Daily Devotions: July 22, 2017

Daily Devotions: July 22, 2017

Matthew 13:24-30

“He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away.” vss. 24-25

Jesus began his ministry by announcing the coming of the kingdom of heaven, and then continued to speak of it as he addressed the crowds who gathered to hear his teaching. The kingdom wasn’t a thing or a place and it was largely invisible, which made it hard to describe. Jesus mostly used parables to talk about it, and even those parables are difficult to understand…and this one, about the weeds in the field, is no exception. It addresses a question that was readily apparent to his early followers, and is common among believers today. If God’s kingdom is present in our world, if signs of that kingdom can be regularly glimpsed, then how come there are so many rotten people around? In other words,how do we account for the jerks among us…and more than that, what about the really evil folks? Jesus says that’s the same question a farmer might ask who ends up with a field full of weeds after planting only good seed. It is a legitimate question and Jesus gives an answer, but the important question is the one which follows. Given the presence of weeds, what should be done about it? Here Jesus has a surprising answer. Basically he advises that nothing be done! Fixing the problem will only damage our experience of the kingdom. And his listeners scratched their heads!

Thought for the Day: When can trying to fix a problem make it worse?

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