"No, he answer, because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them." Matt. 13:29
The LORD'S answer to the servants is an unmistakable NO. He will not have the weeds uprooted before the harvest. Jesus is not speaking of church disciples in contradiction to what he says in Matt. 18:15-18. Jesus is not speaking of unbelievers in the church, but in the world, for he says, "the field is the world". The LORD wants the church to carry on church discipline out of love for the straying. But the LORD would not have His church engaged in physically ridding the world of weeds. The church has only one weapon, "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." Those who cannot be won with the word of G od will not be won by the sword either.
The reason the owner forbids them to pull up the weeds is because of the wheat. They thought they could help the wheat by uprooting the weeds; but the owner maintained that they would also uproot the wheat when they uprooted the weeds. Certainly now that the heads had formed they could tell the wheat and the weeds apart, but what about the intertwining roots? And who today can properly distinguish between unbelivers who will remain unbelievers and unbelievers who will one day believe the word and become wheat? Out of love for the wheat, Jesus forbids us to cut short anyone's time of grace.
Christian friends, Jesus wants us to patiently accept the situation that here on earth we will always be surrounded by unbelievers. In the meantime the LORD uses the temptations the unbelievers confront us with to further a wholesome spiritual growth within us. In the midst of our struggles they cost us,we learn to despair of our own strength and to turn to the LORD.
Oft as the precious seed is sown Your quick'ning grace bestow, But all whose souls the truth receive, Its saving power may know.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - Let us use our time of grace to lead others to believe in the Savior.