived but it is like a field with both wheat and weeds growing together until one day when they will be separated.

2. What does this parable teach us about the kingdom of heaven (or kingdom of God)? 

God has a plan that he is working out over time (be patient!). It doesn’t take much insight to realize that we live in a world where tragedies and accidents occur every day and where injustice and violence still wreak havoc in people’s lives. Where is God and why doesn’t he do something? The first disciples had similar questions. Why are the Romans still in power and why is evil still at work if the kingdom has arrived? This parable teaches us that God does have a plan for this world and he is working to accomplish it. However, it is unfolding over time and that means there’s some waiting to do, something we find difficult. We’d all love God to do more and to act faster in bringing in his kingdom but Jesus is teaching us patience – the patience of a God who chooses to delay his judgment. God is not in a hurry and we must be prepared to trust him and wait for his time. In the end, God will win and good will overcome evil.

3. Who planted the bad seed? What does this parable teach us about the enemy and his seed?

There is an enemy at work in the world (be alert!). Alongside the power of the kingdom another power, the power of the enemy, is at work seeking to disrupt God’s plan. Not all actions in this world can be attributed to God. The action of this enemy, identified as the devil, is a prominent feature in Jesus’ ministry. The parable presents us with a worldview that accounts for and is not surprised by evil in the world. It also teaches us that evil will not be completely removed until judgment day but that does not mean that we should not fight against evil in all its forms in the mean time – in our own lives, in the church and in our society. This awareness calls us to live lives on spiritual alert while avoiding the extremes of being ignorant of the devil’s schemes or of becoming overly preoccupied with his activity (2 Corinthians 2:11).

First of all Jesus said, “An enemy has done this.” So the first thing is ‘the enemy’. In trying to understand why our world is arranged as it is and how I can live the Christian life in the midst of it. The first thing Jesus says that you need to realize is that there is an enemy. Now look again at the parable in verse 25 Jesus said, “A man sowed seed in his field and while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. So that when the tares sprung up the servants were surprised.” (Matthew 13:24-27) Now why were they surprised? Well, they were surprised at the extent of the tares, the poisonous seeds.

As a matter of fact, it was against the law in the days of the Roman Empire to sow tares in a good field because they would choke out the good seed and also they were poisonous if they were eaten. So what Jesus says here is that a man has his field, which is the world, and he sows good seed but at the same time while men sleep his enemy comes and he sows tares among the wheat and goes his way. Now you can put it down as a constant fixed rule that wherever the Lord sows good seed, the devil will be there to sow bad seed. All throughout your life, put it down, every time you sow good seed the enemy will be there to sow bad seed right along beside.

4. What did the servants volunteer to do for the owner of the field? 

Matthew 13:27-28, “So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?”

Should we pull out the weeds? 

This question goes to the heart of one of the greatest temptations amongst religious people wanting to serve God: the impulse to sort the good people from the bad people, the saints from the sinners, the church from the world, the saved from the damned. Churches are full to the brim of this sort of thing, righteous crusades to weed out the sinners.

But what does the farmer say? The farmer says, don’t get into the weeding business. If you do you'll pull up the good with the bad. Weeds are no good, but weeding? Weeding is worse. So just let the good and the bad live alongside each other. Trust that God will sort it all out in the end. Sorting saints from sinners isn't your job. So let it be.

Its God’s job – not ours! Perhaps there were some overzealous "weeders" in Matthew's congregation who wanted to purify the community by rooting out the bad seed. This seems to be a temptation for followers of Jesus in every age. We whip ourselves into a weeding frenzy, certain that we know the difference between weeds and wheat, and that we know how to deal with the weeds!

Jesus' parable makes clear that any attempt to root out the weeds will only do more damage to the crop. This has played out far too many times in congregations and denominations, with some determined to root out anyone who does not agree with the "right" interpretation of Scripture, worship practice, or stand on a particular issue. 

Jesus makes clear that we simply cannot be certain who is "in" or who is "out." In fact, God's judgment about these matters will take many by surprise (7:21-23; 8:11-12; 21:31-32; 25:31-46). Thank God it is not up to us! We can leave the weeding to the angels, and get on with the mission Jesus has given us -- proclaiming the Gospel the good news of the kingdom of God drawing near.

5. What dangers lie in trying to label people as either “weeds” or wheat?” 

God alone is the judge of all people (be humble!). Right from the beginning of history there have been two seeds or two generations of people – the righteous and the wicked (see Genesis 3:15). We find our place in either group not by birth, by fate or by our good works but by our response to the grace of God that he shows toward us in unique ways. God desires everyone to be saved (John 3:16. 1 Timothy 2:1-7. 2 Peter 3:9) and to become his children and we have to trust that he makes provision for that possibility. Each person will ultimately choose to be either for God or against God and will be treated accordingly. God will be to us what we are to him. However, in the mean time it is vital that we not get caught up in determining who is IN and who is OUT. God alone knows the human heart and He will be their judge, not us (Romans14:12; 1 Corinthians 4:5; James 4:12). Wheat and weeds look very similar … until the time of harvest when their true nature is revealed. In fact, Jesus hinted that we may be surprised who is in and who is out (Matthew 21:23-32). We ourselves are a mixture of wheat and weeds – people in desperate need of the grace of God. This should cause us to be humble in our approach to other people.

When it comes to judgment we must avoid exaggerations of God that turn him into either a sadistic monster ready to unfurl his wrath on people OR into a soft grandparent who still gives the kids chocolate even after a day of continual misbehaving. God has revealed himself as a supremely loving, wise, beautiful, holy, just and true God. It is that combination of attributes that we must learn to see when it comes to the matter of judgment.

6. In what ways can you “shine like the sun” in your contacts with unbelievers? What does this mean? (Daniel 12:3) 

Matthew 14:43, “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”  Daniel 12:23, “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the heavens, and they that turn many to righteousness will shine as the stars for ever and ever.”

  

We are called to partner with God's purpose (be fruitful!). In the Parable of the Sower, the seed is the word of God (Mt.13:18-23). In this parable, we become the seed. God plants his people in his field – this world – and he desires us to be fruitful for him. We are to mature in Christ, bear fruit, and plant seed. No need to worry about the increase, God gives the increase! (1 Corinthians 3:7) A partnership mentality helps us avoid the extremes of apathy (thinking that God will do it all) and of a messianic complex (thinking that we will fix the world and rid it of evil all by ourselves).

The sun is a visible object; it excites attention, and inspires admiration. The course of Christians is not hidden — but manifest: they are lights of the world, cities set on a hill, living epistles (Matthew 5:14; 2 Corinthians 3:2). "Let your light shine" (Matthew 5:16). Though Christians should do nothing through vain glory — yet their conduct should be of such a character as to command attention. Christians, like the sun, shine more and more unto that perfect day (Proverbs 4:18). They grow in grace, in knowledge, purity, peace, and joy, until their course ends in the crowning noontide splendor of Heaven!

Wheat and Tares Poem

The kingdom is like a man who had sown 

Wheat in his field to reap after it's grown  

But while still seed an enemy came  

To sow weeds in the field that looked quite the same  

The man's servant offered to pull the weeds out  

But he might pull the wheat just as it sprout  

No, safer to let the two grow together 

And in harvest to reap in just the right weather  

Put the wheat in the barn, tie the weeds to be burned.  

Now let us consider what lesson we learned.

Jesus is sowing his seed on the earth  

But the weeds are the ones whom the devil gave birth. 

Difficult at times to distinguish the two,  

Between a false Christian and one who is true.  

When they are young they have only roots.  

But you shall know them by their fruits.  

The weeds will not last, they will be thrown out  

Into a furnace in anguish no doubt.  

But the righteous will shine just like the Son.  

But of these two seeds, you are which one?