Sermon Transcript:

Pastor John MacArthur once told how he was sitting in the middle seat on a flight next to a Muslim man. As they talked, Pastor John asked him whether Muslims sinned. The man said they did. In fact, he admitted he was flying to meet a woman so he could "do some sins." He only hoped that God would forgive him.

Pastor John told the man he knew God personally and that God would not overlook his sin. The man stared at him in disbelief and said, "You know God personally, and you're sitting in the middle seat, in coach? If you knew God personally, you'd have your own jet."

He assumed friendship with God would be visible in obvious, earthly ways. He expected believers to have clear, visible advantages over everyone else. But that is not how God's kingdom works, at least not yet. For now, the children of God live side by side with those who reject Him, sharing the same neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, illnesses, hardships. The same joys and sorrows. But this will not always be the case. 

God had promised in the Old Testament that the Messiah would come, judge the wicked, rescue His people, and establish His Kingdom forever. So imagine being in first-century Israel listening to Jesus preach. He claims to be the Messiah, yet Rome still rules. The wicked still prosper. The righteous still suffer. Nothing seems to have changed. If Jesus really is the King, where is His Kingdom? 

The reason many leaders rejected Jesus was not because His teaching lacked authority or His miracles lacked power. They rejected Him because His kingdom did not match their expectations. The Kingdom He preaches isn’t the one they were looking for. They were looking for a kingdom whose glory was immediate and unmistakable. They were looking for a Messiah who made faith unnecessary, one who would come and solve all of their problems.

Many people are still looking for that kind of Messiah. We are tempted to look down on the Pharisees and secretly assure ourselves that we would have stood with Jesus, but we need to be careful about our own spiritual pride. How often are we tempted by doubt because the claims that we are God’s children and citizens of His kingdom seem inconsistent with what we are experiencing? How often are we even tempted to ask “if Jesus is the king, where is the kingdom?”

That is the question the parable today is designed to answer. The answer, and our main point today, is:

For now, God permits the righteous and the wicked to remain together, but the day is coming when He will separate them forever.

Jesus proclaims a kingdom whose glory is, for now, hidden to those who have not been given eyes to see it. The leaders did not understand that the Messiah's work would unfold in two comings. The Kingdom has come, but it has not yet come in its fullness. There will be a second coming. This pause is not a failure of God's plan but an act of His grace. Jesus tells this parable so His disciples will not judge the kingdom by what they see, but by what God has promised. We pick up in verse 24,

24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 

So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 

But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

The imagery would have been familiar to most people at that time, more familiar than it is to us, but just like the parable of the soils, the meaning isn’t obvious. How exactly this describes the Kingdom of God is not clear without the explanation. It is the kind of thing that is obvious once you hear the answer, but not before. There are a few key ideas that jump out right away.

The first thing we notice is that the Kingdom is opposed. There is an enemy who is also at work in the field. There are two sowers and two kinds of seed. While the Master sowed good seed, the enemy secretly mixed in weeds among the wheat. This may sound strange to us, but it was apparently something that sometimes happened in the ancient world. Ancient Roman legal writings record cases involving people deliberately sowing weeds in another person's grain field and discuss the legal remedies available to the injured landowner.

The weeds in view here are almost certainly darnel tares. Wheat is good for food, but darnel can’t be eaten. In fact, the seeds often contain poisonous fungus, and if you grind that together with the wheat, people could get sick. But darnel closely resembles wheat during the early stages of growth. Until the heads mature, it is very difficult to distinguish the two. 

We are told the Master knows about the weeds and how they got there. The servants ask if they should pull them out, but he tells them not to do that. We will see later that this is the key emphasis of the whole parable. The Master tolerates the weeds for a time, because of his concern for the wheat. 

It is difficult to tell the wheat from the tares and the root systems of darnel and wheat become intertwined when they grow together. So even if the servants were very careful to only pull out the tares, some wheat would be uprooted in the process.  

That’s why the Master tells them to wait and separate them at the harvest time. When both are mature, it is easy to tell them apart, and at that point, the wheat is going to be pulled up anyway. The wheat will be taken into the barn, kept by the Master, and useful to him, while the tares will be burned. His instructions allow for a perfect judgment, ensuring that none of the wheat is damaged and that all the tares are completely disposed of.

Jesus gives this vivid illustration and He tells them this is what the Kingdom of heaven is like. But, He offers no public explanation as to how it is like this. Remember from last week, it was to the disciples that the secrets of the Kingdom were given. To those who do not believe, it will seem foolish, but to those who believe and seek the wisdom of the Kingdom, its meaning will be made clear. That’s where we pick back up again in verse 36,

36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”

Again, we see in the disciples an example of faith seeking understanding. The crowds do not ask. The disciples ask. Because they trusted Jesus in faith, they went to Him for help in understanding. They do not set their understanding as a judge over their faith, but they believe so that they may understand. God does not fill our minds with truth apart from our seeking Him. He designs things so that if we wish to know and grow, we must go to Him.

For us, that means we ask in prayer and we study His word, which is the inspired revelation and explanation of these truths about God and His kingdom. By His grace, we get to hear this parable and by grace we get to hear it explained. Never take for granted the tremendous treasure we have in the Word of God. The Scripture is the revelation of the secrets of the Kingdom. Therefore, let's ask God now to grant us understanding this morning as we listen to Jesus unfold these secrets of the Kingdom to us. 

37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. 

In the previous parable, the seed was the word of God, but this time Jesus uses seed to refer to people. I mention that to show that we cannot assume that a word or a symbol is always used the same way every time we see it in the Bible. We must pay attention and allow the author to define the terms.

In this case, Jesus is speaking about people. The ESV translation, “the good seed is the sons of the kingdom” sounds a bit weird. It is difficult to capture the emphasis in English, but Jesus is almost pointing. He is saying, the good seed… these are the sons of the kingdom. Like, “it is these people who are the seed.”

He tells us that it is the Son of Man who sows these seeds. This is one of Jesus' favorite titles for Himself. It comes from Daniel 7 where the Son of Man receives an everlasting kingdom from the Ancient of Days. Jesus is telling us it is His Kingdom, He is the one who is sowing the children of the Kingdom into the world. They are not there by accident. They have been deliberately placed there by Him.

Likewise, the weeds are people sown into the field by the devil. The chief distinction is not primarily in what these two groups do, but in what they are. However much they look alike, they are not the same plant and each bears fruit according to its own nature. There is a good seed that is useful, and a bad seed that is unprofitable.

This language of "seed" is not new. Jesus is deliberately drawing on one of the great themes that runs throughout the entire Bible. In fact, back when God gave the first promise of redemption, the first gospel promise, He framed it in terms of opposition between two seeds who are two groups of people. In Genesis 3:15, God says to the serpent,

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

The word the ESV translates as “offspring” is literally seed. From the beginning, God has told us that there would be strife between those who are of the woman, which are those to whom this promise is given, and those who are of the serpent, who will oppose them.

The Old Testament traces God’s protection of this line from Eve, through Seth, Noah, and the patriarchs, then through Judah and so forth until Jesus comes, who is the perfect fulfillment of the promise to Eve. The apostle Paul picks upon this in Galatians chapter 3. In verse 16, he says,

16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

Again, the word for offspring here is literally seed. The apostle points out that this comes not through the flesh, but through a promise. Thus Jesus is the promised seed, and those who are united to Him by faith, are made like Him. Paul says in Galatians 3:29,

29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Throughout the Old Testament, God promised to create a people for Himself through the promised Seed. What is surprising about the parable is Jesus says that for a time the children of the Kingdom and those of the world are left together. Even though the Kingdom has come with Him, God will leave the wheat and the tares to grow together for a time. The reason is that He is not willing that any of the wheat should be lost. 

The apostle Peter said it this way in 2 Peter 3:9,

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Peter is writing to “those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (vs. 1:1) The meaning of this verse is that God is patient toward those who will repent and believe and is not willing that any of them should perish, but that all should reach repentance. He will wait for all the good seed to mature, and then will come judgment.

People sometimes wonder why Jesus has not yet returned. Jesus alludes to it and Peter tells us plainly. The answer is grace. He is not willing that any the Father has given to Him shall perish. The fact that He has not returned tells us there are still others purchased by His blood that have not yet been gathered. And praise God for His patience. Had He come just a few years ago, we would all have been lost. But He loses none of those that are His.

Many scoff because Jesus has delayed coming. They say “look at those foolish Christians, waiting for Jesus while the world continues on as it always has.” What they do not realize is that His delay is mercy to these very ones who mock, that perhaps they would be saved. But that mercy will not last forever. Scripture repeatedly tells us that God's patience should never be mistaken for indifference. Romans 2:4–5 says,

4 … do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

This is exactly what the Master in the parable was doing. He was not ignoring the weeds. He was patiently waiting until every stalk of wheat had reached the harvest. One of the most perplexing questions that believers must answer is the so-called problem of evil. Since God is good, and since He is all powerful, why does He allow evil to exist? The Bible answers that question. When people commit evil, they may escape earthly justice, but they will not escape divine justice. The answer to the question, “where is God when bad things happen” is that He is on His throne, offering mercy to those who will repent and storing up wrath for those who refuse. Every sin will be punished. Either the price will be paid by Jesus, in the case of those who repent and believe, or by the sinner if they don’t, but the justice of God is never compromised by His mercy. He is perfect in holiness.

The famous argument from evil actually proves too much. Since God is perfectly good, and since He is all-powerful, the conclusion is not that He doesn't exist or cannot eliminate evil, but that He will eliminate it. The real question is not whether evil will be judged, but why God delays that judgment. Jesus answers that question in this parable.

That God has delayed His judgment is a good thing for us, or we all would have been condemned to eternal punishment. So, there is an age of grace where salvation is extended. Where it is possible for our very nature to be transformed through the Word and the Spirit of Christ. But that age is not forever. It comes to an end. Jesus makes that clear when he says,

…The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Now, I don’t know how any believer can read these words and not be burdened. I am reminded of the character Christian from John Bunyan’s book Pilgrim's Progress. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. You can get modern English translations that are really good. Christian lived in the City of Destruction. Bunyan tells us he carried a great weight on his back because he became convinced that God's judgment was coming upon that city.

But Christian's burden was not simply that there was a coming judgment. It was that he knew the city, including him, deserved it. He carried that great load on his back because he understood that the wrath of God was not an abstract doctrine. It was his problem. The question is not whether there is a harvest. Jesus has settled that. The question is, "On which side of that harvest will I stand?"

If you have never trusted Christ, these words of Jesus are meant to awaken you. God has delayed His judgment, but He has not canceled it. Do not mistake His mercy for indifference. Every day that passes is another display of His goodness, mercy, and patience toward you.

God created us to love Him and serve Him forever. Instead, every one of us has rebelled against Him. The Bible calls this sin, and every one of us is guilty. We may ignore God for a time, but we cannot ignore Him forever. The day is coming when each of us will stand before Him and give an account. If we come trusting in our own goodness, we will be condemned.

Our only hope is Jesus Christ. God sent His eternal Son into the world to become a man. He lived the perfect life we failed to live and then willingly died on the cross in the place of sinners, bearing the judgment we deserved. Three days later, God raised Him from the dead, proving that His sacrifice for sin had been accepted. Now He reigns, seated at the Father's right hand, and everyone who trusts in Him is completely forgiven. The wrath that was being stored up for His people has been poured out on Him instead.

Now God calls all sinners everywhere to receive this gift of forgiveness. He commands us to confess our sins, repent, and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He promises that whoever comes to Him in faith will never be cast out.

He will give you new life and a new identity. By His power, He can turn tares into wheat. He can take what was useless and make it fit for the Master's use. If you hear Him calling you today, come to Him now. The harvest is not far off. Lay down your arms, stop your rebellion, and come serve the King. Look at how He cares for His own. Come to Him, and the Master who would not allow any of His wheat to be lost will keep you safe until the day He gathers you into His house.

What a glorious thing it is, by grace, to be made a son or daughter of God. It may sometimes be difficult to see the benefits now, but listen to what Jesus says in verse 43,

43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

The parable began with weeds growing among wheat. It ends with the wheat shining like the sun. It began with hidden glory. It ends with revealed glory. It began with suffering. It ends with inheritance. It began with waiting. It ends with fulfillment. This, brothers and sisters, is the story of every believer. We are in the world, but we are not of the world. We have been sown into the world by the Son of God, through the Spirit of God, by the word of God.

We began by asking, “If Jesus really is the King, where is His Kingdom?” Here is the profound answer: it is already at work in you and in your brothers and sisters in Christ. The new age has dawned, though it has not yet come in its fullness. It is here, but you must have eyes of faith to see it. Look around this room. What do you see?

At first glance, nothing remarkable. Just ordinary people. Some are doing well, others are struggling. Just like unbelievers we struggle with illness, grief, temptation, anxiety, weariness, and the ordinary hardships of life. Just as it was difficult to distinguish the wheat from the tares while they were still growing, so the glory of Christ's kingdom is largely hidden in this age.

This hiddenness is not an accident. It is part of God's design. The world sees only what is outward, but listen how the apostle Paul describes the reality for those who have put their faith in Jesus in Colossians 3:3–4,

3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

The world looks at Christ's church and sees ordinary people. God looks upon His people and sees sons and daughters destined for glory. The world sees weakness. God sees an inheritance. The world sees suffering. God sees a harvest. The world sees what is passing away. God sees those who will be perfected to worship Him and enjoy Him forever.

Friends, if God were to pull back the veil and allow us, in our present condition, to glimpse what we shall be, I do not think we could bear it. Jesus compares the glory of the righteous to the sun. This was the brightest thing His hearers had ever seen. Even now, we shield our eyes from the sun, and teach our children to never look directly at it, because its brilliance is too great to behold. 

Imagine looking around this room and seeing every child of God shining with the brilliance of the noonday sun. The brother sitting beside you. The elderly saint whose body is wearing out. The young mother quietly bearing burdens no one else knows about. The quiet believer you hardly notice. Every one of them, shining with the glory of Christ!

That’s much better than having your own jet :-)

No wonder the apostle Paul says that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed to us. When Jesus appeared in glory to His disciples on the mountain, the Bible says His face shone like the sun and His clothes became dazzling white. We shall be with Him, and we shall be like Him. This is the glory Christ has prepared for His redeemed people. 1 John 3:2 says,

2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 

This is why Jesus tells us this parable. The kingdom is real, though its glory is hidden. For now, the righteous and the wicked remain together. But not forever. The day is coming when the Master will gather every stalk of wheat into His barn, every promise of God will be fulfilled, and the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

As the words of that famous hymn say,

“And when we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright, shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s grace, than when we first begun.”