A Good Seed
36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Matthew 13:36-43
I mentioned this in Sunday’s sermon but in case you missed it. I was recently reading an ‘Exvangelical’ who has become somewhat famous for their attacks on Christianity. In this article, he was assuring everyone that Jesus never actually said anything about an eternity in hell and there really was nothing to worry about.
I wish I had his level of faith.
Here is just another example of Jesus being very clear about what people can expect ‘at the end of the age’ a.k.a. when Jesus returns. And it seems pretty hellish to me.
But remember, this isn’t fatalism. It’s provocatism (should be a word). An opportunity not for despair but determination. I want to be the good seed that will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of the Father.
Do you have ears to hear? What should that change about how we live? I think it’s implicit - do whatever you can to be the good see. What could you do to pursue being the good seed or good soil? Here’s a few things:
Pursue humility toward Jesus’ teaching
Don’t try to make this world your heaven - embrace discomfort now.
Be sacrificially generous.
Today:
Pray:
37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Matthew 13:36-43
I mentioned this in Sunday’s sermon but in case you missed it. I was recently reading an ‘Exvangelical’ who has become somewhat famous for their attacks on Christianity. In this article, he was assuring everyone that Jesus never actually said anything about an eternity in hell and there really was nothing to worry about.
I wish I had his level of faith.
Here is just another example of Jesus being very clear about what people can expect ‘at the end of the age’ a.k.a. when Jesus returns. And it seems pretty hellish to me.
But remember, this isn’t fatalism. It’s provocatism (should be a word). An opportunity not for despair but determination. I want to be the good seed that will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of the Father.
Do you have ears to hear? What should that change about how we live? I think it’s implicit - do whatever you can to be the good see. What could you do to pursue being the good seed or good soil? Here’s a few things:
Pursue humility toward Jesus’ teaching
Don’t try to make this world your heaven - embrace discomfort now.
Be sacrificially generous.
Today:
- Do you believe in heaven and hell?
- What else could you do to be the good seed?
- What does it look like to pursue growing in one of these areas this week?
Pray:
- Praise the Father who is glorious in His righteousness.
- Give thanks for Jesus who is the truly good seed and makes a way for us to be righteous and shine like the sun.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others pursue being a good seed.
Posted in Matthew
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