Listen up, little ones
Listen for the word weeds.
Reading
Matt 13:24-30—The Enemy Sowed Weeds
Keys for kids
- Jesus teaches in parables a lot.
- The farmer planted good seed.
- The enemy planted weeds.
Questions
- Who is the one planting?
- Why would an enemy plant weeds in a field?
- Are you a weed or good seed? How do you know?
Notes
(Today’s notes are from a commentary on Matthew by Daniel M. Doriani) Jesus put another parable before the crowd. The topic, once again, is the nature of the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom, Jesus says, can be compared to a farmer who sowed good seed—the right seed for his purpose. He had servants, so we assume he sowed some of the seed and his servants joined the work. Farmer and servants labored well, but while they slept an enemy secretly came and sowed weeds throughout the field and left (13:24–25). Rival farmers sometimes feuded and did such things. The foe was diabolical. Jesus mentions a particular weed, called tares or darnels today. Since the darnel looks rather like wheat in the early stages, the perfidy initially went undetected. But as the grain sprouted and grew, so did the weeds. The servants saw this and reported it to their master. Since the master surely sowed good seed, the profusion of weeds confuses them. Where did they come from (13:26–27)?
The master sees the hand of his enemy behind the profusion of weeds. The servants offer to root out the weeds, but the master knows there are too many. The roots are intertwined, so that any effort to uproot the weeds will destroy the wheat (13:28–29).2 So, for now, everyone must let the wheat and the weeds grow up together. When the harvest comes, the master will give a new command. Then the servants will gather the weeds first, bind them into bundles and burn them. But as for the wheat, the servants will gather it into the master’s barn (13:30).
Swedish Method questions
Praise
Psalm 126a, 133a
Prayer
- Ask God to protect you from the enemy.
- Pray for the preparation for preaching God’s word this Sunday.
- Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.