The Kingdom…Compared

Matthew 13: 24-30

Charles J. Tomlin, February 21, 2021,

Flat Rock-Zion Baptist Partnership

Kingdom of God Series, 8 of 14

 

He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field;

 25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away.

 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well.

 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?'

 28 He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?'

 29 But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them.

 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'" (Matt. 13:24-30 NRS)

 

Have you been ‘canceled’ yet?   

Last year, a movement began to cancel all the wrongs of the past.  It even has had a name: it’s called, “cancel culture.”

In times past, movements like this were called “book burnings”.  To cancel a person with public ideas had to be done by ‘burning their books’.  But today, since we have more digital footprints than literary footprints, ‘canceling’ is the new way to publicly reject, ignore, and rid those who may have offended us.

The only way to avoid being canceled, is either to completely buy in to what is being promoted as being right at the the moment, or to keep quiet altogether.  But since “silence” is being considered ‘violence’, that really isn’t an option either.  So, your only options are to agree to what most everybody thinks or be canceled by the dominating culture.  That’s why it’s called ‘cancel culture.’

WEEDS AMONG THE WHEAT

 

This whole idea of ‘cancel culture’ represents a kind of social or political purity test.   As cultures change, and they’re always are changing, these kinds of ‘tests’  define who or what is in; or who or what is out. 

This political ‘testing’ can be put to any group: a whole society, part of a society, a local community, a neighborhood, or a church.  It’s always been true that most every group has boundaries that you must not offend without the risk of being put out or left out.   In many ways, this deliberate and intentional social defining isn’t something new. 

Thinking particularly of about religious groups or churches, most churches have been formed by saying that you must believe this teaching or you’re out, or we can’t believe that teaching or we’re out.  That’s what church covenants are.  In a way, they say who we are, by also say what we do believe or practice over against what our neighbors believe and practice.   

Today, most Christians pay more attention to trends or styles, than to covenants or doctrinal substance, so the ‘unwritten’ covenants of a certain worship or music style, a certain kind of Bible, or a particular political persuasion, carries much more clout for defining who we are or who we’re not.    

So, whether we want to admit it or not, the idea of defining ourselves by cancel out other cultural ways has always been with us, in one form or another, whether we used the term or not.  However, what is different about today, in this current spirit of this ‘cancel culture’, is that the test isn’t just about who you are now, but’s it’s also a test about anything and everything in the past that doesn’t fit what a group people are feeling, thinking or seeing things today.  So, not only do you cancel out what others are doing, you need to cancel out everything that group of people have ever done that is now considered to be “politically incorrect”.   

If anyone says or thinks something less than where the culture is going, or has already arrived, then you might get thrown off of social media, lose your job, or you could be publicly humiliated or disgraced.  It’s no longer enough to be told you are missing something, making a mistake, to be negotiated with, or to be left alone, but now you have to be immediately X’ed out completely, or even hated, for being less than what the current culture has come to believe or say should be.  It’s this ‘all-or-nothing’ spirit of todays’s canceling out, that seems different, sounding more like social ‘vengeance’, rather than social progress.

Did you know that last year, Jesus himself was on the verge of being canceled?   In July an Alaskan airline passenger caused a plane to make an emergency landing in Seattle because he insisted that everyone agree that Jesus was black.  

According to the Sun Times, the young white man shouted: “I will kill everybody! I will kill everybody on this plane unless you accept that Jesus was a Black man.” “Accept it! Or “Die in the name of Jesus!” the man shouted.  Two passengers, one a traveling policeman, worked together to subdue him. 

Now, I need to say that young man was probably mentally ill, so it’s hard to take his demand seriously, but with everything that has been happening in the culture, it’s no wonder he became obsessed.   But it does make you wonder, doesn’t it, will the ‘white’ images of Jesus be cancelled and removed too, since most images of are white and with brown hair?   What we know, however, is that Jesus was an ethnic Hebrew, so he wasn’t black, nor was he white thank goodness.  He was something in between.   

I’ve said all this about the new rise of ‘cancel culture’ because our Kingdom text today is about something very similar, and something very human too.  It’s about the kind of conflict we can expect, when you have people working toward different ideas, different values, or living toward two ways of life.  Different groups are basically competing for the same space, but living, as we say, in two vastly different worlds, or world views.   

This is what Jesus was pointing to in this parable.   He was referring to those who are those who live for God’s coming kingdom and those don’t care about it at all.  These different groups live in opposing or competing kingdoms and ways of life.   And, just like ‘weeds’ threaten wheat, the weeds can slow or oppose, and even seek to destroy the way of God.

 

SOWED GOOD SEED

 

So  how do we respond to these opposing ways of life that work against what God wants to do in the world?    When, how and where you draw line, or separate yourself from these differing or opposing ways isn’t always that clear.

If you draw them too tightly and you’re a Pharisee.  But if you draw the line too loosely, and you are a ‘liberal’ or even worst.   

And it can get even more complicated.   

Think about how or why our spiritual forefathers ‘split’ away from the Catholic Church.   Or, think about how our political forefathers started a revolution to separate themselves from England.   We can think of many other kinds of ‘separations’ too.  In our own community we could think about how the Amish separate themselves from the rest of us, or we can think about why we are Baptists, and not Methodists, nor are Quakers.  We may say it doesn’t matter, but it did matter, at least to someone and you are here and not there, and they are there, and not here, right?

And thinking about what grounds we should go by to separate ourselves from people we don’t agree with, for whatever reason, what standard should we use to do this?   While the Bible does tell is to be ‘come from among them and be separate’ and also to stand out as a  ‘peculiar’ people, it doesn’t tell us exactly how do we do this?  Do we stop going to a Grocery Chain that sells Alcohol, if we disagree with that?  Well, that didn’t work, did it?   Do we not go with our grand kids to Disney World when the support Gay Rights?  Well, that didn’t work either.   Do we refuse to have TV’s, Internet, or Cell Phones?  

It’s very hard to shut out everything that may not fit into our understand of God’s coming kingdom, isn’t it?    And even if we do think it is right for us, not to support this, or that, or to separate ourselves from this or that, how do this in a way that is Christian that maintains our missionary calling to Salt and Light in the world?

So, even though there are times that we must go another way, or even ‘go’ our own way, in this parable, in which Jesus says that the ‘wheat’ and ‘weeds’ are to be allowed to grow together, seems to suggest that we it isn’t always best to rid from our midst everyone who does not meet our own views or standards.  Rather that separate ourselves completely, Jesus suggests that the believers and the unbelievers should grow together in this world.   And instead of trying to fix everything right now, by ourselves, we should let God sort it out in the end.

When I did a study of the History of my Home Church, which isn’t quite as old as either of our churches, there were several interesting minutes about how the church used to practice ‘churching people’; which meant that if you did not follow the church covenant, then the church would force you to face the church publicly, and if you didn’t repent, then you were ‘churched’, which meant, excommunicated.  

This practice went on for several years, but finally came to an end, because it was doing more harm than good.   When the covenant-breaker was brought the church and was publicly humiliated, after that person was released from church membership, the whole family normally went with them.  Since most churches were ‘family churches’, you could easily wreck a whole church my confronting one single member.   This practice proved not to be worth the pain it caused, and the practice eventually ended, especially as churches become more and more dependent on the support of its members.    

It’s not an easy situation to confront all the ‘weeds’ in the world, and in the church, is it?    Now, this does not mean that justice does not need to be served, nor does it mean that we never break fellowship with people who threaten to harm us.   

In Matthew 18, Jesus says that the sinner who will not repent, even after being confronted, is to be treated like a sinner and tax collector.  That means we are to treat them as being outside of God’s will and way.   It doesn’t necessarily  mean we are to ‘shun’ sinners, like the Amish do, but it could mean that we treat them just like we would any ‘outsider’; as someone who needs our love and prayers, not necessarily ousting or banning then from any relationship or contact.

However, in even stronger language, Paul told one church not to associate with someone who was practicing incest—that is living with his Mother-In-Law; something that was even looked down upon by the world (1 Cor. 5:1ff).   The point was not that the person should not be loved, but that the moral witness of the church must not be allowed to be hurt because this was even unacceptable to the world.    Paul recommended breaking fellowship or pursuing justice against that person, only because they were threatening to bring hurt or harm to the witness and work of the church.

 

LET THEM BOTH GROW TOGETHER

Since this issue of ‘separation’ can become complicated, although it may indeed be necessary in certain situations, the question really is how do we take this parable, as helpful guidance, rather than becoming something is disruptive that creates unnecessary negativity for the church? 

 

It is most helpful to understand that Jesus is primarily talking to his disciples and how they are to relate to each other.  It’s not trying to be descriptive of the how the church deals with the world, as much as, it’s about how things to be carried out in the Church---among people who may have differing views.  This is about situations when it’s much less obvious who the wheat is, or who is a weed. 

 

I remember years ago, when I was a religion major in college, that an older couple in my home church wanted me to travel to Charlotte to visit PTL—the Jim Baker Organization.   My Father didn’t think much of Jim Baker, and he proved to be right on target.   I didn’t think much of Jim Baker style either, but this lady thought PTL had great potential and she wanted my opinion about it.   Since I was a religion major, I thought it would be make a good Field Trip and experience.  I might even write a paper on it.  

 

So, I went to PTL, and it was indeed very interesting.  It was the very first time I’d ever been in a Television studio before.   And I have to admit, the music and the Talk Show wasn’t all that bad.  I had decided to give PTL the ‘benefit of a doubt’, which meant that I would support the dear couple, and keep my mouth shut; unless I heard something that sounded very dangerous or outrageous.   

 

The major issue I did bring up to them on the way home was how much money was going into building that Christian ‘theme park’ which was only to serve Christians, rather than serve the needs of hurting people in the world.   There was much more I could have said, but for the most part, I decided to let the ‘weeds’ and the ‘wheat’ grow together, until my suspicions either proved right, or proved wrong.   As we all know all to well, the truth about Jim Baker and PTL, did finally come out.

We may be indeed be surprised both in heaven, and sometimes on earth too, about who was right and who was wrong about opinions or ideas about faith.  Matters of faith can be a very ‘fluid’ and personal, so that they are hard to ‘pin down’.   They say much more about what’s going on deep in a person’s heart, rather than about where the kingdom will eventually end up.   As I’ve said before, faith and religion is flexible and fluid for a reason; so that it can fit in many different types of ‘cups’; which we are all very different.  

And since it’s not always obvious who is right about the way of God’s Kingdom, we do not try to separate or accentuate over every difference.  I mean some very good people have been considered weeds, but turned out to to be wheat too.  I can think of several can’t you?  Martin Luther King was considered a trouble maker, as was John Lewis, who died last year.   He was known for getting into ‘good trouble’.    

Throughout human history, there were a lot of people who were perceived as ‘trouble makers’, who were thought to be ‘weeds’, but later proved to be ‘wheat’.   The few that immediately come to mind are Galileo, when he said the earth went around the sun, when it looked to be obvious that the sun circled the earth.   The Church of that world excommunicated him, but the Catholic church was bad wrong.    

Beyond religion, in the ancient world Socrates and his philosophical ideas were attacked and he was forced to drink poison, but later Socrates ideas were accepted as brilliant.   Of course, we all know what happened to Jesus, who was also hated, but was later accepted by that same world, who once rejected him.  The list could go own.  It’s much easier to demoralize or demonize someone than it is to stay or bear with them, until either the truth comes out, or an even greater truth comes that surprises everyone.

Before Jesus was ‘canceled out’ by his own  culture, he warned his own disciples against becoming a negative ‘cancel culture’ among themselves.   In fact, when they were planning to use their arguing over who right, wrong, best or less, so they could ‘lord over each other’ rather than to humbly serve each other,  Jesus scolded them saying, ‘It shall not be so among you’ (Mk 10:42ff).   In other words, things are supposed to work very differently among you than they work out there in the world.

 

So, finally, what can this parable mean for us, in the church?   While churches and Christians need standards, boundaries, and  limits of what is acceptable for our fellowship together, and what isn’t.    Have a particular set of values and guiding principles are necessary for any group---if that group wants to have a certain identity or mission.   But this parable should remind us, that even when we make these necessary standards or boundaries, we still need ‘patience’ in how we carry them out, because the ultimate truth and the final truth, isn’t always obvious.

I once told you how much I respected the Deacon Leadership of a church that was having to deal with an issue that had the potential to bring a lot of hurt to a congregation.   This church was in many ways, theologically very conservative, and the behavior of a certain young person was not in line with the church’s beliefs and practices.   But instead of outright opposing the young man, or publicly coming out against him, they understood how much he was loved in the church, and also that his behavior had not actually brought harm to anyone.  While they informed the young man that they did accept what he was saying or doing, they did allow him to continue to be a part of the congregation, as long as, he continued to respect the agreed upon beliefs of the church and if he understood that they loved him, even when they didn’t approve of his behavior.   

When church’s face situations where believers differ, even in their behaviors or their interpretations of Scripture, the only way people can stay together, worked together or worship together in such situations, is when they have the patience to wait and trust that God will one day reveal the truth to them both.   

But to do this, requires deep trust in God, and it also requires genuine love for the person we may not agree with.   Trust in God is always needed to be a Christian, and so is love for others, but sometimes this becomes more obvious and even more critical.     The fast-changing world today, when churches and communities are facing so much social, political change, the trust we have in God and in each other is being tested more than ever before.  

When we come together to worship with people who may see things very differently that we do, we have to trust that God, or His angels, not you or me, will ultimately be the sifters to separate the wheat from the weeds.  This is the only way we can continue to live together, serve together, and work for the greater good in life, that is a good, that is indeed greater than our own.   We must tolerate many of our differences in beliefs and opinions, until that day when God makes all things crystal clear, or as my Hebrew professor used to say, until everything ‘come out  clean on wash day’.    

Jesus’ parable, as I see it, argues for compassion and tolerance as the best kind of Christianity among us.  It is most Christians thing we can do when we are being kind, patient and being tolerant of our differences with each other.  When we allow God to be the final judge, and when we trust God’s wisdom more than our own, this becomes a way of protecting both our neighbor and ourselves,from unnecessary emotional hurt and spiritual damage.

Might we see a renewal of Christian Faith, and among churches too, even in the confusing times of challenge and change, if we could be a witness to the world, of how we learn to appreciate an accept one another, even our differences.   I mean, our many differing denominations and doctrinal disputes hasn’t really done anything to help our witness to the world.  One of the early Church leaders, Tertullian, once argued to the pagans that living  life together in the church was morally superior to life in the world.   He challenged pagans to just ‘look in the church and see how they love one another.’

Could it be that that this kind of tolerance and patience is the greatest proof of the benefit of following Christ, and letting God be God who is the only true and final judge.?    Amen.