Be a shaft of wheat

Jesus would understand how you feel about wanting to skip the work so you can have fun. He was always struggling to help people be patient -- and this week's Gospel (Matthew 13:24-43) was one of those times.

When you want to go swimming, it's all you can think of. Even as you clean your room, you picture a pool. When you're done, you run out, upset that anyone would make you wait for it!

The workers in Jesus' story were like that. The farmer was Jesus; the wheat was all the people who follow Him. The weeds were those who didn't. The workers couldn't understand why Jesus would wait until the end of the world to get rid of the bad people.

Just like you wonder why you should wait to swim, they thought, "Why not get rid of the bad stuff now, and let the good people grow together?"

Every once in a while, your parents know something you don't. Maybe they remember company's coming later, and it's more important to clean your room than swim. Jesus knew more than His workers: that if everyone grows together, even weeds might grow into something good. Swimming now means you'll have a messy room later -- and getting rid of "weeds" isn't going to solve everyone's problems.

It's tough to put off what you want. But cleaning your room doesn't mean you can't swim later -- and putting up with bad stuff in the world doesn't mean there's no good stuff.

When "harvest time" comes, Jesus won't have any trouble picking out who's been growing like wheat -- or acting like a weed!

(07-18-96) [[In-content Ad]]