Our scripture this week is Matthew 13:24-30.
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.”
In this parable Jesus teaches us about good and evil in the world. The example He gives shows how good and evil exist side by side, as do the wheat and weeds, and that removing evil from the world by force can often cause what we know as “collateral damage”. It isn’t easy to fight evil on its own terms.
We often ask why God doesn’t remove evil from our lives, and wonder why we must endure its effects. Yes, God could end evil – and it will end according to God’s plan – but we brought sin into the world through our choices and because God’s law is consistent, we bear the responsibility for that choice. Evil came as a result of our disobedience.
God has provided us a way back to the connection we were intended to have with Him through our repentance and His forgiveness. When we turn from the evil we have done and follow the path He made for us, we can resist evil. Let God into your life and you will see the eternal good He has planned for us.
Gracious God, thank You for forgiveness of our sins and teaching us how to live as Your children. May our faith and love spread the Good News to everyone. Amen.