New Testament: Matthew 13:3-8, 18-23

Gospel: Revelations 14:15-19, Matthew 13:24-30

The parable in Matthew 13:24-30 really spells out the harvest and what is truly being harvested. The final harvest is the end of the world as told in Matthew 13:39 and Revelations 14:15-19. The fields Jesus speaks of is none other than all the Earth. Considering the Earth a field is actually stated in Genesis 3:17-18 when Adam and Eve were banished from Eden.

With the seeds being us and the fields being the Earth, one must ask who is the farmer that planted the seeds. The farmer can be none other then GOD himself. The first chapter of the book of Genesis establishes this fact. Jesus brings it home in Matthew 13:37 when he says unto His desciples, "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man." The significanance of these few lines is to restate the creation of the human race.

The next question that we need to address is where did evil come from? This question a child may ask. The answer to this comes from the story of Adam and Eve and is inlighted directly in Matthew 13:38-39 when Jesus tells us, "the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil." Though this part isn't actually the question we need to address; but rather the setting to the true question, why doesn't GOD remove the evil or the bad seeds.

Here lies the meat by which evil exists in GOD's fields. Jesus tells us that te good seeds, the wheat in the parable, must be allowed to grow and prosper. Even though the devil sowed bad seeds, tares in the parable, the good seeds will produce a far greater crop. If the farmer in the parable was to uproot the tares, he would also uproot and wheat the surrounds them, thus making them unfruitful. By waiting until the final harvest to rid the filds of the tares, Jesus will harvest a much more plentify crop. For then will all the wheat be matured and ready for the picking.

As we are the good seed and hear the words and teachings of Christ, it is important to remember that not all of us are in the best of soils. As we travel in life, the dirt we are rooted in may dry up. Every farmer constantly waters and feeds his crop. GOD too constantly provides water and food for His children. 

Ask yourself this, what happens to a plant that is surrounded by weeds? The plant will wither and die. No matter how hard or how much the farmer feeds and waters that plant, the weeds are going to continue to choke it. After so much time the farmer will either remove the weeds or move the plant if there are too many weeds.

Even though our lives are not always in the best of soil, we too can be moved to better soil. We can ask GOD, the great farmer, to re-plant us in better soil. Our lives are much like the ground we walk on. Lets us take a closer look at them both.

One might inquire the significane of the ground and even say that there can be no comparision. However; the ground is an ideal environment to find ourselves. After all, we were created from the ground.

The ground is textured, some dirt is fine and others coarse. It can be hard or solid and soft and silky. Our lives too are textured. Many people have lives that are hard and grainy, like a person who lives on the street. Their lives are filled with many hardships.

Other's lives are solid. They have the knowledge and comfort in knowing Jesus Christ as their personal savior. These people may have been planted in good soil or even have been re-planted. Some have suffered great and terrible tradities in order to reach this point. Moses and his followers were these type of people. Once bound in slavery, GOD took His mighty hand and re-planted them in the fertile and abdunant lands as the book of Exodus details.

Some never worry about food on the table or the roof they live under. To them, this is a secure or solid lifestyle. These people like to live of the soft and sandy beaches. To them life is likened to a silken robe. Here though can lie several problems. One must always remember the tides, for they can come and sweep the sand from under your feet. They are always moving up to avoid the tides, never really rooting themselves or being satisified where they are rooted. Their root are weak and can not stand the test of time. They never grow in strength and faith to stand strong when the tides come rushing in.

And finally, there are those whose lives are silky and plush. Their lives are filled with the greatest of pleasures and comforts. Such riches exceedings are never enough. The over abudance of such graces deadens the senses to the true beauty of a rose or carnation. They become lost in false treasures and blinded by illusions of bueaty. Luke 18:22-25 speaks of just this subject. Once one's senses lulled by false illusions or man's illusions of wealth, they can no longer see the bueaty that GOD created. Nor do they see the riches, fine silks, and delicacies or treasures, as luke states, that GOD has for us in His eternal kingdom.

Ask yourself, what kind of soil am I planted in? Do I wish to have richer, more fertile soil? If you answered yes, then ask yourself if you are willing to help the GOD, the farmer, by fighting the weeds and putting up with more rain? 

Literature has often drawn similarities to a dry barren land as the bad lands or the desert. Unlike the movies and the arabians' fantasies, there isn't oasis waiting for those who have not been planted in good soil. All that awaits those in the desert is nothing more than scortched roots, dry and empty lives, and a barren and burnt soul.

Ask the LORD thy GOD to plant you in better soil, to move your lives to the ways of spiritual grow and strength. Do so quickly, before the great harvest for the LORD has commanded his mighty angels to sharpen their sickles and make ready. Don't allow yourself to be taken when the reaper come for the tares, for the farmer only wants the strongest and purest of wheat. If you feel your roots are weak, call now to the LORD and ask Him to plant you in better soil and make yourself ready to fight the rains.

LET US NOW CALL UPON THE LORD:

Gracious LORD, we thank you for the spiritual food and water you have given us. We thank you for the sun and the rain in our lives and we ask you to re-plant us in the pure soil of your father's kingdom, that we may be ready for the final harvest and not befall the fate of the tares.

AMEN.