Who Weeds Out The Weeds?

My pastor's name is Robert "The Jazz Theologian" Gelinas and what follows is my 🎶 riff 🎶  on his sermon from Matthew 13:24-30, 37-43.

“We’ve got bad news, boss.” I wonder how the workers decided which of them would deliver this report. Did they draw straws? Play rock-paper-scissors? Or maybe the most senior one stepped forward, sighed heavily, and said “I’ll do it,” before adding, “but ya’ll are coming with me.”

They walked along the outside edges of the field. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but that’s reserved for good news. This information could take the scenic route.

Some chewed on their lips, others their fingernails. Each one wondered how the Owner of the field would react. First he’d be shocked, naturally, just like they were, but then what emotion would follow? Probably anger. Then panic.

The joy and peace often in abundance around the Owner’s table would be absent for quite awhile, that much was for sure.

Inside the barn they found Him kneeling in fresh straw with wooly bundles all around. Arms open wide he said to the lambs, “Good morning, my beloveds.” Then cupping each face He addressed them by name. “It’s the loveliest kind of day for lovelies like you.” His voice so kind.

Who would dare to pierce this perfectly holy moment?

Gently teasing the lambs, He continued, “Who wants milk first?” Five sets of eyes gazed up at Him. “Now, don’t give me that look,” He chuckled. “You all know there’s an abundance of fresh milk. Plenty for you and you and you and plenty to share too.” That made their stumpy little tails wag.

I wonder if one of the workers got teary-eyed. Was it a sniffle that made the Owner turn His head toward the doorway?

“We’re very sorry to interrupt. We’ve got bad news, boss.”

Kissing the youngest lamb on its nose, the Owner straightened up and walked toward them.

“Umm, well, first the good news. The wheat has sprouted and formed heads.”

The Owner looked out and across the fields in the morning light.

“But weeds have also appeared.”

The Owner nodded.

Why didn’t He appear as shocked by this discovery as the workers? Did He already know about the weeds?

I imagine the youngest worker pulling the pant leg of the spokesperson and whispering, “Tell him it’s not our fault.”

“Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?” How this came off as anything other than calling into question the Owner’s own diligence and ability, I do not know.

The Owner nodded again.

“Where then did the weeds come from?” the workers inquired.

“An enemy, the Evil One, did this,” He replied evenly.

No anger. No panic. Maybe the Owner was shocked beyond belief. Beyond the ability to react appropriately. Perhaps, thought the workers, it was up to them to suggest a remediation plan.

“Do you want us to go and pull the weeds up?” They would use their best judgement, of course, but it would still be a tricky task. At this stage, the darnel weeds and darn good wheat looked very similar.

“No,” He answered, “if you pull the weeds now, you may uproot the wheat with them.”

Sure, they thought, some of the good wheat would likely get mistaken as bad weeds and in the end they might have 10% less wheat, but they’d also have 90% less weeds. That was a tradeoff worth making. The ends would justify the means.

“But boss, we’ll be careful. We’ll use our best judgement.”

The Owner knew better. In their fervor to protect His field, the workers’ vision would become impaired. They would say to one another “Leave the top performers: the strong and sturdy stalks of wheat. But if it’s small, bruised, or beat-up, yank it out.”

In this way, the struggling, slow-growing, and marginal stalks would be uprooted and cast aside to wither. Indeed, the weeds would be destroy prematurely, but so too would the wheat.

“No, let them all grow together,” He told them.

“What? No!” said one of the workers emphatically. “Good wheat and evil weeds cannot be allowed to coexist.”

At this point, they all began to talk over one another.

“Immorality will grow more immoral.”
“Idolatry will grow more idolatrous.”
“Greed will get greedier.”
“Terror more terrifying.”
“Jealousy more jealous.”
“Fear more fearful.”
“Anger angrier.”
“Jesus, please let us identify and destroy the weeds now!”

Cupping each worker’s face He addressed them by name saying, “Do not be afraid, little ones. I am the Lord of the Harvest and the problem of evil is my problem. Let good and evil grow together for now.”

At this point I imagine Him telling them to sit down, their faces toward the field, their backs against the barn walls. Placing a lamb in each of their laps He asks them, “Do you not remember all the precise preparations I made to this field?”

Then sitting with them on the ground and looking up to the heavens, He tells them the creation story. Because after all, it is the very best story.

In the beginning, when I spoke life-giving light into existence, it was good.

When I suspended water in the sky and then dribbled it down as gentle rain, it was good.

When I formed up the nutrient-rich land, removed all the rocks, and measured the rows, it was good.

When I created the birds and bumblebees and butterflies to keep watch over the vegetation, it was good.

Every inch perfectly designed for growing good things.

And then I formed and planted each seed, giving them all a purpose, and it was so good.

You see, there is no need to panic because the rival farmer has three crushing strikes against him.

First, the good seed has a head start. It was planted first, so this seed pulls in the best light, the best water, the best sustenance.

Beauty grows more beautiful.
Faith grows more faithful.
Kindness grows kinder.
Joy more joyful.
Hope more hopeful.
Love lovelier.

Secondly, evil will try mightily, and even look like it’s overtaking the good, but in the shadow of the cross it will never catch up. The soil, never forget, was purposefully prepared for growing good, not evil. That’s why the evil one does his planting in darkness. His seeds only steal, kill, and destroy. It breeds only ugly.

And then there’s strike three: evil’s kingdom is dead at the root. Oh sure, above ground evil still dances and entices, but don’t be mistaken, those are its death throws.

So you see there is no need to fear or fret about the wicked things growing from a kingdom that is already dead. They are mere weeds compared to the good wheat growing in the eternal kingdom of God.

I’ve had a long-term plan and timetable for evil all along. So patiently wait. Withhold your condemnation. When the harvest is ready, I will send out My angels, and they will perfectly weed out of My kingdom everything that is evil. 

All is quiet now.
The Spirit blowing.
A peace settling.

But I still had one question. “What do we do in the meantime?”

“Ask the Lord of the Harvest, who planted you in His good field,”
said my pastor that Sunday morning,
“to shine on you His hope and love,
to water you with the presence of His Spirit, and
to help you grow and grow and grow.”

Amen.

Lord, come quickly.