“Life’s Weeds”

 Scripture     Matthew 13:24-30

Our parable for today could be seen as an extension of the one we considered last week (The Sower).  Interestingly, Jesus intended His parables to be seen as an integral part in the establishment of boundaries for our lives.  And He used them in a way that we all can understand, and yet, if there was any chance that we might be confused as to the significance of some of His parables, He also included clarifications that remove any doubts that we might have!

 But basically, there’s a good chance that we all know about weeds – most of us have gardens containing either flowers or vegetables, and in our efforts to keep those areas free of impediments to the beauty or harvest of our efforts, we engage in a constant battle with the enemy weeks!

 But here, again, Jesus wanted to ensure that we understood the spiritual side of the story, so He always gives us enough information to eliminate any question as to the message that He is presenting to us.  So the primary message that His story conveys, centers not on our battle with undesirable obstructions in our gardens, but with humanity’s constant struggle with sin. 

 Read Matthew 13:24-30

 In this story, Jesus is showing us the differences that exist between a life lived within the will of God, and the life that is being impeded and destroyed by sin.  In today’s world, we are surrounded by the beauty and glory of God every moment of every day.  And yet, the vast majority of humanity still chooses to embrace and glorify the “weeds” that are being sown to block our vision of the Lord’s glory.  This is why God’s seeds have been spread so liberally throughout the world, and why in last week’s parable, the “good soil” was so important to Christ’s lesson for our lives.  

 Even before God met Moses on Mount Sinai, and handed him the Law for all of humanity, Satan has been sowing his devious “weeds” among the people to confuse them, to lead them astray, and to convince them that his is a better way than God’s is!  His deceitful tactic is that he tries to make the sinful life just as appealing, if not more so, than the righteous life! And humanity falls for the lie as readily today as they did 3,500 years ago!  And these weeds, or “tares” as some translations indicate, have a similar appearance to the wheat, creating confusion, just as sin does in our lives.  But when we allow the word of God to guide us, the differences become perfectly clear, and we can then avoid the pitfalls that have been sowed before our life.

 So here are the spiritual identities that Jesus offers in vs. 37-39:

     - the “Sower” is Christ, who is “the Way, the Truth and the Life” for eternity, and He only wants the very best for our lives.

     - the “field” is the world – the goodness of God is for all, not just A few!

     - the “good seed” are the faithful who grow in the word, and spread God’s word that others will know the truth and way of Jesus Christ.

     - the “weeds” are the disciples of evil

     - the “harvest” is, as Jesus says, the “end of the age”, or in other words the day of Judgment, and

     - the “harvesters” are the angels, who will be following Jesus’ commands during the Judgment (see Zechariah 3)

 So how are we to respond to this teaching?  What lessons has Jesus put here for our edification?  I believe that the first, and possibly the  most important lesson, is that since we are the Lord’s “wheat”, we need to be taller and stronger and more vital than Satan’s weeds, that we might be more visible, more viable than the rampant sin that is hobbling and destroying so many of the world’s people!  The second important lesson is that we can do very little regarding the sin that has infected the world around us.  However, we can always be the very best and faithful “wheat” that God will create us to be!  We can’t destroy sin, but we can resist it and deny its alure in our life, with the help of God’s Holy Spirit.  The destruction of sin will finally and completely be taken care of when Jesus returns to set all things right once again.

  And third, even though it isn’t actually a part of the parable, we need to be seen by the “weeds” of the world as leaders of God’s alternative, that Jesus can be their redemption and their sparing from the final destruction of the world’s sinfulness and their allegiance to it.

 This is what the Global Methodist Church’s marvelous theme is all about – Worship Passionately, Love Extravagantly, Witness Boldly!  

This is how the Lord’s “wheat” should be living, and growing, and welcoming, and reaching out to all of the people in this “weedy” world! 

 May it always be so for both you and me!

“Enriched Multiplication”

 Scripture:   Matthew 13:3-9

Jesus tended to offer His parables as everyday examples that the people were very familiar with.  But the message that His teaching contained was anything but worldly in any degree whatsoever!  It was solely spiritual in every possible way, and had little to do with our cultural life.  So today, we begin a new series based on 10 of Jesus’ parables that He offered for our benefit. 

 Today, we consider the Parable of The Sower.  Now it’s true that Jesus offered a brief interpretation of His story later in this chapter, but we will also be looking at the lesson in consideration of the effect that the Lord had intended for our lives.

 Read Matthew 13:3-9

 Jesus had been sitting peacefully on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, but when the people saw Him there, they began to flock to where He was, some seeking healing, some a blessing, and some just to hear the Lord preach a message that they all wanted to hear and understand.  So He left the beach, and moved into a boat that was pulled up nearby, and began to teach.

 The people were quite familiar with agrarian concepts, so the story would strike very close to home.  They knew about broadcast seeding, where the seed was spread liberally across the field.  It wasn’t planted in narrow straight rows like we might do in our own home gardens – it was thrown to cover as much area as possible!  So the seed might land on the prepared soil, or on the path that ran alongside the field, or even on ground that was outside the bounds of the field.

 This may sound like a waste of good seed, but there were no mechanized tools for sowing, and time would be at a premium, so “fast and thorough” was the preferred method.  But what about the seed that fell on areas that were outside the intended field itself? 

 Seed that fell on the well-traveled path, would never germinate, as the ground was well packed down and the seed quickly became feed for the wildlife that saw this gift as an opportunity for a quick meal.

 So initially, just who are these representing?  The Sower is our Creator, the One who has brought us to this place and time.  The seeds are the people of this world, each of whom is being exposed to differing trials and opportunities. 

- Seed that landed on the hard packed path, tell us that the ears and hearts of many are closed to the Good News of Jesus Christ, and the servants of Satan gobble them up quickly so that they can never discover the glory of God.

- Seed that falls on rocky soil, and only develop a weak and inadequate root structure and will fail to obtain the proper nourishment – this is like those who hear the word of God, but while they initially experience some joy in God’s word and way, they quickly succumb to the pressures of persecution and worldly trials, because their faith is shallow and they have no foundation or strength in faith.

- Seed that fell among the thorns, were choked to the point that they could never produce the good fruit that they were intended to provide, - these are those who have sold out to the spirit of worldly temptations, such as wealth, and power, and authority, and the drive to gain acceptance and admiration from the people of Earth.  They lacked the divine vison that is always necessary in faith.

 - But the seed that fell on good soil, and became highly productive, are like those who not only hear the word of God, but who also love and live that word, and grow in faith on a daily basis.  And the crop that is produced by these is the gain that honors and glorifies our Lord and Savior, and brings the Lord’s blessings to both the lost and hurting of the world, as well as to the faithful Church!

 So here is the bottom line - what does this Parable mean for our own lives?  I believe that, as our Conference President-ProTem Steve Taylor mentioned at our District meeting yesterday morning, it is a call to strengthen our church’s “Culture of Call”.

And what does that mean?  All Christians have been called into faithful service by the Holy Spirit, but the question is, how many actually respond enthusiastically to that call?  This doesn’t necessarily mean into pastoral ministry, but there are also many other ways to live out our commitment of love for Jesus Christ. 

- Have you felt a call to visit shut-ins? 

- Have you felt the call to missional service? 

- To youth ministries? 

- To elder ministries? 

- To social justice ministries? 

- To be a loving and inviting witness to your unsaved neighbors? 

There will always be opportunities right where you are as a member of the church!  And always to the Spirit’s leading toward serving in a way that the Lord has already prepared you for.  But we have to be aware of one potential problem, that initially the Lord’s “Call” may not be to what we prefer or enjoy doing – it is far more than that!  It is God’s desire and plan for our lives and the lives of others!  And for some, it can still mean pastoral ministry! 

 And in all that you respond to in faith, remember the three points of faithful outreach that our denomination is opening up for the Church – Worship Passionately, Love Extravagantly, Witness Boldly.  And when we stay connected in all three of these Christian attitudes, the church will grow in mighty ways, becoming who God has always intended us to be!

 

“Healing”

 Scripture:   Matthew 8:5-13

Today, as previously announced, we will be celebrating healing for either yourself, or for another.  But before we begin that portion of the service, first, two verses that focus on the power of Jesus by faith through prayer.  We need to remember Jesus’ words in John 14:13 –“ ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”  And in Mark 11:24 – “ ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

 And with these verses as the Lord’s promise to each of us, we consider the fullness of power in faith through prayer.

 Read Matthew 8:5-13

 A centurion was a Roman military officer – a gentile who the Jews were supposed to avoid associating with, and even from entering their home.  And apparently, the officer understands this, so is surprised that Jesus would even suggest that He would come to the Roman’s home.  But as an alternative to the Lord’s actually entering the gentile house, he lets Jesus know that they can remain right where they are, if Jesus will simply speak a word of healing for the servant. 

 And to explain why he believes that a simple command will be sufficient, he describes the authority that both his military superiors have over him and that which he himself holds over others.  Obviously, he understands the power that authority contains.  And in that understanding, he also reveals what he believes about the authority that Jesus, too, has been granted regarding His ability to heal, as well as perform other miracles!

 This is a Roman gentile whom, we can assume, has heard of Jesus, but has never met Him before!  And yet, he has a faith that exceeds that of nearly every other person who had ever encountered Christ!  Jesus then replies that many who have always expected to be welcomed into the kingdom of God, will be sadly surprised when, on that glorious day of Christ’s return, they are refused heavenly glory, while others, who have true faith, regardless of who they may be, will be warmly welcomed. 

 Jesus then directs the centurion to return home, and that when he arrives there, he will discover that his servant has already been healed, even by the unspoken word of healing, that had come directly from the Lord’s heart, through the great faith that this Roman officer had just demonstrated! 

 The officer may not have actually spoken the name of Jesus, but his faith in who Jesus is was all that was needed. And in faith, he believed that the Lord could, and would, do what he had asked.  And the servant was healed!  Today, as you come forward, in faith, for prayer, believe!

Note: And following this message, a healing service was conducted for both churches.