Year A Proper 11

The kingdom of heaven is like a field, planted with good seed. The field is the world.
This parable introduces the idea of “realized eschatology.” The kingdom of heaven is already and not yet. The kingdom of heaven was inaugurated with the life and ministry of Jesus—the kingdom of heaven is at hand! It is here, it has arrived. And yet, we anticipate that it will only be complete when Jesus returns. It’s here, perhaps, in shadow form. We see glimpses, we know that Jesus brought the kingdom of heaven to earth, but all is not quite what it should be, and what it will be we will see at the end of the age. Jesus introduced “a new age, and the victory over the powers of evil has already been won, even though the struggle is still to be enacted in history. . . [Consequently] we must live with an openness to and anticipation of the future. . . . [There are] events that really will come to pass.”[1]

And so we have the parable of the wheat and the weeds. The kingdom of heaven is the field, where the evil one, Satan, has planted bad seed in with the good. The good seed is wheat, the bad seed is probably darnel, a weedy grass with poisonous seeds that looks just like wheat until harvest time, when it has a different “head” or “ear.” When the servants report what has happened, they are eager to try to uproot the weeds, but the master recognizes that if they pull out the bad plants, they will also be pulling up good ones, too. So he instructs them to let them both grow until the harvest, and then they will be able to tell the weeds from the wheat, and the weeds can be burned. “The kingdom of heaven has indeed come into this world, but its advance does not mean that the enemy will be completely vanquished during this age. That awaits the final judgment.”[2]

In his explanation to the disciples, Jesus describes himself as the sower, and the field as we know is the world. The kingdom if heaven is much more than Israel, or the Church, but expands to include the whole world. The good seed is the people of the kingdom, those who respond to Jesus and his teaching. The weeds belong to the evil one. They are those who reject Jesus and the gospel message. The enemy is, of course, the devil, “an enemy farmer attempting to disrupt the growth of good wheat.”[3] The harvest is the end of the age, the end times, “the judgment that will accompany the coming of the Son of Man to consummate the establishment of the kingdom.”[4] And finally, the harvesters are not the disciples, but angels who will help Jesus to establish his kingdom and bring judgment. They will collect the weeds, all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace. Then, Jesus’ “divine sovereignty will be visibly established over all creatures of this world.” And the righteous, those who are his disciples, “will experience the full manifestation of the kingdom’s glory and ‘will shine like the sun’. Jesus’ disciples are the light of the world during this age while they await its consummation . . ., but at that time they will shine with unhindered brilliance.”[5]

Let anyone with ears listen!

This parable makes it clear that although the kingdom of heaven has arrived, that doesn’t mean that evil ceases to exist—as we can see by our morning papers or evening news. Jesus’ disciples are being transformed, but evil and evil people survive. Those who are growing in the kingdom of heaven will see personal transformation, but we will not see the elimination of evil until the end of the age. Wheat and weeds, good and evil, coexist, and sometimes it’s hard for us to tell the difference. We don’t know, don’t see a person’s heart. We don’t know or can’t see what God is doing in them, or will be doing. We are not called to judge others, but to let Jesus and his angels sort it all out at the end of the age. Evil is a reality and will continue to be a part of this world, “but there looms on the horizon of history certain rescue for Jesus disciples and certain judgment for those who are aligned with the evil one.” That is our hope. God’s kingdom will come, his justice will be done, and the righteous will shine like the sun.

In our Epistle reading, Paul talks about this same hope. While living in this world Christians will experience evil and suffering. This suffering comes from the consequences of sin, or due to the sins of others, and in this world the innocent suffer along with the guilty. And some suffering comes from God’s disciplining us, being a loving father who chastises his children, meant for our own good. And we may suffer on account of Christ, as his disciples. But no matter the cause, this suffering doesn’t begin to compare with the glory that will be revealed to us. This glory already exists—the kingdom has already been inaugurated—but its true glory will be revealed to us in the last time. We will share in Christ’s glory for all of eternity. As one commentary says, “What steadying assurance this should give to those who suffer from the ravages of disease, to those who are victims of injustice and wickedness, to persecuted saints in many places, and to all Christians who have felt the hard blows of inescapable tragedy and cruel circumstance and crushing affliction.”[6]

Paul says that all of creation—plants, animals, rocks, mountains, rivers, all are longing for this glory to be revealed, for the kingdom to be consummated. “The entire created world has failed to attain its purpose. Because of human sin, it is not what God intended it to be.”[7] After the fall, God subjected all of creation with the expectation and hope of its ultimate liberation. Reflecting the supremacy of mankind in God’s created universe, the whole of the created universe felt the impact of the fall, and shares in the hope of redemption. On the last day all creation will be transformed, freed from evil and decay and death. When the children of God are finally restored, creation will also be restored because of Christ’s redemptive work, restoring humankind and even all of the created universe to God and his glorious purpose. In the meantime, creation groans in labor pains, suffering in anticipation of a joyous outcome.

And Christians also groan, as we yearn to be what God wants us to be, yearn for a better tomorrow. Again, there’s the idea of already and not yet. “We are God’s children already—justified, reconciled, and brought into his family. But we are not yet God’s children in the way we one day will be—possessing the full inheritance, enjoying perfect holiness in resurrected bodies, and glorified.”[8] This is what we hope for, the hope that is an integral part of being a follower of Jesus. In hope we were saved, and in hope we patiently wait for that which we don’t yet see, the consummation of the kingdom. “The object of our hope has not yet been revealed. But the hope of glory is still our highest hope, and because of that we wait with patience for it.”[9]This hope is not a wish, not like “I hope I win the lottery,” but a sure thing, founded in God’s promises. And because our hope is centered on God we can be patient, we can bear up under the suffering and evil of this life, we can expect that the best is yet to come. We can endure the sufferings of this life with fortitude, because of our hope of glory and the pledge of redemption. “There is something better yet. It is more wonderful than our finite minds can grasp, more glorious than imagination can conceive. It is a bright vision that leads us forward and imparts steadfastness and perseverance regardless of trial or disappointment or failure. Because of our hope of heaven itself, we are made strong to endure.”[10]

The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of the Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

[1] Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. Baker Books: 1998, p.1170.
[2] Wilkins, Michael J. The NIV Application Commentary: Matthew. Zondervan: 2004, p. 482.
[3] Ibid, 486.
[4] Ibid, 486.
[5] Ibid, 486.
[6] Allen, Clifton J. The Gospel According to Paul: A Study of the Letter to the Romans. Convention Press, 1956, p. 92.
[7] Moo, Douglas. The NIV Application Commentary: Romans. Zondervan: 2000, p. 267.
[8] Ibid, 267.
[9] Allen, 93.
[10] Ibid, 93.