Parable of Weeds explained, Battle for Souls, Harvest

The Parable of the Weeds

Do not judge another as only God knows who will eventually seek His glory.

Life is a recruiting drive, as God patiently waits for His harvest of wheat.

Found in Mathew chapter 13, the Parable of the Weeds offers several important revelations about our life, our purpose, the angelic realm and the vast spiritual warfare that exists for each and every human soul. These verses reveal how people, like wheat growing in a field, can be consumed by weeds (or evil) if we are not aware and on guard as individuals or a civilization.

We are taught not to judge one another since it is God who will ultimately be judging us all at the end of our lives. This is especially true since it is Christ who made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross to pay our wages to God for the sins of mankind.

We are also taught that God allows free will for the human race as an opportunity to allow us to choose our own paths whether good or bad. So in God’s time, the wicked and the righteous, the good and the bad (like weeds and wheat) will intrinsically live and grow around each other to eventually reveal each person's true merit and identity in time.

God loves every human being and is hoping that we all live and grow to walk a righteous path as if we were wheat growing in a field void of (sinful) weeds.

The "Parable of the Weeds" (Matthew 13: 24-30) says:

24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

When the disciples did not understand this parable, they asked Jesus what he meant. So Jesus explains the parable of the weeds in Matthew 13: 36-43:

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.

The reality for the human race is that there is a vast spiritual war going on for every single human life. It exists in the unseen multi-dimensional universe that the Bible refers to as the spiritual world has been mathematically proven to exist by the science of quantum mechanics.

Accepting the reality of spiritual warfare is extremely important to maintain an effective defense against the evil forces that influence everyone's "Train of Thought".

In Matthew 13:39 it says:

"And the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels."

This verse makes it clear that God uses angels to watch over us and record our deeds as we live our lives. Interestingly, the Bible also says that we may even meet and interact with angels during our daily lives.

In Hebrews 13:2 it says:

"Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."

Ultimately, if you live by Christ's teachings and love your neighbors, any encounter with an angel should be a mutually rewarding experience. Angels will almost always be a friendly stranger in need or a helpful stranger who came to your aid out of the blue.

When one understands and appreciates the concept within the parable of the weeds, it should inspire them to be vigilant, have self-control and to be motivated to help their neighbors as well as strangers.

In Matthew 19:30 it also says:

"But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."

In other words, Christ eventually levels the playing field for all of humanity. The rich and famous will be judged in the same manner as the poor and the forgotten. Those who accept the divinity and resurrection of Christ are "saved" by their faith in Jesus. I will be discussing this concept in the Judgement webpage.

In a multi-dimensional universe, a human being that is created in God's image has a lot to lose since we have a soul that is designed to live forever.

The parable of the weeds ultimately reveals God’s compassion and patience while we all struggle to live our lives. When the disciples wondered why the weeds should not be removed early on, Jesus points out, just like the human race, weeds can often look like wheat. And again like the human race, one must let both, the good and the bad, mature together to see the outcome of each plant similar to waiting for the deeds of a human as life progresses before the harvest.

Are we aware as individuals or a society as to the critical spiritual battle for our souls during our lives? One should be asking... What will I do to keep the entangling weeds of deceit away from ourselves and those we love? A verse located at 1 Peter 5:8 offers great advice!

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

In a World of free will with pain and suffering, life may not seem fair. But everyone, in their own way, will have opportunities throughout their lives to observe, acquire faith and accept or ignore the reality of God and the salvation of Christ. In the end, the greatest deed anyone can do is to represent in the name of Christ by using their God given talents when it matters. The question is, are we willing? And will we be ready?

Christ addresses this issue in the Parable of Talents.