Good morning beautiful,
Lately, due to much road work on the back roads near my home, I have had to find different alternative routes to get to work. One of my routes is more scenic, so I pass by many open fields. I see cows, goats, chickens, and a lot of wildflowers. Some days, when I am not in a rush, I take the time to enjoy the beauty in God’s creations.
One day, while admiring God’s canvas, I became mesmerized by the mustard-yellow plants I saw alongside the road. I became interested in knowing the names of the plants I saw and learning more about them. So, what do I do? I go to Google because I am now invested and must know the answer! So, I found that the plants I see in the open field are called wild mustard. They are classified as a weed.
I was shocked after finding out because I couldn’t believe that I had fallen in love with weeds this whole time! Of course, this got my brain juices flowing, and I started to wonder about spiritual growth and how often we find beauty in the things that aren’t supposed to be.
Maybe you’re a victim like me and have been duped into believing that the fruit you thought you were harvesting was a weed in disguise. Don’t fret because God supplies us with the understanding to know how to identify and put an end to the bad seeds in our lives.
Growing in Christ will equip you to learn how to distinguish the good from the bad and not be fooled by things mimicking His beauty.
Sincerely
Your friend
A moment to reflect
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Matthew 13:24-30 KJV
Before going in and explaining this parable, I feel that it is essential to first talk about what a parable is and why Jesus spoke in parables.
A parable is taking that which is spiritual and describing it using language borrowed from the things of this life.1 So Jesus spoke to the children of Israel in parables because, in layman’s terms, those with ears to hear will hear ( Read Matthew 13:10-17). This puts the responsibility on the individual, and those who wanted to learn would, and those who didn’t would not search further.2
Now that we have a better understanding of parables, let’s dissect what God was saying about the tares and the wheat ( Matthew 13:24-30). God demonstrates that the tares are the things that pervert the gospel. The weeds referenced here are called darnel. Some refer to it as the mimic weed. The reason is that this plant Is a weedy ryegrass with poisonous black seeds. Darnel resembles wheat in its early growth but is easily distinguishable when fully grown.3
This is why we must realize that the enemy is very cunning, and sometimes, common sense isn’t so common. We can rebuke the obvious things of Satan. However, Satan also disguises himself as the angel of light ( read 2 Corinthians 11:14), and we mistake the weeds for wheat. This can cause us to misinterpret what God is calling us to pluck out because our eyes have been deceived, and we hold on thinking that we are keeping what is good, but in all actuality, it serves no purpose other than to destroy what God is doing in your life.
Maybe you are at a place where God is calling you to rid yourself of someone or something, but you find it hard to let go. The reason you may be faced with this challenge is that the things that you are holding on to may have served a purpose, and it’s been an added addition to your life. We must understand that even in our best attempts, we are not the best judge of things. Satan’s plan is to trick you, and he will disguise his tactics as something beautiful and worthwhile. The problem is that it brings about destruction, and the sad part about that is that oftentimes, we don’t realize we are on that path until after destruction has already occurred.
We have reached a point where we have to learn to trust God. Our eyes will deceive us each and every time, and the only way to know the wheat from the tares is to know God and to become familiar with His ways. You alone can not recognize the fruit without knowing the creator. Harvest season is approaching, but have you yielded enough to receive what is rightfully yours, or has most of your harvest ended up in the burn pile ( read Matthew 13:30)?
Don’t be fooled by the things mimicking beauty because God is the real author of what is and what is to come. Let His light shine through you in this dark season, and don’t be afraid to let go.
Daily Challenge
Tares are things that choke out the word of God. Today, I want you to examine your life and see if you can identify the traits that are hindering you from moving forward.
Here are some examples to get your brain juices flowing
- Indecisiveness
- Lack of focus
- A fixed mindset
- Being argumentative
Take what you have identified, bring it to God, and seek Him to explore the best way to rid this seed from your life.
- Blue Letter Bible, ” Matthew Henry: Commentary on Matthew 13,” accessed October 7, 2023, https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Mat/Mat_013.cfm?a=942010.13 ↩︎
- Blue Letter Bible, ” David Guzik: Study Guide for Matthew 13,” accessed October 7, 2023, https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/guzik_david/study-guide/matthew/matthew-13.cfm?a=942039. ↩︎
-
Blue Letter Bible, ” ESV global study: Footnotes for Matthew 13,” accessed October 7, 2023, https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv-study-bible/notes/mat/chapter-13?a=942039. ↩︎
