BROKEN KINGDOM
Jenna Worsham
Today’s Scripture: “He put another parable before them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.’” Matthew 13:24-26, ESV
Theme: Jesus teaches us about the complexity of evil in a world that also contains elements of His Kingdom.
UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
Recently celebrating motherhood and all the small things the women in my life have done to raise me up also reminds me that this day can be excruciatingly painful for some. Particularly so for those whose mother relationships are broken – by death, by disease, by distance, by infertility or by bitterness. Not all children celebrate mothers. I saw mothers at church alone. I hugged friends whose children live far away. I didn’t ask if their children sent cards or remembered to call for Mother’s Day. The week following Mother’s Day I was asked many times how we celebrated. I have school-aged kids, so I suppose it’s a usual question. I heard other people’s accounts of gifts, pampering, and celebrations – which are all lovely. However, much celebration is not an expectation for me, or for every mother in every situation.
If I expected a picture-perfect day, the lateness of my teenager, our seating in the cafe (instead of the main auditorium), or the difficult conversation during the ride to church might have caused me to sin. However, I understand that, while my family isn’t perfect, their imperfect presence is appreciated regardless of how it looks on social media or when recounted to my friends. The Kingdom of Heaven as we experience it today isn’t what it will be, what we hope for, or what God promises in the future when He makes all things new.
PLANTS AND WEEDS TOGETHER
Jesus started nine different parables in the book of Matthew including today’s Scripture with the words, “The kingdom of heaven is like...” Our God wants us to try to understand His Kingdom, and He helps us to have an accurate perspective. “So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also” (Matthew 13:26, ESV). We understand that this world is complicated – marred by brokenness and evil. There is a harvest of grain growing. However, there are also weeds growing. The result is a contaminated field. Sometimes we are tempted to throw out the whole thing. An attitude like: “This world is a mess. There is nothing we can do to save it. I might as well give up,” causes us to abandon the good wheat, the Kingdom of God among us now. This is the wrong attitude. Alternatively, having an attitude where we expect the world to be a perfect reflection of God’s eternal Kingdom now ignores the “weeds” He tells us are with us. Sometimes we may think, “If only we can push 'God’s agenda’ in government, schools, and my country we can create our own version of God’s Kingdom.” This is also the wrong attitude. Like the Jews during Jesus’ time who expected that Jesus would come and conquer the Romans, this attitude wrongly assumes we know better than God does.
Jesus explained, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels,” (Matthew 13:37-39, ESV). The Kingdom of God here on Earth is currently complicated, containing elements of good and evil while we wait for the weeds and the wheat to grow to maturity. Sometimes we can’t even tell the wheat from the weeds! God in His wisdom is providing time for the rescue and redemption of all humanity. At the perfect time, He will redeem the world, remove all the bad and make all things new.
Make It Personal: In what ways might “unrealistic expectations” of the world tempt you to sin or turn from God? Which wrong attitude are you more prone to – one that wants to give up on a hopeless, evil world OR one that seeks to create and find satisfaction in a fabricated heaven on Earth? Thank God for His good promise of a Kingdom made new with me.
Pray: Dear God, thank You for the promise of Your Kingdom made new, Your perfect timing, wisdom and desire to see all of humanity redeemed. I trust Your timing and process even when it doesn’t make sense to me. Thank You for providing simple parables like the one about wheat and weeds to help me make sense of the world. Jesus’ teachings are so encouraging and helpful to me when I feel lost or confused. Help me to have accurate but hopeful expectations of the world. Help me to see the Kingdom of Heaven the way You do – both now and not yet. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read: Matthew 13:24-29, 36-43
Weekly Memory Verse: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5, ESV