St Matthew, Chapter 13, verse: 28 - 29, The Kingdom of Heaven: An Enemy has done this.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the weeds) Part 4. 

How does the kingdom of heaven have weeds?  This is the question that was asked by the servants that worked the fields of the kingdom.  Christ is telling the people about the kingdom.  God's kingdom is vast.  He owns the universe and in this universe are untold riches and wealth.  Wealth in this kingdom is so vast that the mind of man cannot conceive of its magnitude.  And in this vast universe Christ has given life to mankind that we may enjoy the wealth of the universe for all eternity.  Yet within the kingdom there are weeds.  This is unnatural.  It is unheard of, since God did not sow weeds in his fields.  He sowed good seed and the servants want to know how this has happened.  Christ tell us through this parable,  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' 

An enemy of the kingdom has come and planted weeds in the field.  An enemy of the kingdom has come and corrupted the field with this planting.  So, the deed is done.  The weeds are planted.  And what needs to happen next.  Are the weeds to be rooted out?  Are the servants to go one by one and pull up the weeds?  Are they to rake the soil that they may comb out the weeds, pulling them out by the roots so that the seeds are protected.  The servants ask the question, 'Wilt thou have us go and  gather them up?'

The response to the question presents a problem.  If the weeds are pulled, will the seeds and the resulting plants be injured?  Will the rooting out of the weeds leave the plants damaged preventing them from bringing forth fruit?  If the weeds remain will they have a dramatic impact upon the plants, thereby damaging the fruit?  Weeds are destructive.  They often grow faster than the plants they surround.  They attach themselves to the plants and encircles them with their tendrils, using their tendrils as steps of a ladder to grow upon the plants they encircle.  Soon the plants are overwhelmed by the weeds and the fruit of the tree is destroyed.  What does one do?  Christ tells us that the Lord told his servants,  No,' he said, 'lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.

So we live among the weeds, as it is in the kingdom, it is today.  We grow and the weeds grow with us.  How do we protect ourselves against the growth of the weeds?  How do we stop the weeds from taking over the plant and damaging the fruit.  The precious fruit of the kingdom may be attacked if not watched.  The precious fruit of the kingdom may be damaged if the weeds are not kept away.  The precious fruit of the kingdom could be choked and prevented from coming forth if we do not beat back the weeds.  It is a daily battle.  It is an hourly challenge.  It requires constant vigilance.  But we are not alone for we have the servants who watch over us.  We have the servants who will protect us.  We have the servants who will fight back the weeds to allow the seeds to bring forth fruit.  And then we have the almighty weed killer, the Holy Spirit that is within us, keeping the weeds from taking hold of us.  Do you have your weed killer with you?  Does he reside in you?  Do you remind yourself daily that he is with you?  Come, Holy Spirit, bring your light into my life!

St Matthew, Chapter 13, verse: 27, The Kingdom of Heaven: The Question of the Weeds.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the weeds) Part 3. 

What are the weeds that Christ talks about in this parable?  Where did they come from?  How did they get into the field of the kingdom of heaven?  How do they get out of the field of the kingdom of heaven?  Christ began this parable by telling the people that the kingdom of heaven is like.  We can compare the kingdom of heaven to a field.  We can compare the kingdom of heaven to a sower.  We can compare the kingdom of heaven to the seed that is being sown in the field of the kingdom of heaven.  Christ says that the kingdom of heaven is like a sower who goes out to sow good seed in his field.

We live in a physical realm.  We live on one planet, in one solar system, in one galaxy.  We live on one planet, of the billions of planets in the universe.  And we have one God who created us.  We are his people and he is our father.  The physical realm is his field and he came to earth to sow us into this physical realm.  Adam was the first to be sown.  After him came many, as mankind grew in population to cover the globe of the earth.  And God said that it was good that man grew and populated the planet even though he did not approve of our sinfulness.  But when man was planted, so also were weeds planted.  Were did they come from?  How did they get here?  Who planted them amongst the good seed of the kingdom.

Christ tells the parable of the weeds and how they arrived.  The good seed was planted in the earth and when the fruit came forth the weeds also appeared.   And the servants of the householder came and said to him, 'Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field?   How then does it have weeds?' 

We accept as natural and without question that we have weeds, in our yards, at work, along the roads, at the lake, weeds are everywhere.  For this is what is accepted in the realm that we live.  In the kingdom of heaven there were no weeds.  All was perfect as God had planned and planted from the beginning.  But there was another who grew among the good seed and brought forth contamination and the weeds began to grow.  How is it that there are weeds in the kingdom of heaven?  This is not a natural occurrence.  This is not an accepted practice for the inhabitants of the kingdom for all is good in the kingdom of heaven.  But there was another who spread his weeds, that they may also grow and choke out the good seed.

We are not weeds.  We are the children of the most high God.  He created us in his image and likeness and that likeness is not that of weeds.  How do the weeds come in?  How do they get into your home?  How do they get into your church?  How do they find themselves at your work place, at the mall, in the market, in the schools, on the streets?  Everywhere there are weeds?  Look around you and see the weeds.  Look in your home and in your school and wherever you may go.  See the weeds for they are out there waiting to latch on to you.  They are waiting to grab you and will not let go.  Your only protection is to get your weed killer.  Take him with you.  Keep him near to you wherever you go.  He will provide for you.  He will protect you.  He will keep you from the darkness that is in the world.  Roundup Weed Killer has nothing on the weed killer from heaven.  It has nothing to compare to the power of the Holy Spirit.  Take him with you!  Keep him in your heart and you will know the peace of Christ that transcends all peace.    

St Matthew, Chapter 13, verse: 26, The Kingdom of Heaven: The Fruit and the Weeds.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the weeds) Part 2. 

Christ continues to tell the people and his disciples about the kingdom of heaven and how the world was contaminated with the weeds.  To those who are listening and can hear, they understand the message.  To those who are listening and can not discern, Christ is telling a story.  To those who are not listening, they are lost, they do not understand, and they will not understand for they have been deceived by the evil one.  And to those who have come to destroy, they hear the parable and know that Christ speaks of them.

The kingdom of heaven is like a man who went out to sow good seed in his field.  God has planted mankind upon the earth  to grow and prosper but weeds have been planted among the seeds.  Weeds have been growing along side the good seeds of the kingdom of heaven.    And the weeds have been contaminating the good seed and leading them astray.  So now, the crop is mutated.  Now, the crop does not produce to its full measure.  Now, the crop only produces 30% or 60% of the time and the rest of the time it is unproductive or leans toward the production of evil fruit.  The rest of the time it is corrupted.  The rest of the time it is choked and its fruit is mutated into a different fruit.  Christ tells the people, "And when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then the weeds appeared as well.

So this is the state of things today.  The weed and the seed grow together.  The good seed given from heaven exists in a world where the weed exists also.  What is there to be done?  What is there that can be done to remove the weeds from the precious plants that bring forth fruit for the nourishment of mankind.  Evil exists in the world.  Evil finds a place among God's children.  Evil finds a place in the hearts and minds of men.  For evil brings forth weeds and the weeds live among the good fruit of the Lord. 

Get out your weed killer!  Get out your trimmers!  For the weeds must be cut away!  The weeds must not stop the growth of the good seed of God.  Clear away the ground!  The good seed must grow without hindrance.  Water the soil that the good seed may be nourished!  Be watchful of the growth of weeds!  Be vigilant that they do not return to take up growth near the good seed.  For the good seed must grow.  The good seed must prosper.  The good seed must bring forth good fruit.   We are the children of the Lord and he is our father.  He has given us the perfect weed killer.  He has given us the Holy Spirit that will remove all weeds no matter what kind.  But we must use it.  We must take the Holy Spirit with us at all times least we find ourselves surrounded by weeds.  Christ gave us the formula.  He gave us the words.  And within those words we will find the keys to bring forth our fruit.  Christ sent us the Holy Spirit, the weed killer that will protect us from the weeds of the evil one.  Take your weed killer with you at all times!  Keep him on your mind and in your heart.  Without him you will be open to attack by the weeds that will steal your fruit!