So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow the good seeds in your field? How then does it have tares?' He said to them, 'an enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. LET BOTH GROW TOGETHER until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." (Caps and bold are mine...so awesome!)
Let both grow together...the wheat AND the weeds.
Let both grow together...the good AND the wicked.
Let both grow together...that which initially has the right roots AND that which initially has the bad roots.
Matthew Henry's Commentary:
This parable represents the present and future state of the gospel church. Christ's care of it, the devil's enemy against it, the mixture there is in it of good and bad in this world, and the separation between them and the world...whatever is amiss in the church, we are sure it is not from Christ...no human skill can make an exact separation. Those who oppose must not be cut off, but instructed...and though the good and bad are together in this world, yet at the great day they shall be parted...There is good and bad in the church, and this is not the work of Christ, nor can we as humans, make the proper discernment as to play "Eeny-meeny-miney-mo" in order to determine who is sincere and who is not.
John Darby's Synopsis:
The result was that the kingdom here below no longer presented as whole the appearance of the Lord's own work, He sows not tares...all must remain unremedied until the King's interposition at the time of harvest...Heretics, false brethren, will be there, as well as the the fruit of the Lord's word...at the time of harvest, the Lord will deal first with the tares...the servants are not capable of doing this. The intermingling (caused by their weakness and carelessness) is such, that in gathering out the tares they would uproot the wheat also...their service is with the good. The execution of judgment on the wicked in this world does not belong to the servants of Christ.
Again....humans are not charged with judging the good and the bad. We think we are and don't we know a few people who try really hard to pull pull out all the weeds before anything has even bloomed? We are the Dandelion Police; there will be no yellow blossoms or dry petal wishes in this field of wildflowers!
And perhaps my favorite commentary on this lesson is from Albert Barnes' Notes:
1. That hypocrites and deceived persons must be expected in the church.
2. That this is the work of the enemy of man...They belong to the world, and hypocrisy is only one form of sin. The Christian religion never "made" a hypocrite.
3. That all hope of removing them entirely would be vain.
4. That an "attempt" to remove them altogether would injure real Christianity, by causing excitements, discord, and hard feelings even among Christians.
5. That Christ will himself separate them at the proper time...those who so successfully imitate Christians as to make it difficult or impossible for man to distinguish them.To be honest...I loved the Dandelion when I was little. I loved yellow, I loved fluffy, I loved overnight transformation into a wishing weed. As I am now responsible for my own lawn care (with my faithful mower husband), I have come to view the Dandelion a little more harshly...I do not want it's wispy white wishes to plant more wishes in my yard. I have grabbed my badge and "think" that I am capable of discerning what is good and bad in my own field.
LET BOTH GROW TOGETHER...
Just as the roots of the wheat and tares become interwoven, and attempting to remove the weeds before the harvest is ready can destroy the wheat...so do we affect the maturity of Christian growth when we think we have the authority to criticize before the full potential is reached.
I think of my own path. If someone would have gone all "round-up" on me when I was in my 20's, I would not be sitting here typing today. And I know that there is so much more that I could be doing to prepare myself for the harvest. But I still have days where my bad roots and my good roots intertwine, and I am not talking hair.
Here is the deal...every part of the Dandelion is useful: Medicine, food, color dyes. It is high in vitamins A, C, and K and used frequently in Asian salads. Dandelions are grown as a crop in Belgium and they can be used in the production of wine and root beer - Raise the Roof!!
And I love this...if you mow it, it will produce a shorter-stalk to spite you! Does that sound like some experiences within the church or what?
You know the saying "sometimes you're the bug, and sometimes you're the windshield"? Well...sometimes you are the wheat, and sometimes you are the weed. But praise be to God, that Jesus is the sower and He says...LET BOTH GROW TOGETHER. We should strive each day to be the wheat, to encourage tares to draw from our roots, to GROW TOGETHER until the time of harvest, careful not to "short-stalk" anyone who we deem less than useful.
May we put away our badges, gaze upon all there is to offer from a single yellow weed-flower, take a deep breath in....and exhale as we wish for ALL to be ready for the harvest.
AMEN.