Weeds
Does understanding how God works help us to know what we should do?
He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'" - Matt. 13:24-30
This parable can give me insight into God's approach to us.
We like to think we are the good seed living among the weeds, and this story helps us deal with the reality of that coexistence.
Weeds can do more than suck up nutrients. They can strangle and choke off life from the good plants growing in the field, and yet they aren't removed.
It is kind of like what is happening in our cities today, where criminals are not taken off the streets, but are allowed to continue doing what they do right alongside those who are trying to make a living.
Are we emulating God when we let the weeds grow?
It is true that digging up weeds by the root will also cause some good crops to be disturbed and dug up, but is this a valid metaphor for our time?
What do you do when the weeds stop being cute little flowers and become vines that choke and destroy the crops? Do you let them do that or do you take some action to stop them?
In this age of organic farming, weeds are a big problem. Farmers do a lot to prepare the soil before planting to try to avoid them, knowing they cannot use pesticides and other means of removal.
So, maybe this is a more relevant issue for our time than it appears at first.
Our commitment to live and let live has implications and consequences. Innocent plants get dug up when we try to eradicate weeds. Innocent people get hurt when we have a gun battle on the street trying to remove the threat.
But should we let the gangs, criminals, and murderers be?
If we do, eventually the whole field will be weeds.
More to come...