Matthew 13:24-30

2 Timothy 3:12Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

BUT WHY?

Why does evil still exist?

24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

25 “But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away.

26 “But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.

27 “The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’

28 “And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’.” ’ ”

29 “But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them.

30 ‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

The Sower of good seed = JesusField = the worldGood seed = children of the

KingdomTares = children of the devilSower of bad seed = the devil,

enemy of JesusHarvest = the end timeReapers = the angels of God

“Darnel” = poisonous weed

Looks similar to wheat in its early stage

Root grows deeper and stronger than wheat

The only way to sort out safely = do it at harvest time

Evil does exist, but God will sort it all out

in the end.

Be AWARE of the enemy The enemy == the devil The enemy =/= the fellow plants The enemy’s job : steal, kill & destroy

(John 10:10)

Be AWARE of the enemyBe AWARE of his craftiness

Working in disguise (hard to detect) Working from “within” Working by imitation

Be AWARE of the enemy Be AWARE of his craftiness Be PATIENT until the end

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Be AWARE of the enemyBe AWARE of his craftinessBe PATIENT until the endAvoid JUDGING othersDon’t PULL the weedBut GROW the wheat

Evil does exist, but God will sort it all out

in the end.

We should be glad that life is NOT fair

Psalm 139:23-24Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me,

And lead me in the everlasting way.