24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28 “ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 “ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ” 31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” 33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” 34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”

My dad grew up in a poor farming family during the Depression era and couldn’t wait to get off the farm when he was old enough. Therefore, I am a city girl, born and raised!

Jesus often used agricultural metaphors to speak in a way that the listeners of the day could understand. Although most of us have probably never been farmers, we too, can understand something of God’s ways through this parable.

Here we read of a scenario that would frustrate any farmer. His precious crops are full of weeds!

Firstly, look how the Farmer’s workers respond to this situation.  They are confused by what is going on – “Where did they (the weeds) come from?”, they ask.

The workers lack understanding, but the Farmer knows straightaway that an enemy has deliberately sowed weeds in the fields to try and destroy the harvest.

Secondly, the workers offer a solution to fix the problem – “Shall we pull all the weeds out?!” Again, the Farmer knows better. He instructs them to not act rashly or they’ll just make things worse. Wait patiently and it will all get sorted in the end.

We are often like the workers and God is like the Farmer. When the enemy comes against us, we often are confused and taken by surprise – “What is going on here??”. Of course, God is not surprised – He always knows what’s really going on.

Then my next response is often just like the workers – how can I immediately fix this problem?! Isn’t it good that God, the wise Farmer, always has a solution? Isn’t it challenging that the solution often involves waiting patiently for His wisdom and His timing!

Father God, as we face challenges in our lives, help us to look to You to see what is really going on beneath the surface, and help us to wait patiently for Your wisdom on how to move forward.

Written by Shelley Witt