Matthew 13:29 NIV
"'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them."
Jesus had just explained to his disciples that he taught in parables because many had hardened hearts and were not willing to listen anyway. Then he told a parable about weeds growing among the wheat. The rest of the chapter expresses both the greatness of the kingdom and the hardness of people's hearts.
In that context we find verse 29. I have been in many churches where people felt it was their responsibility to determine who were the wheat and who were the weeds. I wonder how many of us would have figured out that Judas was a weed, or that the Samaritan woman would evangelize her whole village. I believe that there are a few false beliefs at the roots of the idea that we need to be able to distinguish between wheat and weeds. We may believe that we need to know if they are saved so that they can be properly evangelized. We may believe that it is our responsibility to open their eyes to the truth of the gospel. We may believe that if there are unbelievers in our midst, it will undermine our spiritual power as a church. We may believe that we can actually tell the difference between the weeds and the wheat and that we can remove the weeds without damaging the wheat. Interesting! Jesus didn't seem to hold to any of these beliefs.
He told stories so that hard-hearted people walked away just as blind as ever. Surely he knew Judas would betray him, yet Jesus sent him out preaching, and even ate the first communion supper with him. Finally, while he taught, "you must be born again," his teaching was never about making sure someone had "prayed a prayer" or "made a decision." Did he call his disciples to a decision to follow him? Yes. At what point were they "saved?" There has been lots of debate over that. Maybe the reason it's not all that clear is because Jesus was more focused on the process of being a disciple, whereas we just want to make sure they are going to Heaven. How we live out our faith in this life has become a secondary issue to us. I'm not sure Jesus saw it that way. Jesus never separated evangelism from discipleship.
Father, I fear that I have been too interested in making sure the heavenly tally book is correct, and too little interested in being the presence of Jesus to my world. Father, reproduce in me the eyes and heart of Jesus, and forgive me for the judgmental spirit I have too often expressed. May I be a more active presence for Christ and truth because I have rejected these faulty beliefs and embraced the perspective of my Lord.
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