Today’s Reading:
Mathew 13: 24-30
“But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way”
(v. 25)
Jesus tells a parable about sowing seeds and about two (2) Sowers:
The Sower who sows good seed to grow wheat; and
The enemy who sows weeds among the wheat.
This parable offers a perspective on opposition to Jesus and the persistence of evil in the world.
The Sower has sown good seed in his field for a healthy wheat harvest. But in the dark of the night, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat. “So, when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well” (vv. 24-26).
When the Sower’s servants noticed the weeds, they queried their master: “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where then, did these weeds come from? “ (v. 27). When the Master replied that an enemy has sown the weeds, the servants were eager to take care of the problem and uproot those nasty weeds right away. But the Master stopped them warning them that in uprooting the weeds, they would uproot the wheat along with them. He instructed them to let both grow together until harvest time when he will send out his reapers to collect and burn the weeds and to gather the wheat into his barn. In very clear terms, Jesus interpreted what every element of the parable represents: “The one who sows the good seed is the son of man, the field is the world, and the good seeds are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are Angels” (vv. 37-39). Some of us have wondered why God allows evil to grow and thrive. Some of us have at one time or the other wanted to take matters into our own hands and root out the evil in our midst. But the Master stopped the servants from doing anything of the sort because it is not easy to tell the weeds from the wheat. The roots of the wheat and weeds are intertwined below the ground such that rooting out the weeds would uproot the wheat as well. Jesus says that the reapers (not the servants) will take care of this at harvest time: “The son of man will send his angels and they will collect all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (vv. 41-43).
The kingdom of Jesus exists in a world that is under attack from Satan who will not allow any good work of Jesus to go unopposed. Satan’s goal is to corrupt, pollute and undermine the work of Jesus. Satan uses the cover of darkness to do his vile deeds. From the parable, Jesus demonstrates his awareness that his Kingdom will face opposition and corruption from the evil one. While our Lord is working to bring people into the Kingdom, Satan is working to keep them out. We must never forget that there is a battle being waged that we don’t see. As we seek to live for Christ, Satan is actively seeking to DE-rail us. Therefore, we believers must beware and be ready as well.
BABALOLA IKOTUN
Prayer:
Almighty God, show your power and bind Satan’s power, in Jesus’ name.
Father Lord, strengthen your people and bring renewal to them, in Jesus’ name.
Let there be true Spirit-led revival in our hearts, our homes, and our Nation in Jesus mighty name.
Father, uproot everything you have not planted in Your Church, and revive your Pentecostal fire, in Jesus’ name.
Father, in Your mercy, uproot everything you have not planted in our nation and let your plans for our nation be fulfilled, in Jesus’ name.
Comments