Grow: Seedling

We have an enemy. I can remember attending a Weekend to Remember marriage conference with Beth. During the conference, one of the themes they had us repeat was, “My spouse is not my enemy.” You have an enemy and it is not your spouse. Your enemy is not that eye-rolling teenager, that nosy neighbor or your annoying sibling. We have an enemy, but it is not a political party or a candidate for office. We have an enemy.

Jesus had an enemy, but it wasn’t the Pharisees who misplayed justice to their own advantage. The enemy of Jesus wasn’t the Romans or Pontius Pilate. Jesus had an enemy and I would venture to say that it wasn’t even Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus. Although, he was prompted by the enemy. Jesus had an enemy. You and I have an enemy. This church has an enemy. In our text today from Matthew 13.39, Jesus clearly states, “the enemy…is the devil.”

Jesus tells his disciples a parable that spends more time on the devil and the darkness he brings than on the righteousness that eventually outshines his attempts.

The devil wants to destroy God’s kingdom, but in the end God destroys evil. Jesus shares several parables in Matthew 13 to help His followers understand the kingdom of heaven. He begins with a parable about a farmer who scatters seed on different soils: the path, the rocks, the thorns and the good soil. The good soil multiplies exponentially. We will look at that parable in a couple of weeks when we talk about the Orchard stage of growth. He shares another parable how the kingdom of heaven is like a small mustard seed that grows to a large tree. We’ll study that parable next week when we look at the Tree stage of spiritual growth. This week, we look at a parable called the parable of the weeds of the field. This text will help us understand the seedling stage of spiritual growth.

Matthew 13:24–30 NIV

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. “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?’ “ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ “ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 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.’ ”

Thankfully, the disciples ask Jesus for an explanation and he answers them in the privacy of a house. The setting of the explanation shows us how Jesus made disciples. Matthew 13 begins with Jesus leaving the house to go by the lake to be with the crowds. In Matthew 13.36, Jesus leaves the crowds and goes back into the house. If you want to grow beyond the seedling stage, it will take a smaller group of people to help you.

Matthew 13:36–43 NIV

Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

Let’s look at four lessons to help us and those in the seedling stage.

First, Jesus is more patient than us (Matthew 13.29).

Generally, it is good to pull the weeds before they take over your garden. The weed may be a darnel ryegrass. It is listed as a noxious weed in 46 states. It is challenging early on to tell the difference between the weeds and the wheat. The owner of the field instructs his servants, “Don’t gather the weeds. In gathering the weeds you may root up the wheat along with them.” At this early stage of development, the seedling of wheat would be too weak and intertwined with the weeds.

In my opinion, I feel that the seedling is the most vulnerable stage in a plant’s growth. Too much sun and the seedling burns up. Too much water and the plant yellows and dies. The goal for the seedling stage is to establish a healthy root system to grow into a tree.

In our Deeper Life course, we talk about the seedling stage as it relates to four key relationships: God’s Son, God’s Spirit, God’s Family, and God’s World. At the seedling stage, as we love God’s Son we grow and develop deep passion for Jesus Christ, joyfully celebrating His grace. As we love God’s Spirit, we are filled with the Spirit through basic habits and submission to Jesus Christ. We love God’s family by living out the one-another commands of the Bible. We love God’s world as we impact our circle of influence for Jesus Christ. At this stage, many are still hesitant to share their faith outside the church, but are poised for spiritual growth (Hawkins and Parkinson, Move, page 61).

The good news is that Jesus is patient with us as we grow.

Romans 9:22–24 NIV

What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Second, good and evil will coexist for a time (Matthew 13.30).

The evil one sows the weeds and the wheat must grow among the weeds in our parable. As followers of Christ, it is hard to remain faithful in a world that has so much evil.

Matthew’s audience would have known about evil and corrupt politics. But the enemy is not in Rome. The enemy is the evil one who is bent on destruction. An enemy that has been active since Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the garden in Genesis 3.

C. S. Lewis writes in The Screwtape Letters, a correspondence between a senior demon and his nephew, Wormwood. The demon coaches his nephew on how to guide a follower of Jesus from their Enemy, God, to their father below, the devil. The demon advises, “It does not matter how small the sins are provided their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into Nothing…Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts” (pp. 60-61).

Warren Wiersbe states the truth of this parable this way, “Wherever Christ sows a true Christian, Satan comes and sows a counterfeit” (Be Loyal, p. 84).

This conflict is at the heart of our second stage of spiritual growth that we call the seedling. At the seedling stage, it is difficult to tell the difference between the plant and the weed. As young followers of Jesus, those seedlings are still being formed into the image of Christ. It is a growing process that will continue throughout our lives.

I compare those in the seedling stage or those Growing in Christ as spiritual adolescents. In adolescence, children are awkward. Bodies, emotions, and hormones are changing. I think it is similar in our walk with Jesus. The seedling stage is like adolescence. Our lives are changing. Language and habits are still coming under God’s rule, but we’re growing. The problem is many people get stuck in this seedling stage and never mature. To grow to become a tree, takes a partnership between a Christian and the Holy Spirit.

The authors of Move (p. 146), identify the following catalysts to move to the tree stage or in their words, “close to Christ”: believe that God is actively involved in your life, pray daily for guidance, reflect on Scripture, have six or more spiritual conversations with non-Christians each year, tithing (giving ten percent or more to the church).

Third, Jesus will sort out good and evil (Matthew 13.39-43).

As Jesus shared in Matthew 13.39, “the harvest is the end of the age.” The Son of Man will send His angels and they will gather out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. The word for “causes to sin” could mean stumbling block. This is similar to what Jesus said near the close of the sermon on the Mount. My New Testament teacher, Dr. Robert Lowery, called Matthew 7.22-23 the scariest verses in the Bible.

Matthew 7:22–23 ESV

On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Jesus says that the weeds will be gathered and thrown into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This image is one of the ways that Jesus describes the punishment of evil or hell. Six times in Matthew’s gospel Jesus uses this image of weeping and gnashing of teeth. The nearest reference to weeping and gnashing of teeth is from another parable that Jesus shares about a net that pulled up good fish and bad fish.

Matthew 13:49–50 NIV

This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The harvest is the image of reckoning. Did our crop produce what we intended? The harvest is a clear reminder that we will reap what we sow. Are we growing in our walk with Jesus? Are we taking steps today that will lead to a bountiful harvest on that day? While we live among the weeds, can we still maintain our integrity and honor God’s ways.

The good news is that we do not have to do this on our own power. For those who are in Christ, we are members of His kingdom. He won’t let us get pulled out with the weeds. Remember it is Christ who sowed the seed, who owns the land, owns the barn, is in charge of the harvest, and will bring his children safely home.

Jesus says, “The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”

Daniel 12:3 ESV

And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Fourth, Jesus wants us to listen (Matthew 13.43).

“Whoever has ears, let them hear.” This was a common refrain for Jesus. These parables would slip past many people unnoticed. They would walk away and think, “Huh, neat story.” Others would be pierced to the heart. Jesus invites “whoever has ears, let them hear.” What is one way that you can listen more clearly to the message of Jesus this week?

“Whoever has ears, let them hear...” is a refrain that Jesus picks up again as he addresses the seven churches in Revelation 2-3. A book that talks about the harvest, fire, the devil, and those who are victorious in Christ. “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

The devil wants to destroy God’s kingdom, but in the end God destroys evil.

5 Day Devotional Guide on the Parables of Jesus

Dominant Thought: The devil wants to destroy God’s kingdom, but in the end God destroys evil.

You may want to refer to the sermon notes for further discussion. Take a moment to read the assigned Scripture and then reflect or discuss the questions. Customize this outline to your situation. Here are some questions to ask from the Discovery Bible Method:

What are you thankful for today or this week?

What challenges are you facing?

Have 2 or 3 people read the scripture out loud.

Can you summarize this passage in your own words?

What did you discover about God from this passage?

What have you learned about people from this passage?

How are you going to obey this passage? (What is your “I will” statement?)

With whom are you going to share what you have learned?

Based on this passage, what can we pray about?

Day 1: Matthew 13.24-30

Day 2: Matthew 13.31-35

Day 3: Matthew 13.36-43

Day 4: Matthew 13.44-46

Day 5: Matthew 13.47-52

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