Wheat and Weeds: God's Tolerance, Judgment, and Hope

Devotional

Day 1: When Tolerance Means Letting Weeds Grow

Jesus’ parable reveals God’s surprising patience with evil. He allows wheat and weeds to grow together not because He approves of sin, but to protect His children from collateral damage in a broken world. Like a farmer who refuses to risk uprooting good grain while tearing out poisonous weeds, God prioritizes preserving faith over purging every evil. This divine restraint gives space for repentance while acknowledging evil’s real danger. True tolerance isn’t approval—it’s strategic grace. [24:56]

“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.’” (Matthew 13:24-28, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been tempted to demand immediate justice against evil? How might God’s patient approach challenge your assumptions about His timing?

Day 2: The Poisonous Weed That Looks Like Wheat

Darnel—a toxic weed mimicking wheat—exposes evil’s deceptive nature. Just as this destructive plant blends into healthy crops, sin often disguises itself as virtue in our culture. The devil sows lies that feel true, harmful choices that seem empowering, and selfishness that masquerades as self-care. Jesus warns that only at harvest will full clarity come. Until then, discernment requires rooting ourselves in His Word rather than cultural appearances. [23:12]

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:15-16, ESV)

Reflection: What modern “weeds” have you seen disguised as wheat? How does Scripture help you distinguish between cultural compromise and Christlike love?

Day 3: Your Field Has Both Wheat and Weeds

Every heart contains a battleground of holiness and rebellion. The preacher’s jarring truth—“We’re all a mixture”—confronts our tendency to label others as purely good or evil. Like soil hiding both grain and poison, we simultaneously bear Christ’s image and sin’s corruption. This humbling reality frees us from self-righteousness while demanding daily repentance. The same grace we need for our weeds should shape how we view others’. [27:40]

“For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” (Romans 7:19-20, ESV)

Reflection: What specific “weed” in your own life have you been avoiding naming? How does acknowledging your mixed nature deepen your need for Christ?

Day 4: Pulling Weeds Hurts—But Saves

While God tolerates evil in the world, He calls us to uproot sin in our personal field. The painful process of confronting our lust, pride, or bitterness often feels like tearing out part of ourselves. Yet this spiritual surgery—though messy and imperfect—makes space for healthier growth. As the Japanese train rule brought peace through restraint, so holy discipline creates room for God’s fruit. [29:08]

“Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord! Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven: ‘We have transgressed and rebelled.’” (Lamentations 3:40-42, ESV)

Reflection: What specific weed have you allowed to grow unchecked? What practical step could you take this week to begin removing it?

Day 5: When the Harvest Ends All Tolerance

The quiet fields will erupt with finality. Angels—not activists or politicians—will separate wheat and weeds with perfect precision. Cultural debates about tolerance will cease before the throne where every knee bows. This coming harvest isn’t a threat but a promise: the weeping of uprooted evil will give way to the radiant joy of gathered saints. Our present endurance prepares us to shine. [31:13]

“Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matthew 13:43, ESV)

Reflection: How does the certainty of final judgment comfort you in current struggles? What would it look like to live today as someone destined to shine?

Sermon Summary

The contrast between Japanese rule keeping and Western self expression sets up the problem of tolerance. Tolerance once meant treating people with civility and respect even when there was real disagreement. Modern tolerance has shifted into something much more demanding, where approval is expected and disapproval of sin is treated as the real sin. The Christian conscience is placed in a double bind: speaking against sin is called intolerant, but silence can look like approval.

Jesus answers that problem through the parable of the wheat and the weeds. The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while everyone was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat. The good seed is not simply God’s word here, but the people converted by God’s word, the children of the kingdom, planted in the world to grow and bear the good fruit of the Spirit. The weeds are the work of the devil, and the Darnel looks almost identical to wheat in the early stages, though it is poisonous and dangerous.

God only sows good seed. God is not the author of evil, and Jesus gives the plain answer to the old question of evil: “an enemy did it.” Evil insinuates itself into the fabric of the good, but it does not come from God. Still, the question remains: why does a good and gracious God permit evil to continue?

Jesus says the servants must not pull up the weeds, because in gathering the weeds they might uproot the wheat as well. God tolerates evil, not for evil’s sake, but for the sake of the children of the kingdom. Some evils must be confronted without hesitation, but other real evils are best left alone for the time being, lest the attempt to remove them does even greater damage.

The word “let” in “let them grow together” carries the sense of forgiveness. Most evil in the world and in human lives is not dealt with by attacking and purging, but by letting it be, by forgiving, even as Jesus forgave his murderers from the cross. Tolerance is not approval. Tolerance means putting up with something that is not good, and only evil is tolerated, only for a time.

The harvest ends that time. God’s tolerance eventually runs out, and the angels will separate the wheat from the weeds. The weeds will be burned, but the wheat will be gathered into God’s barn. The children of the kingdom will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father, because present suffering does not rule out future glory, but prepares for it.

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Key Takeaways

1. Tolerance is not approval Tolerance means putting up with something that is not good, not pretending that evil has become good. God’s patience with sin is never permission for sin. The danger is that harsh intolerance can become its own evil, damaging the very faith God means to preserve. [26:45]
2. God only sows good seed The parable gives a clear answer to the charge that God must be blamed for evil. God plants good seed, while the enemy sows the weeds. Evil may grow inside the field of God’s good creation, but it does not come from God’s hand. [23:30]
3. Forgiveness lets judgment wait Jesus’ command to “let” the wheat and weeds grow together carries the sense of forgiveness. That does not make evil harmless, but it places vengeance and final sorting in God’s hands. The cross shows that God can endure evil for a time in order to bring greater good from it. [25:52]
4. The heart is a mixed field The parable does not leave people neatly divided by outward appearance. So-called good people may carry pride, lust, anger, and jealousy, while so-called bad people may show sorrow, repentance, pity, and sacrifice. The field that needs honest inspection is first the field of one’s own life. [27:40]
5. The harvest ends delay God’s tolerance is real, but it is not endless. A harvest is coming, and then wheat and weeds will be clearly separated. The hope of the children of the kingdom is not that evil will be ignored, but that good will finally and forever triumph.

## [29:27]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[17:32] - Japan, Rules, and Respect
[18:58] - Modern Tolerance and Cancel Culture
[21:25] - The Wheat and the Weeds
[22:06] - Good Seed in the World
[22:52] - Darnel Among the Wheat
[23:30] - God Is Not the Author of Evil
[24:23] - Why God Lets Evil Remain
[25:52] - Let Them Grow Together
[27:40] - Wheat and Weeds in Every Person
[29:27] - The Harvest and Reckoning
[30:37] - A Training Ground for Faith
[30:58] - Shining Like the Sun

Bible Study Guide

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.’” [21:25]

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.”

Luke 23:34
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. [26:25]

Observation questions

In the parable, who sows the good seed, who sows the weeds, and what do the field, the wheat, and the weeds represent? [22:06]
What reason does the master give for not pulling up the weeds straight away, and what is supposed to happen at the harvest? [24:34]
What details are given about the weed called Darnel, and why would that make early separation difficult and dangerous? [22:57]
What contrast is drawn between an older meaning of tolerance and the way the word is often used now? [19:19]

Interpretation questions

Jesus says, “An enemy did it.” How does that answer the question of where evil comes from, and what does it protect believers from saying about God? [23:44]
Jesus forbids the servants from uprooting the weeds because wheat might be damaged too. What does that suggest about the danger of trying to remove every evil too quickly, whether in the world or in the church? [25:00]
The command to “let” them grow together is tied to forgiveness, and Luke 23:34 shows Jesus forgiving his murderers. How does the cross help explain why evil may be endured for a time without calling evil good? [26:17]
Jesus says the righteous will “shine like the sun” at the end of the age. How does that future promise shape the way present suffering and patience are understood now? [31:13]

Application questions

It is easy to feel trapped between speaking the truth and seeming harsh, or staying silent and seeming to approve. Where is that pressure felt most strongly right now—in family life, friendships, work, or public life—and what would respectful faithfulness look like there? [21:08]
Tolerance is not approval; it is putting up with what is not good for a time. Is there a situation right now where the difference between patience and approval feels hard to discern? How might wisdom, prayer, and love help in that situation? [27:02]
Some evils must be confronted at once, while other evils are better not attacked rashly because more damage could follow. Is there a recent example where reacting quickly made things worse, or where patient restraint might have protected something fragile? [25:24]
Every heart is a mixed field. When taking a hard look at one’s own field, which weeds show up most often—pride, anger, jealousy, lust, bitterness, or something else? What helps bring those things honestly into the light before God? [27:38]
Jesus forgave his murderers, and his people are called to leave final judgment in God’s hands. Is there a person or wound that has become difficult to release? What would it mean to begin placing that judgment back into God’s hands? [26:22]
This life is a training ground for faith, righteousness, and patient endurance. In what recurring situation might God be teaching endurance right now, and what good might he be growing in the middle of it? [30:31]
A harvest is coming, and what is believed and how life is lived now have eternal consequences. How does that sober warning, together with the promise of shining like the sun in the Father’s kingdom, change the way this week is lived? [30:15]

Sermon Clips

64s

#ToleranceProtectsFaith

“``Now that's an astounding statement. For what Jesus is saying is that God is willing to tolerate evil, not for evil's sake, but for ours, the children of the kingdom. He doesn't want some overzealous reaper in an attempt to root out evil in the world to accidentally uproot the faith of his children. Now to be sure, there are some evils in this world that simply must be addressed No questions. No hesitations. But there are other evils, and they really are evil, that are best left alone for the time being, lest more damage be done in the process of removing them. That is what tolerance is all about.”

57s

#ToleranceIsNotApproval

“Now one of the main objections to such tolerance of evil is that it seems as though God is giving permission to sin. That God allows evil, therefore, he approves it. But that's a serious misunderstanding of the virtue of tolerance. The word tolerance means to put up with something that is not good. No one tolerates honesty righteousness or purity of heart. Only evil is tolerated and only for a time, and it is tolerated not because God condones it, but because the concern is that intolerance might lead to even greater evil.”

51s

#JudgmentAndHarvest

“God is tolerant of evil, but eventually, tolerance runs out. Eventually, there will be a harvest, a reckoning. Time will run out as it always does in this life. And as a result, there will come a time when it is too late to repent, too late even to believe. And then it will be clear who are the wheat and who are the weeds. And the reapers, the angels, will separate them, and they will gather the weeds into bundles and throw them into the fiery furnace of hell where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

57s

#TrainingForGlory

“Now to us who believe, we need to remember that this life is in a very real sense a training ground for faith and righteousness. And one of the things that we're being trained in is tolerance. Patiently putting up with the evil around us for the sake of the good that God is able to bring out of it. Just as he did on the cross. At the harvest, good will finally and forever triumph over evil. The reapers will gather up the wheat into God's heavenly barn where the children of the kingdom will, Jesus says, shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father. That, dear friends, is our Christian hope.”

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Wyndham Hobsons Bay Lutheran Church This sermon · AI assistant

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