Leg 2 Day 22 - Life Along the Way

Leg 2 Day 22

What's On The Inside?

Jesus Among Us

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Scripture:

Matthew 13:24-30

MATTHEW 13:24–30 (MSG) He told another story. “God’s kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too. The farmhands came to the farmer and said, ‘Master, that was clean seed you planted, wasn’t it? Where did these thistles come from?’ He answered, ‘Some enemy did this.’ The farmhands asked, ‘Should we weed out the thistles?’ He said, ‘No, if you weed the thistles, you’ll pull up the wheat, too. Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I’ll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.’”

Life Lessons from Jesus:

You’ll encounter many people in your life who seem like they’re doing it all. They appear to have everything together: they’re pious, they’re involved in the church, they’re vocal about their faith—but it’s all a facade. You might never know, but they haven’t invested at all in their actual walk with Christ. They refuse to undergo the radical, internal change that it takes to truly follow God. The illustration in this parable is simple but poignant. The thistles, or weeds— which is the term used in certain Bible translations—represent those who don’t have a genuine relationship with Jesus, and the wheat represents those who do—those who are actually listening to and obeying God and whose hearts are being transformed by Him. From the outside, the weeds and the wheat look exactly the same. The only difference between them is what’s on the inside. Weeds are empty on the inside, while wheat contains seeds within that develop as the plants reach maturity. If there are weeds in the field, at harvest time, the wheat is separated from them. God doesn’t pull out the “weeds” among His people or expose them all right away. In this story, the farmhands might represent people who expect Jesus to sweep in and immediately clear out the weeds from the wheat. But that’s not how God works. Jesus gives everyone the opportunity to turn to Him, allowing those who follow Him time to mature along the way. If you’re feeling empty or as if your relationship with God isn’t a real relationship anymore, this would be a good time to examine your heart, dive into some reading of the Bible and Christian books for insight and inspiration, talk to someone you trust about it, and put aside time for some heart-to-hearts with God.

The WAY:

Consider these questions as you reflect on today’s reading:

Why did the farmer not want the weeds pulled before the harvest?

Why is God not pulling out the “weeds” in the church in advance of the harvest?

How do you feel you’re maturing in your relationship with Jesus? What are some examples of that maturity?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I don’t want empty religion. I want a genuine relationship with You that grows and matures over time. Don’t let me fall into a mere routine instead of truly getting to know You. Help me to set aside the time and to put in the work that is needed for our relationship to grow. In Your name, amen.

COMPLETE