The parable of the wheat and weeds in Matthew 13 is a classic that, unfortunately, we pay little attention to. Church members are angry that so many "sinners" are attending church. Visitors are frustrated that so many "hypocrites" are there. As everyone tries to make judgments about the commitment and holiness of everyone else, we miss the fact that Jesus told us this would happen and already said what to do.

Who Are The Wheat? Having pastored inside and outside of churches, I've noticed many people equate church involvement with Christianity. We naturally look at the people streaming into these buildings and say, "those people are Christians." We even take it a step further and equate church titles with Godliness. We say, "He's a Deacon!" as though to ascribe a special holiness. And everyone knows "The Pastor" speaks for God. I think I'm getting a little ill! To me, the worst title is Reverend, as though the person is to be revered. Only God is to be revered! Now, I'm qualified to use all these titles, but I don't and I won't, because they lead people to believe I'm more than a normal man. No one is the Wheat by virtue of title, church membership or denominational affiliation.

The Wheat are those people planted by God, and growing in His field. You're just as likely to find a Wheat stalk making his living delivering mail as delivering a sermon...probably more likely, because Wheat are humble. The Wheat are the true Christians, whether they attend church or not. You won't find them looking around trying to condemn others...they're too busy trying to grow, themselves, to worry about whether those around them are Wheat or weeds. I've always found it interesting how many "pastors" think their job is pulling weeds rather than raising Wheat, but that's between them and the Master Gardener.

Who Are The Weeds? The weeds are those the enemy planted in God's field, I suppose, to steel the water and fertilizer and to crowd out the Wheat. Weeds, like wheat, grow anywhere, in church or out. I must say, it's been my experience that weeds grow best where there's a lot of fertilizer, like on church and denominational boards and staffs, or in politics in general. The fact is, there are as many weeds growing inside churches as outside, which is why it's stupid to think everyone going to church is Christian, or even that Christians must attend church, as opposed to other ways of worshiping and serving God. Wherever you find Wheat, you'll find weeds...Jesus said so.

What Should We Do About Them? Many of us who are supposed to be growing as Wheat and raising Wheat have, instead, set ourselves up as the Gardener, pulling up the weeds and damaging the Wheat in the process. As Wheat, we need to marshal all our efforts and energy at being the best Wheat we can be. That means leaving the weeds alone. The fact is, as the Old Testament says, we can't even judge our own hearts, let alone others. That's why Jesus said for us to remove the beam of wood from our own eyes before we try to remove the sawdust from someone else. We might think we're pulling up a weed, but it's just a different kind of Wheat. We might actually pull a weed, but it was one Jesus was changing into Wheat, like the woman caught in adultery. When we start pulling weeds, we have no idea how much damage we can do to the Wheat. Leave it to the Gardener...only He knows the Wheat from the weeds.

What Will God Do? Even God, who knows every heart, will wait until the end of time to judge each of us and decide which is the Wheat and which the weed. He is the Master Gardener, and He chooses to give each plant the opportunity to become Wheat, unwilling that any of us should be weeds, but allowing us to make that choice, ourselves. So, whereever we are in our walk with God, those of us who believe we're Wheat have the opportunity to live in such a way as to ensure the Master Gardener agrees at harvest time. Those of us who believe we're weeds, whether we're prostitutes, politicians, drug addicts, deacons or pastors, have the opportunity between now and harvest time to seek the Master Gardener and be made Wheat.

In a few lines, Jesus tells a compelling story about how things work in the Kingdom Of God. He tells us both Wheat and weeds will be in His garden until harvest time, when the Wheat are gathered into His barn. Instead of spending our time trying to judge the weeds and pull them, He cautions us to let them grow, and leave the judging to Him. If, knowing what He wants, we judge anyway, would that make us Wheat or weeds?

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