parable of the weeds

A delayed result

The Jews understood that God’s plan of salvation involved a Messiah who was expected to establish God’s kingdom on earth, but they misinterpreted the circumstances of their Savior’s arrival and how God intended to redeem his chosen people. Isaiah 42 talks about the LORD’s chosen servant and the work that he would do while he was alive on earth. Isaiah 42:1-9 is “the first of four ‘servant songs’ in Isaiah (see also Isaiah 49:1-7; 50:4-11; 52:13-53:12; some would add 61:1-3, although the term ‘servant’ does not appear there)…The servant is clearly said to be an individual (Isaiah 52:13, 15; 53:11). The servant’s sinless character, resurrection, and work (Isaiah 42:3, 4; 49:5; 53:4-6, 11) go infinitely beyond man’s capabilities. These passages can only refer to Christ. The New Testament explicitly identifies the servant as Jesus (Matthew 12:17-21; Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47; 26:23), especially in relation to Isaiah 52:13-53:11 (cf. Matthew 8:17; Luke 22:37; Philippians 2:9; Hebrew 9:28; 1 Peter 2:23-25). Near the end of his ministry, Jesus’ disciples continued to express their ignorance about what was going to happen next, and so, Jesus spent a considerable amount of time leading up to his crucifixion explaining the course of events that would result in the future glory of Israel that is described in Isaiah 60 and the LORD’s day of vengeance that is described in Isaiah 63.

Jesus led into his discussion of the events surrounding the end of the age by foretelling the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. Luke tells us “And while some were speaking of the temple how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, ‘As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down’” (Luke 21:5-6). One of the deficiencies of human intelligence is that we view life as a continuum that we are able to control. We think that we can change the course of our lives or keep it in a steady state if we want to and don’t understand that God’s sovereignty allows him to do whatever he wants to at any particular point in time (Matthew 10:29). At the time of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, he wept over the city because he knew what was going to happen to it. Jesus told the people, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side, and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:42-44).

Jesus referred to his life on earth as a visitation. In the Old Testament of the Bible, visitation is linked to punishment and God’s judgement of the world. It says of the wicked in Isaiah 26:14, and 21, “They are dead, they will not live; they are shades, they will not arise; to that end you have visited them with destruction and wiped out all remembrance of them…For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.” A visit implies something that is temporary, a person comes for a visit and then, goes away. Jesus told his followers that he was going away, but that he would return for them later (John 14:3). Jesus said, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you…You heard me say to you, I am going away, and I will come to you. If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe” (John 14:18-19, 28-29).

Jesus warned his disciples that there was going to be a delayed result following his death, burial, and resurrection. Rather than his kingdom on earth being manifested immediately, there was going to be a period of time where Jesus would be with his Father in heaven, preparing a home for his future bride (John 14:2; Revelation 21:2), and believers would continue to live on earth. When his disciples asked him how long they would have to wait for his return, Jesus told them, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once” (Luke 21:8-9). Jesus indicated there would be an end to life on earth as we currently know it, but that certain things needed to take place before that could happen. Jesus later explained that the things that had been written about him in the Scriptures had to be fulfilled, “For what is written about me has its fulfillment” (Luke 23:37). The Greek word that is translated fulfillment, telos (telˊ-os) is properly translated as “the point aimed at as a limit, i.e. (by implication) the conclusion of an act or state (termination [literal, figurative or indefinite], result [immediate, ultimate or prophetic], purpose)” (G5056).

One of the things Jesus identified that had to be fulfilled was the preaching of the gospel. Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). Paul explained in his first letter to the Corinthians that the end is when Jesus delivers the kingdom of God to the Father and, that this takes place after Jesus has destroyed every rule and every authority and power. Paul wrote:

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)

Paul said that Christ must “reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25). This indicates that Jesus is already reigning over God’s kingdom in heaven, but according to Revelation 20:4, there will be a time in the future when Jesus reigns over God’s kingdom on earth. John stated, “Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

Jesus foretold of wars and persecution that would take place prior to the great tribulation. Jesus told his disciples, “You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives” (Luke 21:16-19). Jesus went on to say, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance to fulfill all that is written” (Luke 21:20-22). Jesus said the fulfillment of all that is written will continue into the great tribulation and said of the Jews, “They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). In this instance, the word fulfilled is translated from the Greek word pleroo (play-roˊ-o), which is spoken “in the passive, of time, to be fulfilled, completed, ended” (G4137). Jesus referred to the end of the times of the Gentiles in his explanation of the parable of the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30). Jesus said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear” (Matthew 13:37-43).

Jesus ended his discussion of the delayed result of his death, burial, and resurrection by identifying the visible signs of his second coming. Jesus said, “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world” (Luke 21:25-26). Jesus pointed to natural phenomenon that would cause distress and said there would be perplexity because of the unusual behavior displayed by God’s creation. Jesus said “the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:26), meaning that the natural order of the world will be disrupted. Jesus concluded by stating, “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27). The Apostle Peter thought that Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas the high priest would result in the end of his ministry (Matthew 26:58), but Jesus knew there would be a delayed result that no one expected. In his revelation which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place, John reiterated Jesus’ prophecy about his return. John said, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom of priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

The harvest

Jesus often described the kingdom of heaven using terms that are usually associated with work and productivity. When he instructed his disciples to take up their cross and follow him, Jesus compared their effort to work and the result of the disciples’ effort to profit and loss. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:23-24). The Greek word that is translated profit opheleo (o-fel-ehˊ-o) is derived from the word ophelos (ofˊ-el-os) which means “(to heap up, i.e. accumulate or benefit); gain” (G3786). The reason why Jesus compared gaining the whole world to losing ourselves is likely because we typically think of ourselves in terms of our possessions, the house we own or the car we drive. The point that Jesus was making was that our possessions don’t define us, but they could determine where we will spend eternity if we allow them take precedence over our relationship with God.

After Jesus appointed seventy-two others besides his twelve apostles, he sent them ahead of him two by two to the towns where he intended to minister (Luke 10:1). Jesus told them:

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages.” (Luke 10:2-7)

The Greek word that is translated laborers, ergates (er-gatˊ-ace) means “a toiler” but is being used figuratively to refer to “a teacher” (G2040). Ergates comes from the word ergon (erˊ-gon) which speaks of “toil (as an effort or occupation)” but in simple terms, ergon represents “something to be done” and generally, “of the work which Jesus was sent to fulfill on earth (John 5:20, 36; 10:38; 17:4); that which one has been called or ordained to accomplish (John 4:34; 6:28, 29; 9:4; 17:4; Acts 13:2; 14:26; 15:38; 16:10; Philippians 1:22; 2:30; Revelation 2:26)” (G2041).

Jesus told the seventy-two others that “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Luke 10:2). Jesus’ parables of the sower, the seed growing, and the weeds provide us with some insight into what Jesus meant by this statement. Jesus said of parable of the sower, “The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard: then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved” (Luke 8:11-12). Jesus’ explanation of the parable of the sower has led some people to believe that the harvest is about people getting saved, but that may not be the harvest’s intended purpose. Jesus said in his parable of the seed growing, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle because the harvest has come” (Mark 4:25-29). Thinking about the word of God growing and maturing into grain that ripens and then, needs to be harvested has the implication of God’s word being alive and/or changing in form. The writer of Hebrews describes the word of God as living and active, “sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The Greek word that is translated word in the phrase word of God is logos (logˊos). John used the word logos when he said of Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Jesus’ identification as the word of God and his role in the harvest is further clarified in his parable of the weeds. Jesus said:

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” (Matthew 13:24-30)

Jesus’ parable of the weeds indicated that the grain was going to be left to grow in the field together with the weeds until the harvest. In his explanation of the parable of the weeds, Jesus made it clear that the wheat represented those who would be entering the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear” (Matthew 13:37-43).

Jesus said that the harvest would take place at the end of the age, and yet he sent out the seventy-two others as laborers into the harvest. This seems to suggest that the harvest has both temporal and eternal features. It could be that what we do in the temporal aspect of our lives with regard to the harvest won’t be manifested until the end of the age or in eternity. Paul talked about this in connection with the resurrection of the dead. Paul said:

But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:35-44)

Paul made an important distinction about the harvest when he said, “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies” (1 Corinthians 15:36), and then, Paul linked the harvest to an eternal event that he was anxiously anticipating, the resurrection of the dead. Paul said, “What is sown is perishable; what is raised in imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:42). Paul also indicated that a change is going to take place that is connected with the harvest of believers when Jesus Christ returns (Matthew 24:30-31). Paul said:

I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)

Paul concluded his discussion of the resurrection of the dead by encouraging believers that “our labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). This seems to relate back to Jesus’ statement, “The laborer deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7). The reward for participating in the harvest was described by Jesus as wages. This seems to suggest that those who teach the word of God should be paid for their service, but I don’t think that was what Jesus intended to convey or what Paul had in mind when he talked about our labor not being in vain.

One of the events of Jesus’ ministry that is only recorded in John’s gospel is when Jesus and the woman of Samaria met at Jacob’s well. After Jesus revealed the woman’s sin to her, “the woman said to him, ‘Sir I perceive that you are a prophet’” (John 4:19). Jesus then proceeded to tell the woman about how she could have a relationship with God. Jesus concluded with the statement, “’God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am he’” (John 4:24-26). Jesus’ interaction with the woman of Samaria was interrupted by his disciples returning from going into the city to buy food. John tells us, “Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, ‘Rabbi, eat.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ So the disciples said to one another, ‘Has anyone brought him something to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, “There are yet four months, then comes the harvest”? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor’” (John 4:31-38). Jesus indicated that there are both temporal and eternal rewards for harvesting God’s crop. He said, “Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life” (John 4:36). The wages that Jesus was referring to could be anything from financial blessing from God to increased spiritual discernment. In his illustration of the laborers in the vineyard, Jesus said that the master of the house paid everyone the same wage regardless of when they started working. This was attributed to the master’s generosity. When the workers who had started first grumbled at the master of the house, he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity. So the last will be first and the first last” (Matthew 20:13-16).