Weed Among Wheat

In the parable of the kingdom of heaven from Matthew 13:24-30, “the weed” sown by the enemy among the wheat is sometimes translated as “Tares”.

I just heard an intriguing exposition on this passage.

Tares is a strain of plant that grows in the Middle East. It looks similar to wheat when first sprouting, but as the time passes the difference between the two becomes apparent. Tares grows faster than wheat and it causes vomiting and diarrhea if ingested.

The roots of tares have a tendency to grab onto the roots of the plants around them. So if someone tries to pull out a tares, the surrounding plants will be uprooted with it. Knowing this quirk about the plant helps to understand why the farmer in the parable told his workers to leave them alone until the harvest time.

The point of the exposition was this: Our inclination towards imperfections in our lives is to remove them ASAP. But sometimes God tells us to leave certain flaws in our lives alone for the time being. In these instances we just need to trust that He knows what He’s doing and will take care of both wheat and tares in due time.

On a similar note I came across a blog titled “Hiding Place”, and below is a paragraph from it (translated by me):

“Sometimes trusting the Lord and resting in His presence is the best tactic we can use. In many cases leaving our enemies alone can lead to killing them by starvation. At the same time doing nothing can incite their power and give them an opportunity to strike. Therefore the best course of action is to hide in God, our shelter, and be still. God Himself will help us and protect us.”

By focusing on a few tares, I can lose sight of the field full of good seeds God has planted in my life. Also the gentle Farmer wants to preserve wheat that grows around tares. Injuries, betrayals, heartaches and sicknesses. Good things do grow around those not-so-good things and they often come in an inseparable package.

Ah, but dear Lord my natural instinct at the sight of harm is to fight or flight. This approach of seeming inaction on my part is painfully counterintuitive to me.

So Father, help me not to react out of fear or impatience, but to quietly rest in your presence and know, that You are God.