Growing Together; Side By Side

I’ve often wondered why God would allow the wheat and the tares to grow together until the harvest. Why would he allow this condition?

There are many examples that we can draw on to prove that he wants his people, the Jews and the church, to be a separate people. He commanded that the Jews not marry outside the Jewish race. He commanded Abraham to circumcise all male children 8 days old and upwards in order to create a physical difference between Jews and Gentiles. He even gave commandments that new wine could not be put into old wine skins.

So why do we see this anomaly where the wheat and the tares, the genuine and the fake, are allowed to grow in the same field for the entire growth cycle?

Now I have to admit to the true problem I have with this. How do I know what’s genuine and what’s fake? I don’t like being fooled. I get angry when I feel like I’ve been fooled. So I certainly don’t like it when I am fooled by people that I thought were Christians.

Let’s talk about the wheat and tares for a moment. Why this is such a big deal for me? Wheat and tares look much the same. An untrained gardener or farmer could not readily tell the difference. What if I find out that someone who I thought was a Christian is not really a “genuine” Christian? What if I am fooled?

Well, what if I am? It’s not my place to be trying to figure it out and pass judgment. Why am I trying to do that? Why do I feel that I have to examine it to that level and then, what? Refuse to be friends with them? Refuse to work with them? Refuse to go to that church? Run into the pastor’s office and tell him all about my “findings” so that he can what? Confront that person and make an example of them? Reveal the sinful person amongst us and cast them out?

No! A hundred times no!! That’s the spirit of the world. The spirit of Christ says “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1). A person who acts as I’ve described in the paragraph above is not a spiritual person.

Ok, so we restore them and work with them and they are not responding? They keep on doing the wrong things. So what? It still doesn’t change the scripture.

The main point in this parable is that if you remove the tares when you “see” or understand that they are not truly “Christians” as you define them, you might hurt a genuine Christian. Jesus put it this way when the disciples asked if they should remove the tares, “No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.” (Matthew 13:29)

Jesus is concerned that we not hurt other growing Christians by identifying and removing those who are failing; those who are “faking it”. So many times Jesus warned us about judging others. We’re not supposed to do that. A good reason not to, is that whatever measure we hold others to, we will be judged by that exact same measuring stick. Have you considered that? Are you ready to be held to the same measures and standards that you are using to judge others? Many times we are wrong in our judgment of others. It causes good Christian people who have been wrongfully judged or accused to be hurt so badly that they never come back to Christ.

I dont' have to wonder any more. The answer is love and restoration.

He loves us so much that he is unwilling to destroy any opportunity to save someone. He allows us both to be nurtured, fed, pruned, fertilized and watered until the harvest. He is giving us all an equal chance at salvation. Only when the entire growth cycle has been completed and everything that can be done has been done, does he separate us and burn the fake and save the genuine product.

He wants us to restore those who have failed with a spirit of gentleness. Gentleness is not a word we use very often today. It simply means kindly, with a gentle manner, not severe, rough or violent; mild, moderate, gradual. Why does it describe restoration in this way? He wants us to consider that one day, we may be in this same situation and that’s how you would want to be restored.

Jesus wants us to grow TOGETHER. Together so we don’t hurt one another; together so that all have a chance to be saved. Together until the day that he comes back and judges. Until then, grow TOGETHER is God’s plan.

The chorus of the song “We Will Stand” written over 20 years ago by Russ Taft, sums this all up.
You’re my brother, you’re my sister
So take me by the hand
Together we will work until He comes
There’s no foe that can defeat us
When we’re walking side by sideAs long as there is love we will stand.