LIFE IN BETWEEN Being Wheat among the Weeds

A friend recently told me, “sometimes, when I look at some people who come to Church, I am not sure if they’re following Jesus.” Truth be told, I think my friend is not the only one who has had this concern. When we see disturbing behavioral patterns in church, it makes us wonder what on earth is actually going on! And if we are not careful, these negative experiences can also make us cynical and indifferent to our fellow brothers. Moreover, when we see individuals with such character traits flourish, it can make us bitter toward God if we are not aware of our own sinful nature and what God prioritizes.

In Matthew Chapter 13, Jesus tells us the parable of weeds. “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.” Here is a field with wheat and weeds- Both experience the same sunlight, manure, soil, water and everything else. Both sprout and grow almost equally.

The genuine question is, why are the weeds allowed to grow in the same field? Isn’t the manure, soil and other favorable conditions wasted on the weeds? Unfortunately, yes! But in the parable, neither the owner nor the servants pull out the weeds. They are allowing them to grow together for the time being.

The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you pull the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.’ It might sound ironic, but the weeds that disturb us are allowed to grow for the sake of good wheat! As the roots are interlinked below the soil, pulling out weeds prematurely might damage the growth of wheat.

In our limited perspective, we often see what is above the soil or what is on the outside. We are unaware of the million different ways in which people are dependent on each other and how we support one another indirectly. But God, in his wisdom, knows all things, and him choosing to do something or refraining from doing something is ultimately an expression of his goodness- not a lack of justice.

But truth be told, it is hard to be good and do good when people around us are getting to where they want to without any moral compass, especially those who call themselves Christians. In such situations, what might we do? I would say, scratch the surface and ask ourselves what we really believe about God! If we see that our belief of who God is contradicts his word, repent and ask for help from God himself to reorient our hearts to him. Also, pray for some good ‘wheat-friendships’–nothing can be a substitute for good community and fellowship. Allow godly people to speak into our hearts and minds. Moreover, remind ourselves that faith is required not just in our salvation experience, but in our everyday walk with God and seek our validation of where we are from God’s word.

Daya Raja, Bangalore

Daya thinks it’s absolutely cool to be known by Jesus. She deeply appreciates nature, art and silence. Her dream is to fall in love with Jesus and humanity every day. Daya can be reached at dayaraja95@gmail.com