Matthew 13:24-43

Matthew 13:24-43 (The Message)

 ^24-26He told another story. "God's kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too.

 ²⁷"The farmhands came to the farmer and said, 'Master, that was clean seed you planted, wasn't it? Where did these thistles come from?'

 ²⁸"He answered, 'Some enemy did this.'

   "The farmhands asked, 'Should we weed out the thistles?'

 ^29-30"He said, 'No, if you weed the thistles, you'll pull up the wheat, too. Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I'll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.'"

 ^31-32Another story. "God's kingdom is like a pine nut that a farmer plants. It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge pine tree, and eagles build nests in it."

 ³³Another story. "God's kingdom is like yeast that a woman works into the dough for dozens of loaves of barley bread—and waits while the dough rises."

 ^34-35All Jesus did that day was tell stories—a long storytelling afternoon. His storytelling fulfilled the prophecy: 

   I will open my mouth and tell stories; 
   I will bring out into the open 
         things hidden since the world's first day.

 ³⁶Jesus dismissed the congregation and went into the house. His disciples came in and said, "Explain to us that story of the thistles in the field."

 ^37-39So he explained. "The farmer who sows the pure seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the pure seeds are subjects of the kingdom, the thistles are subjects of the Devil, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, the curtain of history. The harvest hands are angels.

 ^40-43"The picture of thistles pulled up and burned is a scene from the final act. The Son of Man will send his angels, weed out the thistles from his kingdom, pitch them in the trash, and be done with them. They are going to complain to high heaven, but nobody is going to listen. At the same time, ripe, holy lives will mature and adorn the kingdom of their Father.

   "Are you listening to this? Really listening?

Devotional (by Jana Goebel)

So often when I look at the world I find myself longing for God’s kingdom.  Then I read this passage and am reminded that God’s kingdom has arrived- here and now!  In this passage, Jesus is letting his listeners know that with his arrival the kingdom of heaven arrived.  To help them understand His kingdom he offers these parables or stories.  In the first parable we hear about a field that was sown with good seed and bad seed.  The message in this for us is that as members of God’s kingdom – followers of Jesus – we are to spread good seed in the world and tell others of God’s good news.  Just as the wheat grew and was harvested, even in the midst of the bad seed or weeds, so will the seeds we sow.  Secondly, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed.  Have you ever seen a mustard seed?  If not, stop by the spices section of the grocery store and check it out.  They are tiny!  Jesus is explaining to his listeners that God’s kingdom will grow from a small movement of people into a mighty kingdom that continually grows – just as the mustard seed became a mighty tree.  Finally, Jesus compares God’s kingdom to yeast.  One of my favorite things about baking bread is watching the dough rise.  With just a small amount of yeast, a little bit of dough becomes enough for many loaves of bread.  Not only does the yeast cause the dough to grow, but it permeates the dough and transforms it into something new.  When we live as members of God’s kingdom and share that with others, we grow – we are permeated with God’s love and God’s word and ultimately transformed. 

Prayer: Father, you have so much to teach us about being your child.  Today help us to see your kingdom at work in our world.  May we live fully as the seed that is sown in the world, as the small faith that grows, and as the yeast that transforms.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.