Last week we took a look at the hearers of the Parable. This week another parable which is usually called the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares. Tares are a weed referred to as bearded darnel and were almost impossible to tell from the wheat. It could also be poisonous, harmful to those who ate it. It had to be separated from the wheat and once more Jesus uses real life actions that would be recognized by the listeners to teach the twelve. After  speaking to the crowds Jesus went into the house and was approached by his disciples, asking him to explain the parable of the weeds of the field. As we noted last week the disciples were confused and frightened by the attitude of the people and of course felt threatened by the opposition of the Pharisees. Also with these things happening there seemed to be a gradual closing of the doors to the synagogues. You till the ground, prepare the soil and plant the seed but still somehow no matter how hard you toil there always seems to be weeds. These tares that had intertwined with the wheat… the harvest would require that they be separated from the wheat. Once separated it was tied in a bundle in the field, collected and put in the fire. The disciples were worried about the kind of people that were coming to Jesus. Many of these people the world would look unfavorable on, the whole of their lot very unsatisfactory in their behavior and activities, they would hardly stand up to a closer look. The disciples too looked for a new Israel that would conquer their enemies, and set the moral integrity of the people to a higher calling. Even the Scribes and Pharisees found the company Jesus kept to be questionable. The disciples were waiting for Jesus to sort out this mixed crowd who followed him. Jesus is painting a picture in words using the weeds among the wheat to capture their attention. Jesus welcomed all people and the disappointment of these men that Jesus had not yet made a weeding out of his followers was joined by the Pharisees who showed their disgust that he had yet to do so. It was these factors that perhaps led Jesus to tell them this parable.

Evil is among us everywhere and it not always easily recognized, much like the darnel among the wheat. There is the chance we will make the wrong decisions when we harbor intolerance and a critical spirit guides our hearts. Picture the darnel as the evil sinners among us and the wheat as the good people that they have come among. We are told in Matthew 7:1 … “to judge not, that you be judged not”. I believe that as a people we are not very good at distinguishing between good and bad. We must be patient in our actions toward others, there is the comfort of knowing that the harvest will come. We have often heard “in God’s time”, it is inevitable that God’s judgement will come. Just like the harvest used here as an example of the separation of the darnel from the wheat, so shall the sinners be separated from the good, in time, by God’s judgement.

The takeaway from today’s Pew. Be patient, in God’s time his will be done. Know that the harvest will come.

Life is Good

jk

Reference Material: Barclay, William. The Parables of Jesus (The William Barclay Library) (p. 38). Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Kindle Edition.

Our study to this point has made note of the good ground. The soil being deep enough and soft here, the seed could find nourishment and there would be no weeds to keep it from a healthy growth that would bring forth an abundant harvest. The parable is for the hearers of the word and we can put them into two groups of hearers. It is easily understood there will be those who hear the word and do something with it but the word also has an impact on those that preach it. As with all things biblical there are always differences of opinion. Some say that a parable is too detailed for most of the hearers to grasp the lesson within, some say the interpretation of the parable comes from the preachers of that day. Someone had to recognize that sowing of the seed and it growth depended on other factors and those factors could be compared to different human characteristics and so, why not Jesus? We must acknowledge that in some ways a parable can be a warning and the fruit of the message depends on the heart of the hearer. If the hearer has hate in their heart and are determined not to hear the truth then they will not hear and accept God’s word into their lives. So who are the hearers that are warned in this parable? Some are those whose minds are shut to the word. No seed can be planted there for their minds are like the hard ground that has been tamped down by the many feet walking by. There are people who refuse to think things out or think them through. They grasp every new craze that comes along or a phrase I like to use, they are at the mercy of the program of the month. Their emotions are easily captivated by the loudest or newest social or cultural action of the moment. There are those that have so much going on in their lives that the most important things get pushed aside. Then there are people who are like that good ground Jesus speaks of. Their minds are open, they are willing to hear and willing to learn. These are people of humble hearts and whose minds are always open and they are prepared to hear. They are never too proud or busy to listen. These are the people who understand, they get the message and most importantly, they take what they hear and put it into action. They have three things that are important to living a Christian Life. They listen, they understand and they obey.

The Parables are told in such a way that they were meant to have an impact on those who listen but there was also an impact on the inner circle of the disciples. Now what follows maybe a bit hard to understand but this was a time of bitter disappointment and discouragement in the lives of these disciples who were closest to Jesus. Let’s take a closer look. To these men Jesus was everything. Now things were happening that confused and frighten them. They were having very little success, yes the crowds kept coming but so few heard or accepted the message and left with little change in their lives. Many came just to see and experience the healing powers of this man, Jesus. The sad thing is that after all this time the church experiences such, those that come to receive but don’t stay to give. The doors of the synagogue were closing and his bitterest critics were the leaders of orthodox religion, they were out to destroy him. Here they were facing a situation were whatever they did brought nothing but hostility and even worse little if any change in the crowd. I am sure that there were times of deep disappointment for these men but in the last analysis there is a clear lesson……the harvest is for sure! Those of us who have planted a garden know that not all the seeds bear fruit but we know there will be a harvest! This is a parable of encouragement to those who sow the seed, the word, the good news. Our world today is one of instant gratification, people seek quick results but the sowing of the seed and sharing the word of God requires patience, prayer, hope and in many instances it will be years before there is a harvest.

Two things we can take away from this week’s blog. There will be a harvest, will you be a sower of the seeds? Faith will unlock the truth within the Parable. 

Stay Safe, Stay Well, Keep The Faith

Life is Good

jk

Times change and there is no better example of that than the changes brought upon us by this virus. We are having to change the way we go about our daily routines and for those of faith, all communities of faith, we are tested to maintain our beliefs and stand firm in our commitments. For the Christian the lack of fellowship is heavy on the heart. The encouragement and strength of coming together as one in praise and prayer is an important part of staying the course, so to speak. Even Jesus found himself in a position that brought about change in his earthly ministry, more accurately a turning point.

Things were changing in the synagogues and Jesus was reminded daily of the opposition to his teaching in them.The  scribes and Pharisees and elders watching every action and  word, seeking to turn them into an accusation that would give them the opportunity to challenge his teachings. They had not completely shut the door to the synagogues and there was always a warm welcome from the ordinary people but Jesus was not a man of wait and see and he sought other directions and ways to do the Father’s will. He would soon be shut out of them and it is a sad thing to imagine Jesus being banished from the church of his day. Jesus would not be stoped from bringing his invitation to all men and women. Even as the doors were closing he took the Temple to the outdoors, teaching in the open air, village streets, roads or by the lake side; even into the peoples homes. As Christians we can learn from this that we too must always find a way to pass Jesus’ message on.  It is in the 13th Chapter of Matthew that we see Jesus starting to use his characteristic way of teaching in parables. This isn’t the first time he had used this method in his teachings. Jesus would use things that people were familiar with to tell a story, thus creating a truth in pictures. These were the first use of what was to become a fully developed and vivid way to bring the message to God’s people. My view of a parable is that of a short story, with a message within and the hearer is challenged to find that message. Jesus was a master of the short story. With Jesus there were advantages to this method of teaching.  A parable is effective for many reasons, a few we consider here. A story well told always sets truth to the front and in concrete. A great story of here and now, that which is familiar, will take us to there and then. We must be careful because most of us are a bit lazy and prejudice blinds us from seeing the truth. The one great teaching virtue of the parable is that it compels interest, so much so, that it enables and compels us to discover truth for ourselves. The wonderful thing about a parable was it was spoken, not read, allowing the hearer to feel the full impact. Not necessary for a long study or pulling truth out of a commentary, like a flash in the night it brings to the darkness of the mind a flash of light and the virtue of truth. That then in short was the one most important fact about the Parable. One undeniable truth that stabs you in the heart the moment you hear it.

One commentary I often use challenges us to amass as much detail as possible about the life in Palestine. To understand the things in their lives so that we can go back in our minds to that time and those people and what they were thinking and visualized as Jesus spoke to them. The Parable of the sower found in Chapter 13 of Matthew is an example of using the spoken word to paint a picture of truth, let’s break it down. Here Jesus presents a picture that anyone living in Palestine would understand. They go from the actual here and now to the picture Jesus has painted in his words to the then and there.

The Sower – In their minds eye they can picture the sower sowing the seed. It was something they have always seen. There were two ways the seed could be sown. One you and I may have done at one time or another. The sower could walk the ground while throwing the seed out, that is called broadcasting. If the wind, even a slight wind were blowing, some of the seed could be caught up and blown into all kinds of places, even completely out of the field. In Palestine the ground to be sown was laid out in long narrow strips, separated by ground that was used as a common path and was beaten down hard by the feet of many passing by. The second way was to tie a sack of seed on the back of a donkey, cut a hole in one corner of the sack and walk the donkey up and down the field. With the hard ground between each strip, some of the seed would fall there when crossing over to the next strip. Now about that ground, the stoney ground. This was common in Palestine which for the most part was composed of a thin layer of earth resting on a shelf of limestone rock. There would be enough dirt for the seed to germinate but the rock would not allow the roots to set and thus no growth. Then Jesus came to the thorny ground which is hard to judge as most of us that have planted gardens in the past know. You can prepare the soil and ground and all looks well but lurking below that newly tilled ground are the roots of weeds and other vermin that can kill a young plant. Weeds grow faster than most seeds you plant the result is that the seed and the dormant weeds grow together but as noted the weeds grow faster, thus stoping the seeds growth and it will die out. Many times I have heard the phase good ground and here  within this parable Jesus paints a picture that all who heard would understand.

So, we can safely say that second observation of this parable is the hearers. Next week we will pick up there and continue our study of this particular parable.

Stay Safe, Keep The Faith and Remember,

Life is Good

jk   

Source: DBS

Sweden’s Dag Hammarskjold, who traveled the world as Secretary -General of the United Nations always took these three items with him as he traveled. A copy of the New Testament, a copy of the Psalms and a copy of The United Nations Charter. Psalms presents to us God’s claim upon the whole world and speaks to God’s will that there be justice, righteousness and peace for all peoples and nations. In the twentieth century the predominate approach to Psalms has been historical but we are reminded by the writings of J Clinton McCann JR. that there is also a theological side to the Psalms. It is not my intent at this time to delve into a study of Psalms but some background information is always good. Sometime in future blogs I will return to this rich source of God’s will for his people.

My concern this day is the evil that hides no more but instead challenges the good of this life and leads to the loss of hope in better days to come. It is the evil of the hate of a few toward the good of many. Jesus turned the world upside down while the evil of this day turns it inside out. In considering the theology of Psalms we must start with the very first verse, of the very first Psalm, whose very first word of consideration of these powerful writings, a word that sets the standard definition of human happiness as one of being thoroughly God centered, Happy…

Psalm 1: 1-2

Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,

or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers;

2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,

Best translated people’s happiness comes from their complete orientation of living their lives for God and are always open to God’s instruction.

Psalm 12 speaks to us across all this time as the very foundations of our nation are under attack and the prevalence of wickedness is at the forefront of the behavior of many. There is the plea for help amid this human corruption, the deceptive speech, and actions that hurt the poor and the needy. There is a lack of good people who are now being marginalized by the lies and false claims of others, claiming to care, while all the while their evil continues to destroy all that is around them. It is a plea for God to deal with the evil that surrounds us and those who would exalt such vile behavior. But as we read this Psalm verse five leaps off the page…There is the assurance that God has heard the plea of his people and he will lift up and protect his people.

  (NRSV)Psalm 12   Plea for Help in Evil Times

1 Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly;
the faithful have disappeared from humankind.

2 They utter lies to each other;
with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
the tongue that makes great boasts,

4 those who say, “With our tongues we will prevail;
our lips are our own—who is our master?”

5 “Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan,
I will now rise up,” says the Lord;
“I will place them in the safety for which they long.”

6 The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure,
silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.

7 You, O Lord, will protect us;
you will guard us from this generation forever.

8 On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among humankind.

Life is Good

Jk

Sources : New Interpreter’s Bible Volume IV