Lately I have been writing a lot about how the world has been shaped by Satan and his minions. He has corrupted our morals, turning our moral compass upside down.

My first reaction is to say, “Let’s find these sinners and weed them out just like we read in Matthew 13:24-30, The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat”. This is the one where Jesus tells the story of the man who sowed wheat into his field. When the seeds began to sprout, his servants saw that there were also weeds coming up. The servants wanted to pull them out, but the master said no, he was afraid that they would also pull some of the wheat, since until they are fully grown, they are hard to tell apart.

But then, as happens so often with scripture, I realize there’s more to the parable than we first realize. It’s like there are several layers to scripture. It’s like it constantly evolves the more you read and study it. When I first started reading scripture, I would read it and any related notes or comments in the book. Over the years, I’ve been gradually doing deeper reading into them. Using the Verbum app (a great resource for studying scripture) I can search my online library and pull up any references to the passage or passages I’m reading. I have access to several commentaries, including some with the writings of the church fathers and doctors of the church. This opens up a whole new perspective on the passage(s).

What I learned this time is why the Master in the parable wanted to wait until the grain was finished growing. The obvious answer is if they picked them too early, they could mistake the grain for the weeds. But the other thing is, by waiting until they are grown, some of the weeds might turn into grain. God doesn’t give up on us. Even though Satan has “planted” the evil seeds, God gives us the opportunity to turn away from sin and come back to Him.

Another point we get from this parable is that it is telling us to keep watching in order to keep the bad seeds from being sown into the good. The parable states, “but while the men were sleeping, an enemy came in and sowed bad seed in with the good”. The enemy is Satan. We are told many times throughout the gospels to keep guard against Satan.

The problem today is that we don’t keep watch after we sow the seeds. Not only do we not keep watch, but we don’t fertilize, water, or take care of them in any way. The enemy has managed to keep God out of the public eye, ridiculing those who believe and the seeds, if sown at all,

Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’  (Matthew 13:30, RSV2CE)

Jesus tells us not to worry, when it comes time for the harvest (Judgement Day), the bad seeds will be burned in the eternal fire. This may come sooner than later.

Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, ⁶but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away.  (Matthew 13:5–6, RSV2CE)