God of the Gaps: The Fallacy of All-or-Nothing

In the first two weeks of this sermon series, we looked at a rich man who built bigger barns only to die before enjoying his bounty and a rich young man who was unable to give all he had to the poor and follow Jesus. The tempting conclusion—or the nagging fear—is that God demands radical obedience, all-or-nothing faith, and that nothing less is worthwhile or meaningful. We might point to verses like James 1:21 to back us up:

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

We are part saint, part sinner; part hero, part villain; part human, part beast; part angel, part devil; part virgin, part prostitute. We yearn to be all one thing; if we are honest, we know that we are not. The more zealous, not content to demand perfection from themselves, even demand perfection from others inside and outside of the congregation.

Isn’t it time for some relief?

Matthew 13:24-30

Commentary

Jesus gives an interpretation of the parable in v36-43.

v25 sowed weeds among the wheat. A specific weed is mentioned here: darnel, aka bastard wheat. (While weeds are mentioned elsewhere in the Bible, this specific weed appears only in this parable in Matthew.) Darnel was so insidious that it was illegal by Roman law to sow darnel in another person’s field (the original biological warfare).

v25 the weeds also appeared. Darnel looks like wheat when it first sprouts, but the differences are manifest later. Wheat has a large, golden head of grain, while darnel has a small, black head. Wheat, when ready to harvest has such heavy heads that the stalks bend over, while darnel stalks stand straight because the heads are so light. Wheat is nutritious, while darnel is poisonous and will make the ingestor intoxicated. While only the similar appearance of the early sprouts is important within the parable, none of these other details detract from the main point of the parable, and one might assume that Jesus’ audience might be keenly aware of all of these differences.

v30 Let both grow together. Specifically, let both grow side-by-side, and let each grow to its fullest. It is difficult to imagine a farmer would letting an invasive plant prosper (or God letting evil men prosper) but the rationale for such is given in the preceding verse (v29): for the sake of the wheat, which has not yet grown to maturity and which will be damaged in the process of weeding, the weeds will be tolerated for a while, even as they are thriving.

Application

On the surface, Jesus gives the interpretation of the parable:

The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. (Matt. 13:37-39)

In our interactions with the world, the parable counsels tolerance. Apparently, in this age, despite all that Jesus says about being the salt and light of the world, despite all of our plans to "win the world for Christ," the world will never be entirely Christian. Our charge is to live in the world and grow to maturity. Our charge is to live in the world—a messy field of good and bad seed, a world that even looks untended—with forbearance. Our charge is to live in the world, leaving the harvest to others—the angels. When we read about the slaughter of Muslims during the Crusades or the forced conversion of Native Americans by European colonists, one must conclude that we have failed this commission.

And that might seem to be the end of the matter—if we knew exactly what Jesus meant by the world, the sons of the kingdom, and the sons of the evil one. In this parable about forbearance, was Jesus speaking about: the scribes and Pharisees, who opposed him; Judas, who would later betray him; Peter and the other disciples, who clearly didn’t get it yet; or somebody else altogether?

In our interactions at church, the world intrudes into church; therefore, the parable counsels tolerance even here. Our tendency is to think of church as a sanctuary from the world, a place where worldly rules & demands don’t apply; however, we are so conditioned by the world, we bring our worldly ways into church with us. Consequently, one of the biggest problems at church is the apparent hypocrisy: we are supposed to be a society that lives by a higher standard, yet frequently we do not. One possibility is to kick all of the hypocrites out; conversely, the other possibility is to conclude that we do not belong. As Groucho Marx said, "I don't care to belong to any club that will have me as a member."

However, Jesus doesn’t just tolerate worldly intrusions into his group, he interacts with the world through these intrusions! He dines with Pharisees (Luke 7:36-50), drinks with tax collectors & prostitutes (Luke 5:27-32), tolerates the worldly responses of his inner circle of disciples (Luke 9:51-56), and even feeds the one who will betray him that very evening (John 13:18-30).

Jesus interacts with the world, because the act of sharing the gospel turns weeds into wheat. We all begin as weeds, and the miracle is that somewhere along the way, as we begin to mature, some of us are revealed to be wheat. Sin in our lives is a serious concern; however, the removal of deep-rooted sin from our lives requires the gentle hand of our Savior. When many of us became Christians, we knew that we were powerless to master our sinful lives by ourselves. The results of our attempts to master sin on our own have ranged from despair borne from futility, to self-loathing borne from asceticism and prideful ambition.

We are finite creatures, and if our holiness is limited, so is our diabolicalness. Maybe our holiness is best understood as a work in progress, and not a finished product. Consider the story of a monk on Mt Athos:

He was in a very bad state, very dark, very bitter, very angry. When asked what was the matter, he said, "Look at me. I’ve been here for 38 years, and I have not yet attained pure prayer." Another fellow on the pilgrimage was saying how sad he thought this was.

Another man present said, "It’s a sad story all right, but the sadness consists in the fact that after 38 years in a monastery he’s still interested in pure prayer. (The Spirituality of Imperfection, p 42)

God is at work in you, but God is not finished yet. "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." (1 Thess. 5:23-24)

Points to Ponder

"... we are like others not in our virtues and strengths, but precisely in our faults, our failings, our flaws. As Evagrius Ponticus, one of the most influential of the desert monks, put it: The nearer we draw to God, the more we should see ourselves as being one with every sinner." (The Spirituality of Imperfection, p 48)

The Discipline of Knowing Yourself:
The Jesuit Examination of Conscience

This 5-step prayer is used by the Jesuits to review each day and examine themselves:

Thanksgiving
Lord, I realize that all, even my self, is a gift from you. Today, for what things am I most grateful?

Intention
Lord, open my eyes and ears to be more honest with myself. Today, what did I really want for myself?

Examination
Lord, show me what has been happening to me and in me this day. Today, in what
ways have I experienced your love?

Contrition
Lord, I am still learning to grow in your love. Today, which choices of mine have been inadequate responses to your love?

Hope
Lord, let me look with longing toward the future. Today, how will I let you lead me to a brighter tomorrow?