Typically, on the journey to spiritual maturity, individual Christians as well as congregations need frequent concept adjustments. The issue: Who is to be relied on to make such adjustments? There are many sources of adjustment. (1) Sometimes it may be an enemy who is not spiritual and who seeks to hurt you. (2) Sometimes it may be a crisis. (3) Sometimes it may be a triumph. (4) Sometimes it may be a brother/sister who attacks you. (5) Sometimes it may be a brother/sister who shares a different conclusion with you. (6) Sometimes it may be a spiritual person who challenges you to think. Surely, these are not the only six.

However, none of these are as significant as the ultimate source of challenge for concept adjustments--JESUS. If you begin with an understanding of first century Jewish concepts toward self (there are more than one), Jesus' teachings will challenge and shake you.

For example, consider this parable and Jesus' explanation of his parable. The story is simple. A land owner sows good seed in his field. At night, an enemy secretly sowed weeds in the same field. When it became obvious that there were weeds among the wheat, the land owner's slaves wanted to pull up the weeds. The land owner would not let the slaves destroy the weeds. Why? Destroying the weeds would destroy some of the wheat. Both were allowed to grow together. At the harvest the weeds were gathered and burned as the wheat was gathered and stored.

Jesus' explanation of the parable: The landowner who sowed the good seed is Jesus. The field is the world (not the nation of Israel or the church). The good seed is sons of the kingdom (disciples who follow Jesus). The weeds (tares) are sons of Satan. The enemy who sowed the weeds is Satan (the devil). The harvest is the judgment. The reapers are God's angels (Christ's angels).

The Christ shall send his angels to gather and destroy those who are stumbling blocks and who lived by lawlessness. The destroyed are confined to a place of suffering where they will suffer intensely. The righteous will shine as the sun in God's kingdom (be God's lights as God rules).

This parable is part of a series of parables reflecting God's world concern--the parable of the sower, the parable of the mustard seed, the parable of the leaven, the parable of the hidden treasure, the parable of the pearl merchant, and the parable of the dragnet. The wicked and the righteous will exist in the same physical world at the same time. Those who seek God will recognize Him at work and act. God will effect a separation at judgment.

The discussion in Jesus' audience and our discussion would be quite different. Though God's world interest existed before Israel was a nation (see Genesis 12:3; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; Galatians 3:8; 3:16), Israel concluded they, as a nation, were the focus of God's interest. Associating God's interest with the world would sound strange to them (unless they thought Jesus was speaking of the Jewish people scattered throughout the world). To them, the discussion likely would focus on Israel and the world. We tend to think of God's interest being focused on the church. We do not think of the church being the result of God's interest in saving the world, but as the object of God's interest in this physical world. (Have you read John 3:16 lately?) To us, the discussion would likely focus on the church and the world.

To both audiences, Jesus' emphasis on letting the weeds (tares) and wheat grow in the same field until harvest is a strange idea. Their tendency to "get the wicked out of our nation" and our tendency to "get the wicked out of the church" would evoke this response: "What is he talking about? What does he want us to do?"

To us, two basic ideas stand in contrast. Idea one: we should isolate the church from the world--build a moat around it, enclose it behind high walls, and be very careful about who we let have access to it. Idea two: we as the church should infiltrate the world. We should be the influence on it rather than it being the influence on us. Give people a real option of responding to Jesus Christ. Let them see the blessings of letting him teach us how to be God's people. Those two concepts stand in sharp contrast. They commonly determine how Christians in a locale behave.

It is not a simple matter! The implications are profound! Either concept profoundly influences the way congregations approach the unspiritual! Both concepts profoundly influence our individual character, our thrust as congregations, and our presentation of Jesus Christ to people who are not Christians.

Consider the obvious. In this parable, the field is the world (verse 38). Evil will exist as a part of the world until judgment. God so values those who are His (regardless of spiritual age and understanding), He is not willing to risk the destruction of one of them to eliminate evil (consider 2 Peter 3:9). The fact that evil continues in our world does not mean God does not care about what happens now in the physical world. It means God refuses to destroy those who belong to Him in order to uproot evil.

God does not quickly reject those who belong to Him. He encourages His people who are troubled to redirect! If I understand Hebrews correctly, some Christians of Jewish background seriously considered (1) abandoning Jesus Christ (not God), (2) reverting to their preChristian existence, and (3) eliminating the hostility they endured. They were so serious about this possibility that they ceased contact with the Christian community (10:25). Rather than giving them the "how dare you" treatment, the writer said, "Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised" (Hebrews 10:35, 36). He encouraged them! It was not too late!

If I understand Ephesians 4:25-30 correctly, Christians were doing those enumerated evil things. Paul said, "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:31, 32). Instead of saying "how dare you," Paul encouraged them. They could not continue doing evil, but Paul encouraged them to do good.

Perhaps we lose sight of the fact that all of Himself God invested from Abraham to the plagues to Israel to Jesus' cross and resurrection to those who are in Christ today becomes meaningless if God abandons His people in their times of trouble and disillusionment. We too easily forget that God planned and sent Jesus to save instead of destroy.

For Thought and Discussion

1. In the matter of concept adjustments, what is the issue?

2. Who is the ultimate challenge in concept adjustment?

3. What is the simple story in today's parable?

4. In Jesus' explanation of the parable:

   1. Who is the landowner?

   2. What is the field?

   3. Who are the good seed?

   4. Who are the weeds (tares)?

   5. Who is the enemy?

   6. What is the harvest?

   7. Who are the reapers?

5. Who would the angels gather and destroy?

6. This parable is in a series of parables that illustrate what?

7. The discussion in Jesus' Jewish audience and our discussion would be what? Why?

8. What would be a strange idea to both?

9. What is obvious in this parable?

10. What two illustrations are given to show God does not quickly reject those who belong to him?

11. Of what can we easily lose sight?

12. What do we too easily forget?

Link to Teacher's Guide Lesson 13

Copyright © 2007, 2008
David Chadwell & West-Ark Church of Christ

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