The Wheat and the Weeds

This past weekend at Eastbrook, I continued our series, “Stories of the Kingdom: Parables of Jesus,” by looking at the parable of the wheat and the weeds in Matthew 13:24-30 and Jesus’ explanation of it in Matthew 13:36-43.

You can find the message video and outline below. You can also view the entire series here. Join us for weekend worship in-person or remotely via Eastbrook at Home.

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“Jesus told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat.’” (Matthew 13:24-25)

Elements of the Parable (Matthew 13:37-39)

Overview of the Parable of the Weeds
the sower	Son of Man (Jesus)
the field	the world
the good seed/wheat	people of the kingdom
the weeds	people of the evil one
the enemy	the devil
the harvest	the end of the age
the harvesters	angels

The Present: Wheat and Weeds Together in the Field (Matthew 13:28-30a)

• The reality of good and evil intermixed in the world
• The witness of the good amidst the evil
• The strain upon the good amidst the evil

The Future: A Coming Harvest (Matthew 13:40-43)

• Waiting for the harvest
• The collection of the weeds
• The gathering of the wheat

Making It Real

• Live full life with God
• Recognize the tension
• Bless even when cursed
• Wait in trust

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Dig Deeper:

This week dig deeper into Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the weeds in one or more of the following ways:

• Journal about this parable, expressing your thoughts about it, what God is teaching you through it, as well as your prayers to God about it.
• Draw, paint, or ink the parable as a way of reflecting on what Jesus is saying and praying about your own response to the Lord.
• Try to retell Jesus’ parable and its meaning to someone you know this week, discussing with them what it means for our lives.
• Consider reading this article: “Reading the Parables of Jesus – Kenneth Bailey”