Friday 1 August, 2014

24 Jesus told the crowd another story. “Here is what the kingdom of heaven is like,” he said. “A man planted good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came. The enemy planted weeds among the wheat and then went away. 26 The wheat began to grow and form grain. At the same time, weeds appeared. 27 “The owner’s servants came to him. They said, ‘Sir, didn’t you plant good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’ 28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull the weeds up?’ 29 “‘No,’ the owner answered. ‘While you are pulling up the weeds, you might pull up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the workers what to do. Here is what I will say to them. First collect the weeds. Tie them in bundles to be burned. Then gather the wheat. Bring it into my storeroom.’” 31 Jesus told the crowd another story. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. Someone took the seed and planted it in a field. 32 It is the smallest of all your seeds. But when it grows, it is the largest of all garden plants. It becomes a tree. Birds come and rest in its branches.” 33 Jesus told them still another story. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast,” he said. “A woman mixed it into a large amount of flour. The yeast worked its way all through the dough.” 34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd by using stories. He did not say anything to them without telling a story. 35 So the words spoken by the prophet came true. He had said, “I will open my mouth and tell stories. I will speak about things that were hidden since the world was made.”

I love the way the message bible puts v. 14 earlier in the chapter, Jesus is saying … “I tell stories to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight”, so here in these verses, Jesus tells 3 stories.  The story that hits me is the weeds in the field along with the wheat.

This speaks to me that God knows. He sees all. The good along with the bad intertwined with it .. Here the wheat & weeds are people – those with hearts after God & those whose hearts are set against God.  Like the farmer, he is neither fooled or worried .. but waits for the time to be right to harvest & then the separation will happen.

As a devotional I see this as God seeing my life in the complete picture – the whole field – the good stuff that happens & the bad … But in the end He will take me to be with Him .. All the angst will fall away & be forgotten in His amazing Kingdom & presence.

Father, help me to remember that You do see the whole picture of my life, I only see the small view that I’m in at the moment, and like the farmer waiting, you are waiting for me, you are there watching over me … and will bring me in to Your presence at the right time.

Written by Suzie Hodgson