²⁴ Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. ²⁵ But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. ²⁶ When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

²⁷ “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

²⁸ “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

²⁹ “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

…

³⁶ Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”

³⁷ Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. ³⁸ The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. ³⁹ The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.

⁴⁰ “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴² And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Dear God, I have a couple of thoughts about this morning I don’t think I’ve ever had before. First, I think a lot of people who do not understand why there is suffering in the world would question why you let the devil plant the weeds in the first place. Is there a bigger purpose in that? Do we need this struggle between you and him to develop into your children? Would it be possible to be your child without this struggle?

Second, I wondered if I am here this morning because you didn’t pull out the weeds with the wheat generations before. My entire existence (birth) is dependent upon a very specific set of events happening. Essentially the right people had to conceive at the precisely the right time for me to be here. For any of us to be here. How much do I really owe my own life to your mercy?

So as I sit here this morning, I think about my life. Am I wheat or am I a weed? Does the way you see my life change at any given moment? And, for the sake of argument, let’s say I’m a wheat. How would you have me to live among the weeds? It feels like you want me, within my sphere of influence, to love on the weeds as much as possible to see if I can get them to be wheat. You also want me to do everything I can to support the other wheat around me. And finally, you want me to stay wheat and grow strong by tapping my roots into you. Into your living water. Into your Holy Spirit.

Father, I give all of this to you. I don’t understand your ways. I don’t understand why you have given Satan the leeway you’ve given him, but mine is not to ask why. I think of Job 38 when you ask him, “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?” (Job 38:2) I don’t dare question you. So my other choice is to simply submit to you. So Holy Spirit, Jesus, Father, “break me, melt me, mold me, fill me. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.”

I pray this in your Holy Name,

Amen