マタイによる福音書13:24-30

The Church proclaims God’s word (the word) to the people according to Jesus’ command. In last week’s children’s sermon, I spoke about the parable that proclaiming God’s word is like sowing seeds. In last week’s parable, the seeds that were sown fell in different places. The seed that fell along the path, birds flew in and ate the seed. The seed that fell in the rocky ground died because they could not grow roots into the soil. The seed that fell among thorns could not grow above the thorns and could not bear fruit. But the seed that fell on good soil took root, sprouted, grew and produced a lot of grains.

Today’s Bible passage is also a parable of sowing. However, it teaches something different from last week’s parable. Last week’s parable of the sowing was about there being bad soil and good soil. Today’s parable of the sowing tells us that there are good seed and bad seed. A man sowed good seed in the field. This good seed is the seed of wheat, which produces grains that can be eaten. “But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.” What is weed? Weed is a grass similar to wheat that produces poisonous grains. When this grass starts to grow, it looks a lot like wheat. However, when it grows and bears grains, it can be recognised because its ears are smaller than those of wheat. When the servants working in the field noticed that the weeds were growing in the field, they said to their master: “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?” The master replied, “An enemy has done this.” So the servants said, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But the master replied cautiously, “No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

Jesus explains the meaning of this parable a little later in verses 37-42. According to that explanation, “the one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,” i.e., Jesus. “The field is the world,” “the good seed” is those who belong to the heavenly kingdom and “the weeds are the sons of the evil one.” Furthermore, “the enemy” who sowed the weeds is “the devil,” “the harvest is the end of the age,” and “the reapers are angels.” And at the end of the age, “just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire,” Jesus says, he will let the angels gather the sons of the evil one and burn them. This is called the Last Judgment.

Jesus in heaven sends the Holy Spirit from heaven and uses those who believe in him, who have received the Holy Spirit, to proclaim God’s word to this world. And those who believe that the word and repent will do good works that please God, and on the last day they will receive eternal life. However, there are evil people in this world who appear to be doing good works but have not repented. And as Jesus said in verse 41, “the Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,” such wicked people will also be in the Christian church, which is manifesting the kingdom of God to this world. But we do not assume that “that person is the weed.” For we will not know who is really good and who is really bad until the last day. We ourselves must first constantly repent. Then we must patiently believe and wait for Jesus to judge us righteously on the last day.