Our Scripture meditation is based on Matthew 13:24-30, the Gospel Reading for next week, which is the 8th Sunday after Pentecost. For a meditation on the Old Testament Lesson, click HERE.
[24] He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, [25] but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. [26] So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. [27] And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ [28] He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ [29] But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
How does God deal with people who pretend to have saving faith in Jesus, yet in their hearts do not believe in the Christ? This parable gives the answer.
The kingdom of heaven is made up of everyone who has saving faith in Jesus. In Lutheran parlance this is the “universal” or “invisible” church. It is “invisible” because none of us knows for certain what others truly believe. By comparison, the “visible” church includes all who confess faith in Jesus.
Yet in the “visible” church there are those who do not have faith in Jesus. Some are making a false confession of a faith they never really held. I have an acquaintance who told me he made a profession of faith, got baptized, and joined a church without believing in God. He did this to make business connections. Others were brought to faith by God, yet have lost their faith and denied Christ. Yet by all external appearance they are still Christians
God’s response? Notice God does not ask his servants to pull the weeds. This is aligned with I Peter 3:9-10: [9] The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Yes, we will all face God’s judgement. Yet God still wants all people to be saved, coming to the knowledge of the truth. ((1 Timothy 2:4) Thus God is patient, continually giving the spiritually lost every opportunity to be brought to faith in Jesus. At the judgment, those with saving faith in Jesus will be declared righteous for Christ’s sake.
Until next week, the Lord bless and guide.
Kevin Wilson 360 