The parable we will look at today is in Matthew 13:24-30, 37-39.
“He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. The landowner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
“‘An enemy did this,’ he told them.
“‘So, do you want us to go and pull them up?’ the servants asked him.
“‘No,’ he said. ‘When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn,’” verses 24-30 CSB.
Jesus uses this parable to illustrate that His Kingdom will exist in the same spaces as earthly kingdoms. The Kingdom of Heaven is not here to change geographical boundaries, but to change the hearts of human beings. It exists inside the person who is established in relationship with their Creator through faith in Jesus Christ.
In verses 37-39, Jesus explained that the good seeds are the children of the kingdom, and the field is the world. The weeds in the parable are the children of the evil one, the children of this world.
If we look at the beginnings of the work of God in establishing His new covenant, we see that it began with Jesus and twelve men. These men were from different occupations. At least one of them was married. They were all Jewish, attended synagogue, and all had a life before Jesus called them to follow Him.
After Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, the Holy Spirit Jesus had promised to give to His disciples came upon them as they were in prayer in an upper room in Jerusalem (Acts 2). From that day on, the disciples were on fire with a passion to spread the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven. They did not form a new nation or organize themselves into a military force. They went out and shared the message that everyone everywhere should repent of their sins, believe in Jesus Christ, and be baptized.
In Acts 2 when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, we see that people from all over the Roman Empire were in Jerusalem. In verses 9-11, people from an extensive list of homelands heard Peter’s sermon. These people took the message they heard from the disciples back home with them; and the Gospel spread.
As these new believers went about their daily lives, they interacted with people who did not believe. Some of those people would come to believe, but others would reject the message. Believers in Jesus would rub shoulders with unbelieving people in the markets. They would worship beside them in the synagogues. They would do business with them at the city gates. Some would be members of their own families. In a similar fashion through the ensuing centuries, the Gospel has spread from person to person, region to region, nation to nation.
Fast forward to 2025 and we see that there are followers of Jesus on every continent. People of faith in Christ are in every country and nearly every culture on the planet. The children of the Kingdom of Heaven are co-existent alongside people with all kinds of beliefs and philosophies. The number of unreached people groups, people who have not yet heard the Gospel, is shrinking. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) is closer to being fulfilled than at any time in human history.
In the 2,000 years since Jesus’ resurrection, there have been governments with a predominantly “Christian” orientation, but there has never been world-wide administration by the Messiah that the Scriptures promise. That time is yet for the world to experience. The Kingdom of Heaven continues to co-exist with all other kingdoms on earth. The wheat and weeds continue to grow together in the field of the world.
Implications of co-existence
Through the ages, there have been conflicts over doctrines and control of governments and all kinds of hostilities between those who claim to know Christ and those who shun such beliefs. Even among those who claim to believe in Jesus, the conflicts have been bitter and destructive. But the wheat and the weeds continue to grow together. They will continue to grow together until the time of God’s harvest at the end of this age. This co-existence has natural consequences. We look at a few of those consequences below.
Testimony
The first result of the wheat growing together with the weeds is that there is testimony about the Kingdom of Heaven. The Holy Spirit within the believer is working to change us all into the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). Because people can change their minds about their beliefs and come to faith in Christ Jesus commanded His followers to testify about Him to the world. This is the heart of the Great Commission, to go into all the world and make disciples. In Romans 10:14-15, Paul asked rhetorically how can one come to faith if they do not hear, how can they hear if no one is sent? The Kingdome of Heaven is a message of hope that needs to be shared in the field of the world.
We testify about Jesus in numerous ways. People are watching our lives. How we live life is often more powerful than what we say. Many people in our culture have seen the hypocrisy of people who claim to be Christians. Are we honest in our dealings with people? Do we tell lies to manipulate people to get what we want? Do we go out of our way to avoid even the appearance of evil or impropriety? Do we live up to our word? Do we condemn others? Do we speak poorly of others? Are we transparent about our own failings and our dependence upon God’s grace as revealed in Jesus Christ?
If we want our lives to be a testimony for Jesus, we need to watch how we live. This includes both our speech and our actions. I have talked with many people who do not attend church because of the hypocrisy they see in the people who go to church. Granted, none of us are perfect and many people are looking for excuses to avoid church attendance. Others fail to realize that hypocrisy is not limited to people who attend church. It is a regrettable, universal human experience. However, as believers, we need to be mindful about how we live our lives in the world. Let us be those who live authentic lives of love, grace, and humility. In doing so, we will let our lives testify to the grace and mercy of God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Ostracization
When a person comes to faith in Christ, the things they enjoy doing can begin to change. Sometimes that change is sudden like in the life of the apostle Paul in Acts 9. Upon coming to faith in Christ, he immediately stopped persecuting believers and began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues.
At other times, the changes in a believer’s life can be gradual and take years to take deep root in our souls. But for all of us, our speech and recreational habits can begin to change. The people with whom we used to associate can become uncomfortable being around us, and we can become uncomfortable around them.
Maturing in Christ can result in being ostracized by friends or family. Work relationships can also change. We can feel like we are no longer part of the “in” crowd. Jesus addressed this ostracization when He told His disciples that they would be kicked out of the synagogues (John 16:2). The world hated Jesus. His disciples will frequently experience the same treatment (John 15:18-25).
Persecution
In many places, the ideologies of the wheat and weeds co-existing are so great that people who come to faith in Christ are immediately put to death. In 2025, this happens mostly in cultures that are largely Muslim or with authoritarian governments. Persecution can be more subtle as well. Imprisonment, abuse, beatings, confiscation of property, and misapplication of laws can and have all been employed to discourage people in pursing and sharing their faith in Christ.
From the earliest of times since the appearance of the King of the Kingdom, there has been persecution. The prevailing religious order of Jesus’ day persecuted Him. The Roman authorities treated Him as just another desert preacher from a rebellious tribe of the conquered. The Jewish and Roman leaders together had Jesus crucified. After Jesus’ resurrection, they treated His disciples with much the same hatred and vitriol.
Throughout the centuries since Jesus’ resurrection, followers of Jesus have been shunned, imprisoned, beaten, rejected, and even executed by those who oppose a belief in Jesus, the Messiah. At times, persecution has been the most severe by those who claim to share similar beliefs.
Purification
In all these things, God is purifying His people. Both Paul and Peter addressed this issue in their writings. Paul wrote in Romans 5:3-5 CSB, “And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” The trials believers face in this life ultimately produce hope in a life that is eternal and blessed by our Creator. It is this hope of eternity with God that give the believer the ability to stand in the power of the Holy Spirit, even in the face of certain death (Acts 7:55-60).
Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:6-7 CSB, “You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Trials come to produce character in the believer. As the fire refines gold by removing the impurities, so trials of our faith make us stronger, purify our lives and testimony, and instill in us a hope for the fulfillment of God’s promise of eternity with Him.
Jesus’ half-brother, James, also addressed this in James 1:12 NLT, “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” All these writers encourage us to continue in faithful service to Chrit and His kingdom. We may suffer in this life, but our eternal reward awaits us as we faithfully persevere.
As the Holy Spirit works in our lives, we are being conformed into the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29). His character and His heart are growing into our souls. Let us be those followers of Jesus who persevere through every trial as we seek to live to glorify God with out lives. As we grow together in the fields of the world, we are called to love God first, love our neighbor second, and to share the message of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Check out my book, The Stranger’s Conflict on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DSFZNSN6/