THE service at Crediton Methodist Church on Sunday, July 19 was led by Lloyd Smale and his theme was ‘A Wheat & Weed World’.

Lloyd explained that a tare is a weed called a bearded darnel. In its early stages there is not much difference between it and wheat. The longer they grow, the clearer the distinction becomes.

When it is fully grown the seed heads are different from the wheat and are silvery grey. It is slightly poisonous.

The parable of the wheat and tares is as much a commentary on the world as it is of the reality of our own lives. Both wheat and weeds, good and bad, co-exist and are found side by side.

Rather than despair at this, we can look at the picture that Jesus revealed and we can look at this from the standpoint of David the Psalmist who proclaimed and prayed ‘You are glorifying and good Oh Lord, abounding in love to all who call on you. I will walk in your truth’.

So, we are presented with a picture of tares (weeds).

Jesus explains his parable – there is a field, there is good seed sown, there is a disrupter who sowed weed seeds in the night. Both seeds grow together, sun, rain and nutrients are available to both.

When the seed heads are formed, then the weed is seen. Let’s root out the weeds – NO – let them stay in the ground until harvest otherwise the wheat might be lost – yanked out because the roots are so intertwined.

Jesus said the one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man – himself.

The field is the world. John Wesley said the ‘world was his parish’ – this is an imitation of our Lord for the world and everything in it is His.

The good seed stands for sons of the kingdom, children of God, believers of Jesus, those whose ears have heard the voice of Jesus and have become sowers of seeds of faith, hope and love.

Weeds are sons of the devil whose work is to sow seeds of discontent, fear, frustration and despair but he has been defeated on the cross. It is just a matter of time that he is no more and his work is thwarted once and for all.

Meanwhile, in dealing with the weeds and tars in the world, in our lives, we have the whole armour of God available to us. We have the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace for shoes, the shield of faith for a helmet and the word of God as a sword.

The harvest is the end of the age. At harvest the good wheat can be distinguished from the seeds of the darnel on the threshing floor and disregarded.

The harvesters are angels that Jesus will send to sift out everything that causes sin and it’s perpetrators . Judgement of souls is God’s business not ours.

The servants are the disciples, those who seek out evil. They are you and I and anyone who walks with Jesus seeking wisdom and truth.

Everything good there is in the world comes from a seed sown by Jesus. The reality which is common to every age as illustrated in this parable is that wheat and weeds do co-exist side by side. It is a reality of every age.

It is true on a global scale, a national scale, a local level and in our own lives. It is a reality that we have in common and in this Jesus emphasises two divine prerogatives – the right to be patient and the right to judge.

It is a divine prerogative to be patient Wheat and weed are left in the ground for as long as possible. The roots are intertwined and good crops would be lost if weeds were pulled up.

God’s practical concern gives us a picture of God’s patience. He wants to give us as much time to commit to Jesus. God’s patience is that He wants to give us time to repent, to believe, to receive a new life.

The second prerogative is to judge. In the parable of the weeds, the servants wanted to pull up the roots but the lord said NO. When we look at the world we could be tempted to point out what is wrong and to rail against those we consider to be at fault and make judgements we are not qualified to make which, if they were enacted, would be to settle the destiny of someone’s soul.

What can we do that will benefit a wheat and weed world? It starts with our response to God’s love. When He gave His only Son, God did not condemn but to save. Everyone who believes in Him is not condemned.

It continues with our obligation not to let sin gain traction in our hearts, our minds, our will but rather we are to root ourselves in the spirit of God and the freedom that Jesus won for us on the cross.

We should feed ourselves with whatever is true, whatever is noble, reputable, pure and gracious, Where can we find such things to fill our lives with? In the presence of Jesus and in the seeds He has sown that are bearing good fruit here, there, and all over the world.

What can we do that will benefit a wheat and weed world? It starts with our response to God’s love. Then continues as we trust Christ’s saving grace which promises to sift out within us the wheat and tares that lurk there.

God’s redeeming power is not exhausted. Without it we cannot thwart the harvest whilst we live and breathe. That is the promise of Jesus in this parable.

If we have heard the voice of Jesus and have come to him with a believing repentant heart, then we are truly ransomed, truly healed, truly restored, truly forgiven and we truly live in Christ and He in us.

We are still human. We will battle temptation and failure and will still be living in a world that sees evidence of bad seed being sown but in Jesus we have the sight of God himself and of the power of His love and mercy which surpasses all Hope is a seed God has planted.

What can we do that will benefit a wheat and weed world? We can choose to be planters of good seed and sharers of the Gospel we have received.

We can bear fruits of the Spirit remembering that fruits contain seeds. Fruits of the Spirit are good fruits which provide good seed.

With good seed there never will be room for weeds to grow. It seems like a tall order! But wait!

Jesus prays for us. He says ‘my prayers are sent that you take them out into the world to protect them from the evil one’.

Jesus is praying that prayer for you, for me, for all of us in our weakness. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us in accordance with God’s will.

Jesus has prayed for us, the Holy Spirit is interceding for us to be found faithful to Him, doing His will, bearing his fruit, saving good seed.

Bronwyn Nott

Crediton Methodist Church