The Living Word: A Daily Devotional with Jeff & Dale from The Jenkins Institute

“Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will

tell the reapers, ‘Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to

be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn’” (Matthew 13:30,

ESV). “No Justice, No Peace!” We hear this phrase shouted

repeatedly by protesters who feel they have been wronged by the

powers that be. They are not alone. Everyone wants to receive the

justice they feel they deserve. However

“So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather

them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the

wheat along with them.’” (Matthew 13:28-29, ESV). Jesus Christ is a

patient and loving Savior, and he demonstrates this in his answer

to the servants who want to remove the weeds from amongst the

wheat. We must remember that the wheat and the weeds represent

real people who follow or do not follow Jesus. It is not an

“insignificant effort” to remove these weeds. The servants make a

logical request.

“But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed

weeds among the wheat” (Matthew 13:25, ESV). Jesus Christ, the

One who sows the seeds of the kingdom, has an enemy. We need to

know a few things about this enemy. First, he is crafty and

deceitful. He secretly sows weeds while the workers sleep. But why

does the enemy sow weeds? Just as Jesus is good, the enemy is evil.

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed

good seed in his field . . .” (Matthew 13:24). The Parable of the

Weeds starts with such promise—a man sowed good seed in his

field, and since the seed was good, the harvest should also be good.

We learn that the man sowing represents Jesus Christ, and the seed

represents His followers in the kingdom. The fact that he sowed

good seed does not surprise us because we know that everything

that God does is good.

As we discuss this parable, let’s first ask ourselves, “Why did Jesus speak

to the people in this fashion?” The apostles wanted to know this also, and

Jesus answered by quoting the prophet Isaiah, “This is why I speak to

them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not

hear, nor do they understand For this people's heart has grown dull, and

with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest

they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand

with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’"(Matthew 13:13-15,

ESV).

"We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is

coming, when no one can work" (John 9:4, ESV). The man blind from

birth in John 9 encountered Jesus doing the amazing works of God. What

a life-changing moment it was! From that moment forward, His eyes

would see, and his lips would tell the story of Jesus who had opened his

eyes.

His weren't the only eyes opened that day. The disciples learned that

infirmity isn't always inherited from another's sin. The Pharisees

discovered that witnessing God's glory matters more than their Sabbath

regulations. Eyes opened to God's work, God's power, God's Son, and

God's grace.

When I read this week’s parable, I think about the master’s return for more

workers and remember: the call to follow Jesus is for ALL.

In the Great Commission, Jesus commands, "Go therefore and make disciples

of ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and

of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19, ESV).

Paul declares in Titus, "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation

for ALL people" (Titus 2:11, ESV).

To Timothy, he writes that God "desires ALL people to be saved and to come

to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:3-4, ESV).

Peter reminds scattered believers that the Lord is "not wishing that any

should perish, but that ALL should reach repentance" (2 Peter 3:9, ESV).

And Paul emphasizes that Christ "died for ALL" (2 Corinthians 5:15, ESV).

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray

earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his

harvest" (Matthew 9:37-38 ESV). In the parable of the workers in the

vineyard, the master makes five trips seeking laborers. His persistence

reveals God's profound heart for His work.

Do we see with the same eyes as our Master, Jesus? In Matthew 9:35-38,

Jesus surveys the crowds and sees people "harassed and helpless, like

sheep without a shepherd” (ESV). The word “compassion” in the original

language describes a gut-wrenching emotion. Christ's heart was moved

because He knew His kingdom needs more workers.

When I taught, I reminded students of two crucial elements in Bible

study: Content (what is said) and Context (the setting, occasion, and

culture). There is much for us to learn when we consider this week's

parable of the vineyard workers. We first need to zoom out and observe

the surrounding moments that frame this teaching.

In Matthew 19, we encounter a rich young man who allows his wealth to

keep him from following Jesus. This man, who has everything the world

deems valuable, is going to miss the most important thing of all. As the

disciples contemplate this encounter, Peter says, "See, we have left

everything and followed you. What then will we have?" (Matthew 19:27,

TRANSLATION).