Based on Matthew 13:24-30

MEMORY TEXT:  “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1).

Jesus told a parable about a midnight weed sower.  That sounds like an exciting story, and it was.  A man sowed wheat seeds in his field, but during the night an enemy went to the field and sowed weed seeds.  A few weeks later when the crime was discovered, the man’s servants volunteered to go and pull up the weeds.  But the man said to leave them alone; because if they pulled up the weeds, the wheat would be pulled up, too.  Short story, important lesson.

The field represents the world—or, more narrowly, the church.  That’s where good seeds grow and ripen.  Christ Himself is the one who sowed the good seed, which are the children of the kingdom.  You can easily guess, then, who the enemy is who sowed the weeds.  Weeds are not only unprofitable but are hurtful to the good seed.  They enjoy the same rain, and sunshine, and soil, with the good plants, but they are good for nothing.  Weeds are always sown by Satan, the enemy of God and man.

This may be a picture of some churches today.  We sigh and cry and wish that only good plants were growing in the church.  We might even wish we could tear out those who we consider to be unworthy members.  But Jesus says, No, let them grow until the harvest.  In His love and pity, He is still working to draw them to Himself.  If we pull them out, they will have no place to grow and mature.

A man was sailing for Europe on a transatlantic ocean liner.  When he went on board, he discovered that another passenger was to share the cabin with him.  After going to see the room, he came up to the purser's desk and asked if he could leave his gold watch and other valuables in the ship's safe.  He explained that ordinarily he never did this, but he had just met the man who was to occupy the other berth.  Judging from his appearance, he was afraid that he might not be a very trustworthy person.  The purser accepted the responsibility for the valuables and remarked, “It's all right, sir, I'll be very glad to take care of them for you.  The other man has been up here already and left his valuables for the same reason!'"