To watch the Divine Service for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, click here. For the PDF, click here.
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from
God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
[Intro]
A popular proverb says the following: Where God builds a church,
the devil builds a tavern next door.
Martin Luther began a sermon based on today’s text with those
words back on December 9, 1528. Again, “Where God builds a church, the devil
builds a tavern next door.”
Today, this can be updated by saying “Where God builds a church,
the devil builds a distraction next door,” such as television, sports, hunting,
and fishing. The list goes on and on.
Luther continued saying that people used to tell this fable: When
God made man out of a clod of earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath
of life so that man became a living soul, the devil wanted to imitate God and
also took a clod of earth in order to make a man out of it; but it turned out
to be a toad.
This fable was to indicate that the devil is always the imitator
of our Lord God, and forever poses as divine and creates the impression that he
is God.
Today, on this Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Jesus continues
preaching parables to the crowd and He interprets the parables to us, His
disciples.
Last week, Jesus taught us the Parable of the Sower in the
Gospel lesson. He began saying “He who has ears, let him hear”
(Matthew 13:9). Today, Jesus teaches us the Parable of the Weeds Among the
Wheat and He concludes saying “He who has ears, let him hear”
(Matthew 13:43).
By saying this, Jesus is informing us to pay attention and listen
to what He is about to say and to what He has said.
Unlike many of Christ’s parables, which leave us to interpret what
is meant, the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Weeds Among
the Wheat leave no question on what these parables mean, since it is Christ
Himself who explains these parables to us.
[The Parable of the Weeds]
Jesus teaches us: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to
a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his
enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants
came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also” (Matthew
13:24-26).
Now, how many of us have been there? I have. And weeds are a
constant battle in my garden.
You may have or had a garden or a farm field, but I’m sure
we have all been there. We sowed our good seeds and we find weeds coming up
right beside our good plants. We try to pluck out the problem weeds, but we see
them return after a good rain. This can be frustrating!
For the servants in this parable, they asked the sower: “Master,
did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?”
(Matthew 13:27)
The Master then replies, “An enemy has done this”
(Matthew 13:28a).
Immediately – we have all been there thinking – why not
just pluck out the weeds?
But, plucking out the weeds when your good plant is right next to
the weed is not always a good idea. For in the case of the parable, the weeds
are likely bearded darnel, which is botanically close to wheat, so they are
hard to distinguish from each other. And, when pulling darnel weeds, with their
strong and deep roots, this would likely uproot the emerging wheat plants.
So, the Master informs His servants to let the wheat and weeds
just grow together until the harvest, and then at harvest time, He will tell
the reapers to gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned,
but the wheat will be gathered into His barn.
[Cancel Culture]
But, why not just pluck out the weeds? If we do not want the weed
– the undesirable – why not just pluck them out?
You may have heard the phrase “Cancel Culture”? This concept known
as “Cancel Culture” has gained steam in the past few years. So far, many
statues and monuments, Aunt Jemima,
Eskimo Pie
and the Washington Redskins
have been plucked, or canceled. This concept of “Cancel Culture” is the
practice of withdrawing support for public figures and companies after they
have done or said something that many consider offensive.
So, if a public figure says something that many on the internet
find offensive, the “Twitter mob” will do their best to get this person fired
or silenced:
·
Author J.K. Rowling was
criticized for saying boys are biologically boys and girls are biologically girls.
This angered many who called her “transphobic.”
·
The Houston Rockets’
general manager Daryl Morey tweeted “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.”
His comments angered China, so he was forced to apologize.
·
Paw Patrol, a cartoon,
has been called to be canceled due to Chase, a German Shepherd puppy who is a
police dog, and his positive portrayal of law enforcement.
·
Goya Foods is threatened
by a boycott, since its CEO praised the President.
·
Or, if you post
what is undesirable on Facebook or Twitter, your post may come with a warning
label for others in order for them to choose to see it.
Although the internet is relatively new, the concept of “shaming”
is not new. Sadly, for much of our Christian history, many Christians had a
wrong interpretation of the Parable of the Weeds Among the Wheat, even
though Jesus explained this parable thoroughly.
Back then “Cancel Culture” was known by the word “heretic.” Now,
some of these men and women deserved the title “heretic” – for their false
teachings in leading people to damnation – while others received this title
falsely.
Some notable people to receive the title “heretic” were Arius,
Marcion, John Huss, William Tyndale, Joan of Arc and Martin Luther. So, why
were these people declared heretics?
§
Arius taught that Jesus
was a created being inferior to God the Father.
§
Marcion taught that the
wrathful God of the Old Testament was not the same all-forgiving God of the New
Testament.
§
John Huss taught that we
are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone as he preached in the language
of the people.
§
William Tyndale
translated the Bible into English.
§
Joan of Arc believed
that she heard voices of three saints who told her to accomplish the divine
mission of saving France while disguising herself as a man.
§
Martin Luther taught
that what God’s Word teaches is more important than contradicting popes.
For all these people, the Church canceled or attempted to cancel.
Instead of giving the true heretics – like Arius and Marcion – time to
repent for their sins and for leading people astray from God’s Word, they were
just declared heretics. Although, they at least had a voice to speak before
being condemned.
As for Hus, Tyndale, Joan of Arc and Luther, the Roman Church did
not want to give them even a voice to defend what they proclaimed.
In time, however, Joan of Arc was declared a saint – 25 years
after she was burned at the stake. Much of Tyndale’s English Bible was used
to produce the King James Version of the Bible. And, although still
officially a heretic in the Roman Catholic Church, many of Luther’s reforms
were included in the Second Vatican Council.
So, for centuries, the Church was wrong in declaring certain
people canceled. Yes, we should weed out false teachings, but we should do so
in respectful ways, so that the ones in error have time to repent, so that
they too could be saved. And where the Church went wrong, the accused
should be able to speak their case from God’s Word.
Today, this should still be the case among the worldly “Cancel
Culture.”
And, if we are honest, we often “cancel” our own friends and loved
ones. Instead of seeking reconciliation, we hold a grudge, or don’t speak to
the one who as wronged us in a Christlike way. Sin has a way of overpowering us
and our emotions.
Now, did God the Father just cancel us because of our sin?
No, He sent His Son Jesus!
No matter how much we fail, we can always look to Christ, who
suffered the punishment we surely deserve, and He bore it upon the cross. He
did this so we – who are dead in our sin – would be reconciled to God
the Father and made alive through Christ. Since, we have received
reconciliation through Christ’s death and resurrection, we are to do as He
commands by reconciling with one another.
[Explaining the Parable of the Weeds Among the Wheat]
After speaking the Parable of the Weeds Among the Wheat to
the crowd, Jesus went into a house.
The crowd and the disciples are left pondering, “What does this
mean?” So, the disciples asked Jesus: “Explain to us the parable of the
weeds of the field” (Matthew 13:36b).
Here is where things get different from many parables. Jesus
interprets this “earthly story with a heavenly meaning” and in doing so, this
parable becomes not just a story, but a teaching. Jesus leaves no room for error.
Jesus is making it clear what His teaching means.
He explains to them: “The one who sows the good seed is the
Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the children of the
kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them
is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels”
(Matthew 13:37-39).
Here, Jesus gives them – and us – a rapid-fire lexicon on
what everything means:
§
I, Jesus, am the Son of
Man.
§
The enemy is the devil,
Satan.
§
The different seeds sown
in soil are believers and unbelievers.
§
The “harvest” is the
consummation of the age.
§
The reapers are the
angels.
§
The field in which the
seeds are sown and are so closely mixed-together is “the world.”
[Encouragement and Hope]
But then, Jesus appears to explain deeper into the meaning of His
parable than what was originally spoken in the parable:
Christ explains: “Just as the weeds are gathered and burned
with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of Man will send his
angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all
law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will
be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in
the kingdom of their Father. He who has hears, let him hear” (Matthew
13:40-43).
Jesus says this to direct our attention to the sure and certain
promise of the Last Day. For on that Day, all ambiguities and every opposition
will be removed, and all will be set right for those who are planted and sustained
by the Word, that is the good seed, of the Son of Man.
This parable is meant to bring encouragement and hope. Christ’s
message to us is to take the long view, and set our hope on the day that will
certainly come.
As human beings, we, as wheat and weeds, coexist in the world. As
wheat, we are children of the heavenly Father. As weeds, we are children of the
evil one, but the weeds have time to change. The weeds have time to change into
wheat.
The point of the parable is this: the weeds – in time –
through repentance and faith in Christ could become wheat. The unbeliever who
is destined to eternal punishment can become a believer in Christ and receive
eternal life! Likewise, one who is wheat today can fall away and become a weed.
But, God gives us time to repent as He continuously cares for both the wheat
and the weeds until the harvest.
Remember, Christ did not hang out with sinless human beings. If He
did, He would always be alone – all by Himself. You see, Christ was among the
sinners. He was among the sinners, not to pluck them out. Instead, He was among
the sinners to bring about repentance. He was among the sinners to bring them
to faith. He was among the sinners in order to save them from their sins.
So, Christ is the sower, and – in a way – Christ is the
good seed who has come among us, the bad seed, to bring us to repentance.
And, as you can tell, the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit – is patient and merciful. He gives us time to repent since the harvest,
Christ’s Second Coming, has not yet happened. But, that day is coming!
For us sinners, we have hope and assurance through Christ alone!
Through Christ’s atoning death and His bodily resurrection, for everyone in
Christ, we have nothing to worry about. For He has destroyed the powers of the
evil foes among us: sin, death and Satan!
[The Sower Restores Us]
Remember, the Triune God didn’t have to do any of this for us, but
He did out of pure love for mankind!
The fact that God sows good seed at all is Gospel, this is good
news! Everything good about the good seed is His doing, not the seeds. But God
is more than a sower – He is a caretaker as well. His kindness did not cease
with the sowing.
No, He nourishes us with His Means of Grace as we hear of His
grace in our baptism, in our forgiveness of sins, in hearing His Word, and in
receiving the very body and very blood of Christ. Through the Means of Grace,
we are restored as good seed. Through the Means of Grace, we are restored as
wheat! We are restored as righteous! We are restored as children of the
heavenly Father!
You see, God’s goodness is not merely initial – in that He plants
us and lets us figure out our own life. No! His goodness is continuous.
He comes to us and restores us as His child!
Soon on the day of Christ’s Second Coming, the harvest will come!
The lawbreakers will suffer eternal punishment, but the righteous will enjoy
the Father’s heavenly glory. The righteous will shine like Jesus on the Mount
of Transfiguration. For everyone in Christ will reflect the light of Jesus.
“He who has ears, let him hear.” Amen.
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your
hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
T SOLI DEO GLORIA T
Today, many sins have become accepted — or even praised —
by society. But, according to the one true God, humanity cannot just eliminate
sins. If humanity had this power, we would step into God’s office. So, again,
what is a sin? Well, the one true God tells us in His Ten Commandments.
Ever since the fall of Adam in the Garden, humanity has been destined to death,
hell, and damnation. Every human being is under the curse that Adam set forth,
since every human being is descended from Adam, so “all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
You see, the Creeds (Nicene, Apostles’, Athanasian) reveal this
good news short and sweet. Although, Jesus is man, He is also fully God. He is
fully God in that His mother Mary did not become pregnant via a descendant of
Adam, but she became pregnant by God Himself. The Nicene Creed puts it this
way: “And [I believe] in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son
of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the
Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came
down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and
was made man.”
