God Is Not Done: Mercy Amidst Weeds

Matthew 13 sets a hard question right in front of the presence of evil. If God is good, then God must oppose evil. If Jesus is God, then Jesus has the power to defeat evil. Yet evil is plainly here, and the parable asks whether the trouble in the field means God is not good, Jesus is not God, or something else altogether.

Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a man who sowed good seed in his field. The enemy comes at night and plants weeds among the wheat, and both begin to grow together. The servants ask the question behind so much human doubt: did the master really sow good seed? The owner’s answer does not deny the evil. The owner names the enemy, sees the damage, and still refuses a premature uprooting.

The parable turns on the master’s command: “No, lest in gathering the weeds, you root up the wheat along with them.” Jesus gives the reason for the delay. The field belongs to him, the enemy has not surprised him, and the harvest is not in doubt. The delay is real, but the delay is not absence. Christ is preserving the wheat until the appointed end.

Jesus explains that the sower is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed are the sons of the kingdom, the weeds belong to the evil one, and the harvest is the end of the age. God will not tolerate evil forever. Christ will finally remove everything that corrupts and destroys. The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

The parable gives a third answer to the painful question of evil: God is not done. Evil persists for a time because God’s goodness is not expressed only in judgment, but also in patience, mercy, and preservation. Christ’s love for his people leads him to the cross, where evil does its worst and still does not win. The doors of mercy still stand open, and Augustine’s line rings true: those who are weeds today may be wheat tomorrow. Everyone in the granary was once destined for the furnace, so God’s patience must not be mistaken for God’s absence. Today remains a gift of grace, a moment to know Christ, to grow in him, and to trust that the harvest is coming.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. The field belongs to Jesus The parable never presents the world as a disputed property. The enemy is active in the field, but the field is still Christ’s, and that difference matters deeply. Evil may appear bold, invasive, and hidden in the night, but it never becomes sovereign. [34:52]
• 2. Delay is not divine absence The harvest has not yet come, but the delay does not mean Christ is unaware or weak. The parable shows a Lord who knows exactly what the enemy has done and exactly when judgment must come. Patience is not passivity when it is governed by a Savior who refuses to destroy the wheat with the weeds. [35:27]
• 3. God’s goodness includes patience God’s goodness is not seen only in the act of judging evil. God’s goodness is also seen in preserving what Christ has come to rescue and redeem. Mercy holds back the final separation, not because evil is being excused, but because saving work is still reaching its appointed end. [36:15]
• 4. Mercy leaves the door open The delayed harvest means the furnace is not yet the final word for those still standing in the field. Augustine’s line gives weight to the moment: those who are weeds today may be wheat tomorrow. Christ’s patience turns present time into a real summons to be known by him and to know him as Savior. [39:41]
• 5. God is not done yet The presence of evil does not force the conclusion that God is not good or that Jesus is not God. The parable gives another answer: God is still at work. Every breath remains saturated with grace because Christ is still growing his people toward the day when the righteous shine like the sun.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [26:36] - Prayer For Open Ears
• [27:20] - The Hard Question Of Evil
• [28:39] - If God Is Good
• [30:49] - The Kingdom Like A Field
• [31:21] - Wheat And Weeds Grow Together
• [32:47] - Do Not Uproot The Wheat
• [33:44] - Jesus Explains The Parable
• [34:52] - The Field Belongs To Christ
• [36:15] - Goodness, Patience, And Mercy
• [38:21] - The Third Option: God Is Not Done
• [39:41] - Weeds Today, Wheat Tomorrow
• [41:19] - Trusting Christ Until The Harvest

Bible Reading

Matthew 13:24-30
“He put another parable before them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?” He said to them, “An enemy has done this.” So the servants said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But he said, “No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” [30:49]

Matthew 13:36-43
“Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.’ He answered, ‘The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.’” [33:44]

Daniel 12:3
“And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

Observation questions

1. In the parable, what question do the servants ask when they see the weeds, and what does that question reveal about what they are wondering about the master? [31:59]
2. What reason does the master give for not pulling up the weeds right away, and what danger does he want to avoid? [32:47]
3. When Jesus explains the parable, who does he say the sower, the field, the good seed, the weeds, and the enemy are? [34:00]
4. What future pictures does Jesus give at the end of the age for both the weeds and the righteous?

Interpretation questions

1. If the field still belongs to Christ even while weeds grow in it, how does that shape the way evil in the world should be understood? [34:52]
2. Jesus says the weeds are not removed yet because doing so too soon would harm the wheat. What does that suggest about why judgment is delayed? [36:15]
3. The harvest is delayed, but it is not uncertain. How does that help explain the difference between God’s patience and God’s absence? [35:27]
4. “Those who are weeds today may be wheat tomorrow” presses on the meaning of mercy in the present moment. What does that say about the purpose of the time people are living in right now? [39:41]

Application questions

1. When evil feels loud or close, is there a particular situation in life where it has been hard to believe that the field still belongs to Jesus? What would it look like to trust his rule there? [34:52]
2. Many people feel pressure to fix everything immediately, especially when wrong is being done. Where is there a temptation to act quickly, speak harshly, or take control instead of trusting Christ’s wisdom and timing? [37:30]
3. God’s goodness is shown not only in judgment, but also in patience, mercy, and preservation. Where might that same kind of goodness need to show up in a relationship, conflict, or burden right now? [36:32]
4. The fact that God is not done means today is still a gift of grace. What would it look like for today, not someday, to become a real opportunity to know Christ more deeply or return to him more honestly? [38:40]
5. The doors of mercy still stand open. Is there anyone who has been quietly written off as beyond hope? How might this passage reshape the way that person is seen and prayed for? [40:36]
6. Everyone in the granary was once destined for the furnace. How does remembering personal rescue from sin change the way other sinners are viewed? [40:26]
7. The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. How does that promised end help someone endure sorrow, confusion, or the long presence of evil without giving up? [41:19]