Wheat & Weeds
Jesus shared a parable about the kingdom of God, which unfolded like this:
At the dawn of existence, Christ sowed righteousness into creation, and it was good. But a lie and a self-centered choice wove sin into the fabric of creation. This did not destroy the creation, but it corrupted it, entwining evil with what was once perfect. Humanity, observing this, asked Christ, “Didn’t you create something good? Why is it now polluted with evil?” Christ replied, “An enemy has done this.” Humanity responded, “Then let’s uproot the weeds and eliminate the evil.” Christ answered, “That cannot be done hastily, for it would harm the good. Uprooting the evil now would destroy those who are broken, hurt, and sinful, and that is not my will. Instead, God has planned a harvest when both the good and the bad will be gathered together. The bad will be destroyed, and the good will be preserved to remain with God.”
—Matthew 13:24–30
During the height of Jesus’s teaching ministry, crowds flocked to hear Him preach. On at least one occasion, so many gathered that His disciples placed Him in a boat to teach from the water while the people listened from the shore. As described in Matthew 13:1-2: "That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore."
The parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, found in Matthew 13, is part of a series of teachings about the kingdom of God. In it, Jesus seeks to describe His kingdom. Yet many of His contemporaries, including the disciples, struggled to grasp His meaning. In Matthew 13:36–43, Jesus explains the parable, but His broad terms still left the disciples puzzled.
Their confusion stemmed largely from their expectation that Jesus would establish an earthly political kingdom, a restoration of the Davidic reign where the Hebrew people would reclaim political dominance. They hoped Jesus would address their immediate struggles with Roman oppression and religious elitism. This misunderstanding is evident in passages like Acts 1:6, where the disciples asked, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" and in John 18:36, where Jesus clarifies, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place."
With the clarity of hindsight—knowing the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost—we better understand the parable of the Wheat and the Weeds. Jesus’s kingdom does address the ills, tragedies, and suffering of this life, but not by resolving immediate conflicts. Instead, it tackles the root of the problem: the corruption of human nature. While the tragedies we face are urgent “now” problems, Jesus focuses on the eternal “forever” problem, solving the deeper issue of sin that underlies all human suffering.
Christ’s kingdom is not a tactical maneuver to overcome today’s challenges but a holy reign over all existence. Psalm 47 portrays God’s kingdom as the realm of His supreme authority: “For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth. . . . God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne” (Ps. 47:2, 8). God’s dominion extends over all creation, encompassing sin and evil in ways beyond human comprehension. The kingdom of God is not a physical place or a temporary phase where justice and reconciliation are enforced. It is His majestic, righteous rule governing all that exists. This sovereignty is echoed in Daniel 7:14: "He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." Through this lens, we see our trials—wins, losses, pain, suffering, good, bad, and ugly—as fully owned by Christ.
In the parable’s next portion, Jesus explains how God resolves the coexistence of good and evil under His sovereignty. God’s plan includes a harvest, a time when everything Christ owns is reconciled. The weeds and wheat—the good and the bad—are gathered together. Christ, through His life, death, and resurrection, has already begun this harvest. At the cross, He claimed all things, bringing them into reconciliation. By the Father’s will, nothing is left incomplete. All things—our sins, trials, and tragedies—are filtered through the cross, where God’s mighty reign redeems both individuals and the entire cosmos from the weeds that corrupt. His kingdom is a mighty reign over every part of our lives and every segment of this creation. It is by divine mercy and love that we are freed from all that is broken. This reconciliation is beautifully captured in Colossians 1:19-20: "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."
Though we journey through life bearing the sores of suffering or the wounds of loss, we find solace in the irrevocable promise of God in Christ: all of it belongs to Him. One day, it will be harvested, purified, reconciled, and restored. This may occur when Christ returns or at our personal harvest when we meet Him face to face. Regardless of the timing, the outcome is certain. Christ reigns. His kingdom is sure. He has already addressed the root of evil, and when we stand in His presence, we will know this victory completely. As Romans 8:18 encourages, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us," and Revelation 21:4 promises, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."