Mt 13:24-30
24[Jesus] proposed [a] parable to [the crowds]. “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. 26When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. 27The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ 28He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. 30Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”
WEEDING BELONGS TO GOD: In the allegorization of the parable of the weeds among the wheat, the enemy who sows weeds is the devil. But in the original setting of the parable, Jesus may just be speaking of two feuding farmers. Experts describe the society of the time as agonistic, that is, conflict oriented. When born into a given family, a person inherits a ready-made set of friends and enemies. Feuds develop and persist over a long period of time. One has to watch out when a feuding enemy seeks a chance to shame the family.
Shame is planted in the form of weeds as soon as the wheat seeds are sown, but it does not become full-blown until such time when the weeds are distinguishable from the wheat. Now, everyone in the village begins to laugh at the expense of the landowner. The laughter becomes even louder when the landowner prevents his servants from pulling up the weeds. The villagers expect revenge, but the landowner seems helpless before his enemy.
But the landowner proves himself to be a wise and clever farmer. He knows that the wheat is strong enough to tolerate the competition of the weeds for nutrients. At harvest time, he has not only wheat to fill his barn, but also weeds to serve as fuel for his needs. He and his servants have the last laugh—at the expense of his enemy.
The parable, however, has “something more” to teach—and Christians later allegorize it to suit their own situation. In the world and in their own community, they experience the children of the kingdom and the children of the evil one co-existing. Quite often, the righteous ones suffer while the evil ones prosper. Is weeding out the wicked the solution? The parable teaches that goodness will survive the effect of wickedness, and in the long run God “will get” the wicked.