The Soil Laden With Weeds:
Being Choked To Death Spiritually
Date: May 25, 1997-P.M.
Speaker: John Phillis
Main Scripture Reference: Matthew 13:24-30
I want you to know that I consider myself something of an expert in a particular area of horticulture. That area has to do with the care and feeding of weeds!! For those of you who have been to my house, I want to tell you that, no, that is not a crop of dandelions and Johnson grass that I am raising in my yard. That’s supposed to be fescue grass and Kentucky bluegrass. But despite my best efforts, the dandelions and Johnson grass seem to have a way of moving the Kentucky bluegrass and fescue out of my yard.
Actually, my intimate relationship with weeds began at a fairly tender age. I grew up on a farm, and much, if not most, of my tender, young years were spent on the business-end of a hoe, or the business-end of a one-wheeled, steel-wheeled cultivator in a garden, which I’m sure was several hundred acres! I can recall starting at the front of a row, and my task was to weed the garden for that month—it wasn’t a daily thing—it was by the month. It’s sort of like painting the Golden Gate Bridge. If they start at the north end of the bridge, and they sand blast away the old paint and they repaint, then by the time they get to the south end, they have to go back and start again on the north end! That’s kind of the way it was with the garden. I’d finish one row. And, of course, as I stood there, I couldn’t see the end of the row. It kind of went over the horizon. And I’d think, “Will I ever see the end of this thing?” And eventually, I’d get there.
But, anyway, my purpose there was to eradicate the weeds. I’m sure there’s a botanical name for that, but I’m not sure what it is. Maybe the botanical name is “weed eradicus” [a name John obviously made up] or something like that.
But, anyway, weeds are unwelcome for the most part. They’re unwelcome in a lawn They’re unwelcome in a garden. They’re unwelcome in a farmer’s field or in a flower bed. For the most part, they’re probably out of place. After all, it’s not the weeds that we’re trying to cultivate. They can oftentimes be harmful and destructive to the particular crop that we are trying to grow in that they rob the soil of nutrients, they take the moisture from the soil, and some varieties of weeds can grow very quickly, grow very large and even shade other plants from the sun. Weeds are unproductive—unprofitable. We don’t get any use from them, and they can often times reduce the production that we’re trying to achieve.
Jesus used the example of weeds to teach a spiritual lesson—the “Parable of the Sower,” or “Parable of the Soils,” as it’s sometimes referred to. Tobey Pierce read the parable for us from Matthew’s account. That particular parable is also recorded for us in Mark, the 4th chapter, and in Luke, the 8th chapter. I know that it is a parable that we’re all very familiar with, and we know that in that particular parable, Jesus is talking about the soil into which seed can be sown. And He makes an application there to the condition of one’s heart, as the Word of God is spread.
We might think about the conditions of the soil, as Jesus described them in this particular parable, in degrees of receptivity. Some soil is hard and unreceptive. Some soil is laden with an underlying layer of rock. Some soil is full of weeds, thorns and other things which grow there. And some soil is good and fertile. And, of course, the application, then, is made to the condition of various hearts, as the Word of God is sown upon them.
Well, it’s interesting that Jesus’ disciples, one more time, did not understand just exactly what Jesus was presenting to them. And so, they asked for an explanation about this parable. And a few verses over in that same chapter, Matthew 13, Jesus gives them the explanation of what He was talking about as He presented this parable. And I’d like share that, and read that together with you—Matthew 13, beginning with verse 36 through verse 37:
“Then He left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.’
“He answered, ‘The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.’”
[There is a pause here as John thinks about his lesson. He then says: ]
Actually, I read the wrong explanation. It applies, but let me also read Matthew 13, beginning with verse 24 through verse 30:
“Jesus told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
“ ‘The owner’s servants came to him and said, “Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?”
“ ‘ “An enemy did this,” he replied.
“ ‘The servants asked him, “Do you want us to go and pull them up?”
“ ‘ “No,” he answered, “because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” ’ ”
Tonight, I’d like to develop some thoughts for our consideration about the one type of soil that Jesus presented in this parable—that soil being the thorny soil, or the soil that was laden with weeds. From that, I hope that we can make some application for our life today. (Al Sharp, in his prayer, put considerable pressure on me to be able to make some application! And so, I hope we’ll be able to do that.)
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