THE PARABLE OF THE WEEDS

Passage: Matthew 13:24-30

Key verse: 30

NIV

The Parable of the Weeds

24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like(A) 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.’”(B)

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Parable of the Weeds

24 He put another parable before them, saying, (A)“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds[a] among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants[b] of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, (B)‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, (C)“Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 13:25 Probably darnel, a wheat-like weed
  2. Matthew 13:27 Or bondservants; also verse 28
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Weeds and wheat (24-26)

Jesus told a kingdom parable. God is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. His enemy, the devil, secretly came and sowed weeds. No one knew about the devils' mischief until the weeds and wheat formed heads. The devil is a very hard worker--and very sneaky.

2. What shall we do? (27-30)

The servants suggested pulling up the weeds, but the master said, 'No.' If the weeds were pulled up, then some of the wheat would be uprooted. It was hard to wait, doing nothing, and just watch the weeds grow. But the owner assured his servants that at the harvest time everything would be straightened out. On the day of judgment, there will be a clear separation of the work of God and the work of Satan. We must do the work of God diligently and wait on God to deal with Satan's work.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be more diligent than the devil. Give me patience to obey you and wait on you-- even when the devil makes a sneak attack.

One Word: Do God's work