parables

Hello--

For those of you that already know about parables sorry but 5 years ago I had no ideas what a parable was so bare with me. In the Bible there are these things called parables. My dictionary says a parable is a short simple story teaching a moral lesson. Jesus used parables a lot. I really enjoy reading the parables in the Bible. They are found mostly in the first 4 books of the New testament--Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

So the parable that changed my life is The parable of the weeds--Matthew 13:24-29 and then of course The parable of the weeds explained Matthew 13:36-43. I will not quote the whole thing but I will summarize the best I can. The story is about a farmer who planted good seeds in his field. But while everyone was sleeping his enemy came and planted weeds. When the farmers servants noticed the weeds they told the farmer. They asked him if they should pull the weeds. He said NO because while you are pulling the weeds you may also pull up the wheat. Instead they wait until harvest and separate them--putting the weeds into bundles to be burned and keeping the wheat.


So the first time I heard this story I had this feeling that I needed to understand this deeper. Thankfully I am not the only one and apparently that is why shortly after in the Bible there is a parable where Jesus explains what he means.

So in that parable Jesus's disciples come to him and ask him to explain the parable of the weeds. He says"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>

Okay okay are you getting this if not read that part again!!! Please!(remember this is what changed my life I get really excited about this stuff!)

Okay so then Jesus says "AS THE WEEDS ARE PULLED UP AND BURNED SO WILL IT BE AT THE END OF THE AGE> THE SON OF MAN WILL SEND OUT HIS ANGELS AND THEY WILL WEED OUT OF HIS KINGDOM EVERYTHING THAT CAUSES SIN AND ALL WHO DO EVIL>"

So there I was reading this and suddenly understanding why there is still evil in this world. I used to ask "if there was a God then why is there so much evil and bad stuff in this world." This was a huge reason that I did not believe in God. Also, I used to think it was my job somehow to get these evil doers. Maybe this meant talking about evil people behind their back(gossip), or maybe I would take out a soccer player that I played against who had previously fouled me(retaliation), or maybe I would be mean to someone who had been mean to someone I love. I used to think that it just made sense to do these things and people who didn't were weak!!

Now I understand 2 things a) that if I gossip or retaliate then I am an evil doer and I will also go to hell. So when people are mean it doesn't give me the right to be mean. and b) The reason evil exists today is because HE is waiting to the "end of the harvest" to decide who is evil and who is good. THAT MEANS YOU/I STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO BE SAVED!!! I don't know about you but I want to see what heaven is all about and I'm not that curious about HELL...


with love, Heather