ARE YOU WHEAT, WEEDS, OR BOTH?

Matthew 13:24-30  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 1/23/22

MINISTERS ARE CONSTANTLY ON THE LOOKOUT

FOR GOOD SERMON ILLUSTRATIONS,

AND OVER THE YEARS THEY TEND TO COLLECT

A MULTITUDE OF BOOKS CLAIMING TO DELIVER

THE PERFECT ILLUSTRATION FOR​​ ANY​​ AND​​ EVERY​​ OCCASION.

I AM NO EXCEPTION TO THIS PRACTICE,

AND HAVE AT LEAST A DOZEN FAT BOOKS

LOADED WITH ILLUSTRATIONS IN MY ARSENAL

OF SERMON PREPARATION RESOURCES.

BUT OVER THE LAST DOZEN YEARS OR SO –

PRECISELY THE YEARS WHEN I HAVE COME TO FOCUS

MORE AND MORE​​ ON THE ACTUAL TEACHINGS OF​​ JESUS​​ –

I HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY​​ FRUSTRATED​​ 

WITH THESE PURPORTED GOLDMINES OF ILLUSTRATIVE MATERIALS.

THEY’RE​​ STRONG​​ ON TOPICS CLOSE TO THE HEART OF​​ ST.​​ PAUL,

TOPICS LIKE FAITH VS WORKS, SIN, AND SALVATION.

BUT THEY’RE​​ WEAK​​ ON MANY TOPICS CLOSE TO THE HEART OF​​ JESUS,

TOPICS LIKE JUSTICE AND PEACE, LOVE OF NEIGHBOR,​​ 

AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

AND THEY’RE DOWNRIGHT​​ USELESS​​ WHEN IT COMES TO ILLUSTRATING

MANY OF JESUS’​​ FAVORITE​​ WAYS OF​​ COMMUNICATING:

WAYS LIKE​​ WONDER,​​ IRONY,​​ SARCASM,​​ SURPRISE, AND​​ PARADOX.

IF ONE WERE TO JUDGE BY THE COMPLETE​​ LACK​​ OF SUCH CATEGORIES

IN THE SRMON ILLUSTRATION MANUALS,

THE CHRISTIAN FAITH TRADITION SIMPLY HAS NO​​ ROOM, NO​​ PLACE

FOR​​ INDIRECT​​ MEANS OF COMMUNICATION SUCH AS THESE.

AND YET.

AND YET OUR FOUNDER, JESUS,​​ OFTEN​​ USED WONDER, IRONY,​​ 

SARCASM, SURPRISE, AND PARADOX IN HIS REPERTOIRE OF TEACHING

STRATEGIES,​​ ESPECIALLY​​ WHEN HE TAUGHT IN​​ PARABLES.

THE CHURCH HAS TENDED TO​​ TAME​​ JESUS, TO​​ DUMB​​ JESUS​​ DOWN,

BY​​ REDUCING​​ THE PARABLES TO MORALISTIC TEACHINGS​​ 

THAT CAN BE SUMMARIZED IN A​​ SENTENCE.

INSTEAD OF ENCOURAGING US, LIKE​​ JESUS​​ DID, TO DWELL​​ INSIDE​​ 

THE STORY OF A PARABLE, ALLOWING IT TO​​ SURPRISE​​ US​​ 

INTO​​ UNEXPECTED​​ UNDERSTANDING, INSTEAD OF ENCOURAGING US,

LIKE​​ JESUS​​ DID, TO THINK​​ OUTSIDE​​ THE BOX,

MOST CHURCHES SIMPLY OFFER THEIR CONSTITUENTS

PREDIGESTED​​ ANSWERS​​ TO PREDIGESTED​​ QUESTIONS,

MODELING​​ IN-THE-BOX​​ THINKING, AS IF JESUS​​ HIMSELF

WERE JUST ANOTHER TYPICAL RELIGIOUS​​ LEGALIST​​ 

WITH ALL THE​​ STANDARD​​ ANSWERS.

THUS,​​ IN REGARD TO TODAY’S PARABLE,

THAT OF THE WHEAT AND THE WEEDS,​​ 

THE STORY IS QUICKLY DECIPHERED TO TEACH THE SIMPLE POINT

THAT​​ WE​​ ARE NOT MEANT TO JUDGE OTHERS,

BUT LEAVE THE JUDGING TO​​ GOD.

THAT’S A GOOD POINT AS FAR AS IT GOES,​​ 

BUT IT REALLY DOESN’T GO VERY​​ FAR.

THAT ANSWER TENDS TO​​ STOP​​ FURTHER THOUGHT

BEFORE IT EVEN GETS STARTED.

LET’S TAKE A​​ DIFFERENT​​ APPROACH TO THIS PARABLE THIS MORNING.

INSTEAD OF TRYING TO​​ CONDENSE​​ IT INTO A SIMPLE SENTENCE,

LET’S​​ EXPAND​​ IT INTO A SUBTLE AND SURPRISING​​ DWELLING​​ PLACE.

LET’S APPROACH IT AS AN ATTEMPT BY JESUS​​ 

PRECISELY TO MAKE US​​ UNCOMFORTABLE​​ WITH​​ SIMPLISTIC​​ ANSWERS

AND TO PROVOKE US TO SOMETHING​​ DEEPER.

SINCE ONE OF THE FIRST PRINCIPLES

OF AUTHENTIC BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION

IS TO USE SCRIPTURE TO INTERPRET SCRIPTURE,

TO USE THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS

TO INTERPRET THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS,

LET US BEGIN BY FINDING​​ ANOTHER​​ PLACE WHERE JESUS BEGINS

WITH A SEEMINGLY SIMPLISTIC SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM,

ONLY TO PULL THE RUG OUT FROM UNDER US

AND LEAVE US IN THE UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION

OF HAVING TO STAKE OUT A CLAIM​​ 

ON THE SIDE OF COMPASSION IN​​ NEW​​ TERRITORY.

SEVERAL SUCH PLACES OR EXAMPLES COME READILY TO MIND,

CHIEF AMONG THEM THE PARABLE OF THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS

IN THE JUDGMENT SCENE IN ​​ MATTHEW 25,

WHERE, AFTER​​ DWELLING​​ IN THIS STORY FOR AWHILE,​​ 

IT BECOMES PAINFULLY OBVIOUS THAT ACCORDING TO

THE STORY’S OWN CRITERIA, THAT OF​​ HELPING​​ OR​​ NOT​​ HELPING

OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN​​ NEED,

EVERY​​ ONE​​ OF​​ US​​ IS​​ SIMULTANEOUSLY​​ A SHEEP​​ AND​​ A GOAT.

THIS IS PARALLEL TO​​ THE EVENTUAL REALIZATION COMING FROM

TODAY’S PARABLE THAT EACH OF US IS A​​ COMBINATION

OF WHEAT AND WEEDS.

BUT​​ SINCE WE’RE ULTIMATELY GOING TO HAVE AN ENTIRE SERMON

ON THE PARABLE OF THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS,

I’D LIKE TO TURN TO ANOTHER TEXT, ALSO FROM JESUS,

AND ALSO FOUND IN THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW,

WHERE JESUS CAN BE SEEN AS PLAYING MENTAL GAMES​​ 

WITH HIS DISCIPLES TO PUSH THEM​​ BEYOND​​ SIMPLISTIC ANSWERS

TO COMPLICATED PROBLEMS.

I’M THINKING OF THE PLACE IN MATTHEW, CHAPTER 18,

WHERE JESUS IS DEALING WITH THE CHALLENGE

OF SINNERS IN THE CHURCH AND THE PROBLEM​​ 

OF WHAT TO DO WITH THEM.

JESUS, I SUGGEST, BEGINS HIS COMMENTS BY SETTING A​​ TRAP,

A TRAP, WHICH, AS IS OFTEN THE CASE, HAS BEEN TAKEN​​ 

OUT​​ OF CONTEXT BY MOST CHURCHES AND USED AS AN​​ ANSWER.

JESUS​​ SETS​​ THE TRAP BY SAYING THE FOLLOWING:

“IF ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE CHURCH SINS AGAINST YOU,

GO AND POINT OUT THE FAULT WHEN THE TWO OF YOU ARE ALONE.

IF THE MEMBER LISTENS TO YOU, YOU HAVE REGAINED THAT ONE.

BUT IF YOU ARE NOT LISTENED TO,

TAKE ONE OR TWO OTHERS ALONG WITH YOU,

SO THAT EVERY WORD MAY BE CONFIRMED

BY THE EVIDENCE OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES.

IF THE MEMBER REFUSES TO LISTEN TO THEM,

TELL IT TO THE CHURCH.”

WHAT I HAVE JUST READ TO YOU IS A​​ TRAP,

AN ARGUMENT ON THE PART OF JESUS

THAT​​ SEEMS​​ TO BE LEADING IN THE DIRECTION

OF​​ ENDORSING​​ JUDGMENT AND REJECTION

OF THOSE WHO HURT US OR DISAGREE WITH US.

THE TRAP​​ SPRINGS​​ IN THE VERY NEXT SENTENCE,

WHEN JESUS GOES ON TO SAY, SEEMINGLY NONCHALANTLY,

“AND IF THE OFFENDER REFUSES TO LISTEN EVEN TO THE CHURCH,

LET SUCH A ONE BE TO YOU AS A GENTILE AND A TAX COLLECTOR.”

SADLY, MOST CHURCHES AND MOST CHRISTIANS

DON’T EVEN​​ SEE​​ THIS AS A SPRUNG TRAP,

UNDERSTANDING “LET SUCH A ONE BE TO YOU​​ 

AS A GENTILE AND A TAX COLLECTOR”​​ 

AS​​ PERMISSION​​ TO WRITE SOMEONE OFF,​​ 

BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT​​ WE​​ WOULD LIKE TO DO,

AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE​​ JESUS’ PERMISSION TO DO

TO THOSE WHO FILL THE GENTILE AND TAX COLLECTOR

PIGEONHOLES FOR​​ US.

BUT HOW DID​​ JESUS​​ HIMSELF​​ TREAT GENTILES AND TAX COLLECTORS?

WE HAVE EXAMPLE AFTER EXAMPLE OF JESUS​​ GOING​​ OUT​​ OF​​ HIS​​ WAY

TO TREAT THEM WITH​​ RESPECT​​ AND​​ LOVE​​ AND​​ COMPASSION,

IF ANYTHING, GIVING THEM​​ ADDED​​ POSITIVE ATTENTION.

SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ACTUALLY TAKE THE TIME

TO DWELL DEEPLY WITH THESE WORDS OF JESUS?

THEY SHOW US A VERY​​ MISCHIEVIOUS​​ SIDE

TO THE TEACHING OF JESUS.

WE SEE JESUS​​ LURING​​ US INTO THE​​ TRAP​​ OF THINKING THAT

JUDGMENT AND REJECTION ARE OK –

THEN​​ SPRINGING​​ THE TRAP AND FORCING US TO SEE​​ 

JUST HOW​​ FAR​​ WE ARE FROM HAVING INTERNALIZED

THE​​ WAY-OUT-OF-THE-BOX​​ THINKING OF JESUS

CONCERNING NOT JUST LOVE OF​​ NEIGHBOR, BUT LOVE OF​​ ENEMY.

AS IF TO SIMULTANEOUSLY PUSH​​ 

OUR “BOLD,” “ITALICS,” AND “UNDERLINE” BUTTONS,

JAMMING US TO​​ ATTENTION, THE VERY NEXT EVENT IN MATTHEW 18

IS PETER’S COMING UP TO JESUS AND ASKING HIM

“LORD, IF SOMEONE SINS AGAINST ME,​​ 

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I FORGIVE? ​​ AS MANY AS​​ SEVEN​​ TIMES?”

JESUS SAYS TO PETER, “NOT​​ SEVEN​​ TIMES,​​ 

BUT​​ SEVENTY​​ TIMES​​ SEVEN.”

HERE WE SEE “JESUS THE TRICKSTER” AT PLAY,

USING PARADOX AND IRONY TO LEAD US​​ OUT​​ OF THE BOX

AND INTO DANGEROUS​​ NEW​​ WAYS OF​​ THINKING

AND DANGEROUS NEW WAYS OF​​ BEING.

I SUSPECT THAT THIS IS PRECISELY WHAT JESUS IS UP TO

IN OUR STORY FOR TODAY, THE SO-CALLED

“PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND THE WEEDS.”

HE MAKES IT​​ APPEAR​​ THAT EVERYONE CAN BE LABELED

IN​​ ONE​​ OF ONLY​​ TWO​​ WAYS: WHEAT​​ OR​​ WEED.

BUT MOVING​​ INTO​​ THE TEXT,​​ DWELLING​​ WITHIN THE PARABLE,

MAKES US UNEASY, VERY UNEASY.

IT MAKES US UNEASY BECAUSE​​ WE​​ REALIZE,​​ I​​ REALIZE,

THAT OTHERS AREN’T SO EASILY CATEGORIZED AS “GOOD” OR “EVIL.”

IT FORCES ME TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT EVERYONE I KNOW,

VERY MUCH INCLUDING​​ MYSELF, ARE​​ BOTH​​ WHEAT AND WEED,

GOOD​​ AND​​ BAD, SAINT​​ AND​​ SINNER.

IN OTHER WORDS, JESUS SETS UP AN ARBITRARY DICHOTOMY

IN THIS PARABLE IN THE HOPE THAT WE WILL

CHALLENGE​​ IT AND MOVE​​ BEYOND​​ IT.

SO WHAT ARE WE​​ SUPPOSED​​ TO DO?

JESUS’ SURPRISING ANSWER IS THAT WE ARE TO HAVE​​ PATIENCE,

NOT TO JUDGE AND NOT TO REJECT,​​ 

NOT TO JUDGE AND NOT TO REJECT​​ EITHER​​ OTHERS​​ OR​​ OURSELVES,

BUT TO LET​​ GO​​ AND LET​​ GOD.

IN CLOSING, I WOULD LIKE TO TEASE OUT A BIT OF

PERSONAL APPLICATION FROM THIS PARABLE.

I SUSPECT THAT JESUS IS ASKING US TO EXTEND THE SAME

PATIENCE AND HOSPITALITY TO THE SAME​​ PARTS​​ OF OURSELVES

THAT HE CHALLENGES US TO EXTEND TO OTHERS​​ 

WHOM WE CONSIDER TO BE​​ PROBLEMATIC, IF NOT DOWNRIGHT​​ EVIL.

WE​​ ALL​​ HAVE CERTAIN CHARACTER FLAWS,​​ 

PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS, PHYSICAL IMPERFECTIONS,

ILLNESSES, AND QUIRKY TRAITS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO GET RID OF.

AMONG OTHER THINGS, JESUS IS TELLING US IN THIS PARABLE

THAT TRYING SO HARD TO GET​​ RID​​ OF THEM

IS​​ NOT​​ THE WAY TO IN-DEPTH HEALING AND WHOLENESS,

EITHER FOR A COMMUNITY OR FOR AN INDIVIDUAL.

LET ME TRY TO ILLUSTRATE THIS BY TELLING YOU A STORY,

A STORY NOT FROM ONE OF MY SERMON ILLUSTRATION BOOKS,

BUT A TRUE STORY FROM SOMEONE’S ACTUAL​​ LIVED EXPERIENCE,

IN THIS CASE THE SOMEONE BEING RACHEL NAOMI REMEN, M.D.,

IN HER BOOK​​ KITCHEN TABLE WISDOM:

SHE WRITES: ​​ “IT IS HARD TO TRUST SOMETHING YOU CANNOT​​ SEE.

EVEN AFTER SEVEN MAJOR SURGERIES, I HAVE HAD AT TIMES

DIFFICULTY IN​​ TRUSTING​​ MY HEALING.

IN 1981, I DEVELOPED PERITONITIS AND SEPSIS WHEN THE SUTURES

HOLDING MY INTESTINE TOGETHER GAVE WAY A FEW DAYS AFTER

A SIX-HOUR ABDOMINAL SURGERY.

BY THE TIME THIS WAS CORRECTLY DIAGNOSED,​​ 

I HAD BECOME GRAVELY ILL.

I WAS RUSHED BACK TO THE OPERATING ROOM,

WHERE FURTHER SURGERY SAVED MY LIFE.

I REMEMBER BEING PUSHED DOWN A CORRIDOR AT A DEAD RUN,

THE LIGHTS OVERHEAD FLASHING BY,

MY SURGEON, WHO WAS ALSO MY FRIEND,

RUNNING ALONGSIDE MY GURNEY.

MEDICAL CULTURE BEING WHAT IT IS,

HE WAS TALKING TO ME ABOUT MY CASE AS IF WE WERE

TWO PHYSICIANS LUNCHING IN THE DOCTORS’ DINING ROOM,

TALKING ABOUT A MUTUAL PATIENT.

“YOU KNOW,” HE SAID CONVERSATIONALLY,​​ 

“BECAUSE OF THE INFECTION WE WILL HAVE TO CLOSE

BY PRIMARY INTENTION.”

FILLED WITH DRUGS AND VERY ILL,

I REMEMBER THINKING, “PRIMARY INTENTION.

I​​ USED​​ TO KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.”

THEN EVENTS ACCELERATED AND I LOST TRACK OF IT ALL.

SEVERAL HOURS LATER,​​ I AWOKE IN THE RECOVERY ROOM

GIDDY WITH THE REALIZATION THAT I HAD ONCE AGAIN​​ SURVIVED.

BARELY CONSCIOUS, I EXPLORED MY ADBOMEN WITH A FINGERTIP.

THERE WAS A BIG SOFT BANDAGE JUST AS BEFORE.

COMFORTED BY THE FAMILIAR, I DRIFTED OFF.

THE NEXT DAY, A NURSE APPEARED TO CHANGE MY DRESSINGS.

CHATTING COMFORTABLY, SHE PULLED BACK THE BANDAGES

AND I LOOKED DOWN EXPECTING TO SEE THE USUAL

FOURTEEN-INCH INCISION WITH ITS NEAT ROW​​ 

OF A HUNDRED OR MORE STITCHES.

INSTEAD, THERE WAS A​​ GREAT​​ GAPING​​ WOUND,

AS OPEN AS ANY I’D EVER SEEN WHILE ASSISTING​​ 

IN THE OPERATING ROOM.

MY SURGEON’S WORDS CAME BACK TO ME IN A RUSH –

PRIMARY​​ INTENTION​​ – AND TODAY I KNEW WHAT THIS MEANT.

IN THE PRESENCE OF INFECTION THERE WOULD BE NO SUTURES.

THE PERITONEUM AND FASCIA WOULD BE CLOSED

AND THEN THE WOUND WOULD BE LEFT OPEN

TO HEAL ON ITS OWN.

DEEPLY SHOCKED, I LOOKED DOWN AT THE RUIN OF MY ABDOMEN.

SURELY THIS WAS A​​ MORTAL​​ WOUND.

I REMEMBER THINKING,​​ 

“THERE IS​​ NO​​ WAY​​ THAT SUCH A THING CAN HEAL.”

THE NURSE CHATTED ON CHEERFULLY, UNAWARE OF MY REACTION.

TAPING THE DRESSING BACK IN PLACE, SHE LEFT THE ROOM.

THE NEXT MORNING SHE WAS BACK TO CHANGE THE DRESSING AGAIN.

THIS TIME I TURNED MY HEAD ASIDE AND WOULDN’T LOOK.

SHE SPOKE TO ME PLEASANTLY WHILE SHE PERFORMED HER TASK.

I DIDN’T ANSWER. ​​ I WAS IN​​ DESPAIR.

FOR SEVERAL MORNINGS, WE WENT THROUGH THIS SAME ROUTINE,

SHE​​ PULLING BACK THE BANDAGE, MURMURING ENCOURAGEMENT,

I, HEAD AVERTED, AWAITING THE END.

AFTER A WEEK OR SO, IT OCCURRED TO ME​​ 

THAT AGAINST ALL PROBABILITY, I WAS STILL HERE.

PERHAPS I WOULD NOT DIE OF THIS WOUND AFTER ALL,

BUT WOULD HAVE TO​​ LIVE​​ WITH IT.

THIS RAISED A COMPLETELY​​ DIFFERENT​​ SET​​ 

OF CONCERNS AND OBSESSIONS.

HOW WOULD I LIVE WITH THIS GREAT HOLE IN MY FRONT?

PERHAPS AFTER MANY YEARS IT MIGHT FILL IN AND BECOME FLAT –

A SCAR FOURTEEN INCHES LONG AND SEVERAL INCHES WIDE.

SHOULD I WEAR EXTRA-LARGE CLOTHES?

OR FILL THE DEEP TRENCH IN MY BELLY WITH COTTON

AND TAPE IT IN SO IT WOULD NOT SHOW?

AFTER A FEW DAYS OF SUCH MUSINGS,

IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT IF I WERE GOING TO​​ LIVE​​ WITH IT,

I WOULD NEED TO​​ SEE​​ IT.

SO THAT DAY, WHEN THE NURSE PULLED BACK THE DRESSING,

I FORCED MYSELF TO LOOK​​ AGAIN,

EXPECTING TO SEE THE GAPING WOUND OF TEN DAYS BEFORE.

BUT IT WAS​​ NOT​​ THE SAME.

ASTOUNDED, I SAW THAT IT HAD BEGUN CLOSING IN

AT THE BOTTOM AND WAS DISTINCTLY NARROWER.

AND THEN AN EXTRAORDINARY THING BEGAN TO HAPPEN.

DAY AFTER DAY, SHE WOULD PULL BACK THE DRESSING

AND I WOULD WATCH AS THIS GREAT WOUND,​​ 

IN THE​​ SLOW,​​ PATIENT​​ WAY OF ALL NATURAL THINGS,

GRADUALLY BECAME A HAIR-LINE SCAR.

AND I, A PHYSICIAN, WAS​​ NOT​​ IN​​ CONTROL​​ OF THIS.

IT WAS​​ HUMBLING.

YET I CERTAINLY HAD A FRONT-ROW SEAT AT THE HEALING PROCESS.

THE LIFE FORCE I HAD WITNESSED IN MYSELF

WAS A BIRTHRIGHT COMMON TO US ALL.”

LET’S FLASH BACK TO TODAY’S PARABLE.

ACCORDING TO JESUS, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO

WITH THOSE PARTS OF OURSELVES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ERASE,

TO CLEAN UP, TO MAGICALLY GET RID OF?

WE NEED TO DO THREE THINGS:

• TO​​ SEE​​ THEM FOR WHAT THEY ARE.

• TO​​ RESIST​​ THE​​ TEMPTATION​​ TO​​ JUDGE​​ AND​​ REJECT.

• TO LET​​ GO​​ AND LET​​ GOD.

WE NEED TO ACCEPT OURSELVES,​​ ALL​​ OF OURSELVES,

THEN LET​​ GOD​​ INTO THE MIX.

JESUS CALLS US TO MAKE OUR PRIMARY INTENTION PRIMARILY ONE

OF LETTING GO AND LETTING GOD.  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ ​​ 

AMEN.