Weeds and Seeds

‍ ‍Sermon July 19, 2026 “Weeds and Seeds”

Scripture   Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Reverend Betty Jo Sims

‍Our scripture is taking us into agriculture once again.

‍Watchman Nee, a 20th‑century Chinese Christian teacher, told this story ‍

‍In southern China, a Christian farmer had a rice paddy on a hillside. He spent hours each day pumping water from an irrigation channel into his field using a treadle pump. However, his neighbor would, at night, remove the boards or breach the earth wall that kept the water in his field, allowing it to drain into the neighbor’s own fields. This happened repeatedly, drying out the Christian’s field and threatening his livelihood.

For a while the farmer ignored the injustice, but at last he became desperate. His rice would die if this continued, and this was his livelihood. So he gathered his church, and they prayed and discussed the situation and came up with a plan. The farmer felt anger but was urged by his fellow believers to “do more than just what is right.”

They advised him to first fill the neighbor’s field before his own. The next morning, he rose early, pumped water into the neighbor’s fields first, and then his own. This act of service astonished the neighbor, who later apologized and eventually came to know Christ with the aid of his friend.

‍We know The world is a mixture of good and evil. Why is there evil in the world?

Let’s look at the Parable of the Wheat and Weeds in Matthew 13 in the light of good And evil. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went his way.

What were these weeds? I’m glad you asked! Darnel, cockle or false wheat exists worldwide.

It is similar to wheat until maturity. Heavy wheat hangs low. Light darnel stands tall. Lolium temulentum has deep roots. Removing it may harm the wheat. Farmers let both grow until harvest and then separate them.

For many centuries, perhaps for as long as humans have cultivated cereal grains, wheat’s evil twin has infiltrated itself into our crops. In a big enough dose, this grass, darnel, can kill a person, and farmers would have to take care to separate it out from their true harvest.

Darnel occupies a grey area in human agricultural history. It is definitely not good for us. When people eat its seeds, they get dizzy, off-balance and nauseous.

Darnel is a “mimic weed,” that looks and behaves so much like wheat that it cannot live without human assistance. Darnel seeds are stowaways: the plant’s survival strategy requires its seeds to be harvested along with those of domesticated grasses, stored and replanted next season. It is neither entirely tame or quite wild.

So Jesus continues, “But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the weeds also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But the owner said, ‘No, if you try to gather up the weeds you will damage the wheat.  

So what does this part say to us? The church has done much good in the world, like schools, universities, medical care, music, arts, literature, science, human rights, opposing slavery, influencing laws, providing orphanages, and caring for the hungry and poor.

But the church is ALSO a mixture of good and evil. Why? Why did Rome attack Waldensians and murder thousands during the Inquisition? Why did Catholics and Protestants persecute Anabaptists? Why did Calvinists murder French priests? Why do Orthodox harass Russian Protestants?

Can we weed all sin out of church? Jesus described such evil to his disciples as weeds among the wheat. The wicked may prosper for a time.

And The righteous may suffer for a time.

So Jesus says, “Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest the owner will say to the reapers, “First gather together the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them, but then gather the wheat into my barn.” “

It is easy to identify gross sins. Gross sins we reject; lesser sins we tolerate. Should we excommunicate all sinners until only few people are left in the church? Or maybe none are left without sin?

Why did Jesus say, let both grow together until the harvest? Nobody evades God’s judgment. The world has always been a mixture of sinners and saints, good and evil.

Then Jesus explains the parable to his disciples: Jesus said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the weeds are the sons of the wicked one.

The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.”

Why does God allow evil? God allows free choice. Subsequently the world is both good and evil. God recommends we choose right, but His sovereign decision is: we may choose. God wants children, not slaves.

Therefore as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness.

Are church people too judgmental, or is such criticism also judgmental? Irrational and snobbish criticism are everywhere. When is judgment discernment and when is it malicious faultfinding? Whether someone is damned or not is not ours to judge. It is Jesus’ alone to judge, it is not our business.

Who sows the good seed? “the Son of Man.” Where’s the field? It’s “the world.”

Who is the good seed? Children “of the kingdom.” Who are the weeds? Children “of the wicked one.” Who brings the weeds? “the devil.” How long? “... the end of the age.” Who harvests? “... the angels.”

The scripture says, “ Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! .”

Jesus may be described as progressive, liberal, conservative or fundamentalist on a variety of issues, but always orthodox. The fact that there is judgment and hell are topics that Jesus attests to truthfully. Heretics may deny it, and lenient people may think it harsh, but love does not tolerate lawlessness.

Righteousness for Christians is not by sinless perfection, but by faith in forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Christ sits in judgment. Thank God that He can convert any one of us into wheat. Let’s pray for God’s forgiveness and focus on the day when the righteous will shine like the sun.

The story of the Chinese farmers is a story of selfless love, sacrifice, and the Christian response to wrongdoing. True love is selfless and unconditional — it does not demand reciprocity or retaliate against wrongdoing.

Christian love mirrors Christ’s love — sacrificial, humble, and willing to serve even when we are the one harmed. Enduring in silence is not enough — believers should go beyond “right and wrong” to show grace and love that can transform others.

Actis speak louder than words — the neighbor’s change came not from guilt, but from witnessing genuine, costly love.

The rice farmer’s example challenges believers to

Prioritize others’ needs over their own comfort.

Serve without expectation of reward.

Let love be the driving force in relationships, even when it is difficult or costly.

As Watchman Nee puts it: “Let me love and not be respected; Let me serve and not be rewarded…”

We have our work before us!!

May the peace of Christ be with you!  

In the name of the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen