Have you ever wondered how we got into this mess? Why hasn't god stomped out the devil by now if He's so good and the devil's so evil?

Matthew 13:24-

Read 24-30, 36-43

Parable of the Tares and the good seed

Facts

Always take notice of where we are in the parable.

man:

good seed: we are either here

his field:

his men:

his enemy:

tares: or here

What did the man sow?

What did his enemy sow?

When did his servants first notice a problem? when wheat sprouted and bore grain Why? enemy worked at night, both plants finally mature enough to tell the difference.

When the servants want an explanation, what does the man say? an enemy.--so where does evil come from, is God responsible for it? Many say God is all-powerful, etc. but don't realize that there is an enemy. God's universe is not as he created it, it has been infiltrated. (If God is all powerful how'd he get an enemy? Why'd he permit him to exist?--hold onto those thoughts)

What did the servants want to do? Remove weeds asap--who are servants? Angels--are you hearing that? Angels looking down on this world say to God, "Didn't you make mankind perfect and good? How come some of them are killing each other, and doing evil? God says "An enemy . . ." They say, "can we clean them up?"

What Reason did the Master have for not affirming their plan?

It would uproot both.

What happens to a plant when you uproot it? it dies

What did angels want to do? uproot evil. But who did God say would be uprooted with them? good By whom? angels. Angels unwittingly would cause the deaths of the good with the evil.

Why? What happens when you uproot one plant that's growing right next to another?

How many people does God want to be lost? Praise God. He was not willing for the controversy to be over too soon if it would mean that one would be lost! But haven't more people died as a result of letting it go on so long than if he'd stopped it earlier? Apparently not. Think about it. Just because people live and die here doesn't mean they're lost. Everyone who lives here has to opportunity to be saved freely because God loves them. But what happens if God stomps out evil too early (uproot)? Why? What's going on? How does killing the bad uproot the good?

Teacher illustration. Imagine Sally, a student who always talks in class. Teacher gives warning after warning, but no change. Finally Sally speaks one too many times, and teacher pulls out a 44 magnum revolver and shoots Sally. Has the teacher solved the problem? Yes, Sally will never talk in class again, but also no, most of the other students will hate the teacher and rebel at the first opportunity.

Here we find that the rest of the students would probably behave, but not die. Why does the Master say the other students would die? What causes death? Gen 2:17? What's at the heart of it? Distrusting God. If God causes anyone to distrust Him, he has caused their death. He would rather give people the right to not trust him of their own accord than cause anyone to not trust him.

(Many say this parable is telling us not to try to weed out of the church the evil people we see, but to let God do that at the end. Is that what this is really talking about?"What question is this answering? "Why does God permit evil people to remain on the earth?" Apparently even the angels don't understand that one. Why is Jesus telling this parable here? Is there anything in the context that could give us a clue as to His hearers' attitudes about the presence of evil people?)

What did the Master say should happen instead? "Let both grow together until the harvest, at which time I will tell the reapers to separate them, the weeds to destruction and the wheat to my barn.

Now wait a minute. Didn't God just get through saying that if the bad are uprooted that the good would be uprooted too?

What is different about separating the weeds and wheat now?

it's harvest time. What's different about harvest time?

The wheat won't change even if it is "uprooted." You can't kill it by uprooting it when it's ripe. The life is locked in the seed, and ready to be stored or replanted.

So until God's people are rendered "indestructible." God will not destroy the evil ones around them. This indestructibility takes the form of unshakable trust. That's why sin won't ever come back. No one will want to do it, not because they can't, but because they have unshakeable trust.

When weeds grow up, what sort of fruit do they produce? When wheat grows up, what sort of fruit does it produce? Some of what is being emphasized here is that it takes time for God's purpose to be accomplished in His people.

Application:

With this understanding of evil. What would be an appropriate response to trials.

I'm sure glad you'll go to any lengths to make sure that I can trust you.

Has this helped any of you?

Do you have more questions? Who would like to praise God for being willing to risk misunderstanding in order to preserve freedom, and make a place that is totally safe from sin, not by force but by choice.