February 10

Matthew 13:24-30 (Click to see scripture)

Bible in One Year Passages:

Journal Entry

Scripture

24He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' 28He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

Observation

I noticed that Jesus explains the Parable of the Weeds at again at the end of this passage which leads me to think that He really wanted us to understand the importance of this parable. As Jesus points out, the field is the world that we're living in and temptation is all around us... Jesus goes on to explain that the good seed is the sons of the kingdom but the weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. Though we may share this world for the time being, at the end of age, the sinners will be thrown into the fiery furnace and the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of our Father.

Application

Yes, it would be a perfect world if only the good seeds are sown and there is no evil in this world trying to do whatever possible to come between our relationship with our Heavenly Father...but then I guess life would be too easy and I would learn nothing... The enemy know our weaknesses and is at every turn trying to temp us with lies and deceit, therefore, unless we focus our eyes and ears to Jesus, I have no chance and running the good race towards victory in Christ Jesus. It is not easy living in this world but not conforming to the ways of this world...sometimes I just feel like giving in to the lies and the temptations because that seems like the easy way out... Then I am reminded of Jesus's suffering and God's ultimate sacrifice for me...in the name of love...and for a sinner like me...and I'm humbled all over again...and it gives me the strength to press on...though I may fall time and time again, finishing the race well as my fellow brothers and sisters cheering me on... Thank God for my community who keeps me accountable because without them, this life would be so hard!!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for you abounding love and grace for a sinner unworthy of your goodness... Give me the courage and the wisdom to live in this life but not conforming to the things of this world because nothing in that this world can offer can compare to the life you have promised...for a hope and future that is eternal... Help me to fix my eyes on you so that I will not go a stray...that I may finish the race well... In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

--sylee