Jesus’ parables about growth all have unexpected endings. The sower, who would expect an 8 to 10 fold return on his seed, gets a return that is 60 to 100 fold. The mustard seed, that would normally grow into a spindly waist-high plant, grows into a great tree. In God’s realm things are far more vibrant than we would dare to expect.
The parable of the wheat and the weeds also has a twist. Any normal farmer or gardener gets rid of the weeds in order to maximise their crop. But Jesus’ ‘Kingdom of God’ farmer, astounds his workers by insisting that the weeds be left until harvest time. This would have been agricultural madness, but the parable is not about farming methods; it is about God.
We want, and expect, God to sort out society and to get rid of the violence, injustice and corruption. But Jesus’ is showing us that God sees things differently. God had decided to leave the weeds in the world for now. He will deal with them, but in his own time. So, when we look around our world and see all manner of bad things, we need to understand that God has chosen to let it be so for the present. He is working to a longer vision. So when we pray for the suffering in our world, we need to seek God’s perspective and not simply tell God what we think he should be doing.
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