Sorting
Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
“‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” Matthew 13: 24-30
Have you every participated in people watching? Just sat on a bench in the mall, on the beach or at a table at the county fair and just watched people. So many different people. So many styles. So many shapes and sizes. So many different beliefs.
Often, before we even know we are doing it, we begin to analyze and judge them. We begin sorting them into categories based on our own very limited understanding of who they really are. They may look differently than we do, but as the bible tells us, God does not look at the outward appearance, He looks at the heart.
Today’s passage tells us that God is fully aware that there are believers and unbelievers living side by side in this world, and He said, “Let them grow together until the harvest. Then they will be sorted.”
Living side by side does not make us the judge. Thankfully the sorting will be done at the Last Judgement by those who are infinitely more qualified than we are. We cannot dictate who is part of the Kingdom of Heaven and who is not. And if we start judging, we may damage some of the good plants.
It’s more important to judge our own response to God than to analyze other people’s responses. Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:1-5;
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Lord, please help me to see others as You do. You know every detail and rather than judge them, help me to share You with them. In Jesus’ name, amen.