Weed control is a fact of life if you own a yard, a garden, landscape beds or even potted plants. They make this powerful product called Roundup to spray on weeds anywhere and it kills them. Well, it actually kills everything.
Walking in my neighborhood in the summer time, I know who the rookie yard owners are. Their front lawn is green but spotted with brown, dead, circular patches where they sprayed weeds with Roundup. It killed the weeds, and the grass, too! Oops. Overkill.
There’s another option to weed control, however: a healthy lawn. Developing a healthy lawn with strong grass roots means fewer weeds.
Jesus told a parable about this. Weeds were growing in the wheat field. Workers wondered whether they should pull up the weeds and they were told that’s not a good idea. They might pull up the wheat as well. “Let both grow together until the harvest” (Matthew 13:30).
The weeds represent unbelievers, the field represents the world, and the wheat in the field is believers.
Instead of pushing unchurched and ungodly people away, condemning their wickedness and complaining about their terrible, ungodly decisions and behaviors, Jesus wants believers to grow in this world together with unbelievers. Rub shoulders with them. Show them the joys of God’s kingdom. Talk with them. Hang out with them.
Unbelievers need believers like us. So let’s get out there. Let’s join bowling leagues outside of church circles. Let’s go to birthday parties, basketball games, Barbie movies, bars and restaurants where unbelievers are going.
The world, not the church, is Jesus’ field. He plants you carefully and watches both wheat and weeds alike. The weeds cannot and will not overtake the wheat.
But, Jesus sure hopes that the wheat will overcome the weeds.
PRAYER: Jesus, we’re sorry that church can become so insider-focused rather than mission-minded. Save us from ourselves, and help us to remember that the weeds and wheat grow together in your field. As we grow in our love, we pray the church may grow as more people become believers. Amen.
EVANGELISM ACTION: Want some help to do this better? Want to put this parable of Jesus into practice in new ways you’ve never done before? Then take this spiritual next step this week: Visit HeGetsUs.com and check out how the site connects Jesus and faith with an unbelieving, skeptical and even angry world. Pray for God’s direction and choose a video to share with a friend who needs Jesus.