elevate update September 26

We continue to look at Matthew 13. Specifically the parables found in Matthew 13 even more specifically the parable of the weeds being planted right next to the wheat.

These parables that Jesus spoke were designed to give all those who are listening an idea of what the "kingdom of God" was like.
One reason why they needed to understand what the kingdom of God was like was because they had a very different idea of what a kingdom was. Kingdome's went to those with great power, great armies, influence, riches,intended to take over geographic locations.
The illustrations that Jesus used constantly pointed to the Kingdom of God being a place of individual growth. This growing Kingdom seemed to depend on individuals being representations of the King, and producing characteristics of the King on this earth. The king whom the growing individuals represented would not necessarily be present on the earth during this growth period. So this concept was very hard for the people who heard Jesus to understand and I think it is a concept that even now is difficult for many Christians to live out.

When Jesus gives this illustration/parable the disciples listened intensely. We get the idea that later on that day after they could not come up with a satisfactory explanation they asked Jesus to please interpret the parable of the weeds and the wheat for them.
So Jesus makes it clear that he plants a good seed. The evil/Satan plants the bad seed right next to the seed Jesus planted.Both seeds are planted on the earth and represent individuals who are growing up as representatives of the one who planted them.
The workers of the farm are the angels. The angels tell Jesus what the evil one has done and want to pull all of the bad seed/weeds out of the field. Jesus as no let them both grow together. Jesus knows that to pull out the bad weeds will only destroy the growth of the good wheat. He tells the angels to wait until the harvest at that time the weeds can be thrown into the burn pile, and the wheat can be thrown into the barn .
a couple of the general concepts we can understand about the kingdom of God are these.
There is an enemy who wants to destroy a good crop of God. We are not to try and pull out the weeds ourselves. Our job is to grow up right next to the weeds and produce a crop that will benefit the one who pointed us. At the same time we are growing the evil one is growing his crop as well. Both crops will be harvested by the angels of God. One crop will be burned the other crop will be taken to where they belong.
In a general sense I think God is making it clear that those who grow the fruit of his kingdom do not seek to destroy the evil ones that are next to them but rather seek to produce aspects of the kingdom right along side of evil ones. The aspects of the kingdom involved love, joy, peace, patience, meekness, hospitality, miracles, prayer,the Gospel of salvation, and many other positive characteristics of the kingdom of God. In producing the fruit of the kingdom we trust that the farmer and his workers will harvest those who need to be harvested at the appropriate time. Constantly praying for God's judgment/harvest of the evil one must be balanced with a life that represents him while we're here on earth. We cannot spend our time on this planet looking forward to being harvested when we are producing no fruit to which the farmer is going to be pleased with.

So we encourage each other not to just hope for the harvest but to live a life in which we produced a fruit at the farmer will be pleased with.

We were also encouraged to realize that the fruit of the kingdom is far more than just handing out tracks and telling people that they're going to hell if they don't receive Christ. The kingdom involves every aspect of our life and will involve living right alongside of those who do not know our King.