24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.”
27 “The owner's servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
28 ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29 ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
Since Jesus’ time until the great harvest comes, the wheat and the weeds will grow alongside each other. Certainly that should not come as a surprise to anyone. The adversary has great enmity against those whom Jesus loves and cares for. Christ prepares us by telling us we should expect infiltration of his troops in this world - those who are not on the Lord’s side – but inevitable separation in the world to come. Make no mistake about it, the weeds will one day be burned and the wheat one day will be brought into the Lord’s barn. You can take that to the bank. John the Baptist tells us this earlier in Matthew as well:
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matt 3:11-12 (NIV)
Jesus is the Sower of the good seed – He is the Lord of the field and of the harvest. Ministers and saints are instruments in Christ’s hand to faithfully sow good seed as well. Whatever eternal good accomplished in this world is accomplished through Christ’s hand alone. Without Him we are capable of nothing of eternal value. All sanctification of souls is owing to the work of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit within the believer. Remember His Word to us in John:
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” John 15:5-6 (NIV)
“For years I hid the inadequacy I felt as a counselor behind a professional demeanor, technical jargon, and sound psychological methods of treatment. Recently I’ve made a truly liberating discovery. I am inadequate. My sense of inadequacy is not the effect of deficient intellect or poor training, nor is it a symptom of emotional disorder. It is the painful admission of what is true. On my own, I can make nothing of importance happen. I can help no one. But if I abide in Christ, if I present myself before God’s Spirit for searching and filling, if I study and ponder the Scriptures and live my life in brokenness before a grace-dispensing community, I can transcend my inadequacy, I can find myself as I worship. I can struggle on behalf of others with the energy of Christ powerfully working in me.” Larry Crabb
As the seed is scattered, so are the saints – dispersed throughout the world as God specifically ordains. There is nothing chance or happenstance in this world. God is Sovereign over the affairs of men. Paul writes in Acts:
26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. Acts 17:26-27 (NIV)
God’s world - where mankind dwells - is the field referred to in this parable and the good seeds are those who are His true saints. Interestingly, the good seed was sown and then, Jesus states, “while everyone was sleeping” Satan arrived on the scene himself sowing sons of the devil – those who do no good yet do much harm. They are the weeds in the garden who have the same benefit of the sun and rain and good soil as the wheat yet produce thorns and thistles – they are good for only discord and disaster. The adversary endeavors to make his own harvest of death and destruction doing his deceitful acts while eyes rest. It is ever important that believers stay alert to the dealing of Satan and his minions. We are not to fear him yet we are not to disregard him either. He prowls around like a roaring lion seeking to destroy and his tactics are to catch us off guard – when we are least aware. Doubtful many would choose death and destruction if it were clearly presented. Peter tells us we are to resist him:
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)
Interestingly as well, we do not oftentimes initially perceive the workings of the evil one until some time has elapsed. The wheat had sprouted and formed heads before notice was taken of the weeds. Lots of damage can be done through the veiling of our eyes. As the weeds and wheat will grow side by side until the final harvest it pays for us to be aware – for our own good and God’s glory.
"Christians are rapidly losing sight of sin as the root of all human woes. And many Christians are explicitly denying that their own sin can be the cause of personal anguish. More and more are attempting to explain the human dilemma in wholly unbiblical terms: temperament, addiction, dysfunctional families, the child within, codependency, and a host of other irresponsible escape mechanisms promoted by secular psychology. The potential impact of such a drift is frightening. Remove the reality of sin, and you take away the possibility of repentance. Abolish the doctrine of human depravity and you void the divine plan of salvation. Erase the notion of personal guilt and you eliminate the need for a Savior." John MacArthur