Patience with Friends and Enemies

“24 Jesus told them another parable: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 Whilst the people were asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds amongst the wheat, and then went away. 26 When the crop had sprouted and the ears of corn were forming, the weeds also appeared. 27 Then the servants went to the landowner and said, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? ‘Where, then, did the weeds come from?’ 28 He replied, ‘An enemy has done this.’ Then the servants said to him, ‘Shall we go and pull them up?’ 29 He replied, ‘No, lest in pulling up the weeds you uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers: First gather the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burnt; but gather the wheat into my barn!’

This parable of Jesus’s, which is not one of his best-known, has always appealed to me. I have been fascinated by its realism and the solution it offers to the problem. Jesus understands the reality of this world. With his advice to be patient and not to act rashly, he demonstrates foresight and wisdom. Beyond this core message, the story contains interesting details. I shall take the liberty of interpreting these individual features using the allegorical method.

According to the classical definition, every parable has a literal half and a figurative half. The former is the actual point Jesus wishes to illustrate; the latter consists of the images used for comparison.

The opening verse makes it clear: the subject is the Kingdom of Heaven. This is compared to a field. The field belongs to a man; behind this figure, God may be seen as the Lord of his Kingdom. A specific problem is addressed: that there is both good (‘good seed’) and evil (‘weeds’) in the field. This coexistence is remarkable, for we usually regard the Kingdom of Heaven as perfectly good, pure and free from evil. The field cannot, therefore, be situated in heaven. The parable thus presupposes that the Kingdom of Heaven begins here on earth – a hopeful thought. Our experience confirms all too well that our earthly existence is, in every respect, a mixture of good and evil, whether viewed from a global perspective or in our personal lives. Both exist in God’s earthly field: the good wheat and the poisonous ‘taumellolch’ (the weed referred to by the Greek word). Amidst these adverse circumstances, the wheat grows, which in its heavenly fulfilment will constitute the Kingdom of God.

Verse 25 contains three interesting points. The weeds are sown ‘whilst the people were asleep’. It is not, therefore, the case that we consciously accept evil. No, it is insidious; it creeps in stealthily and in secret. ‘Be watchful!’ is the implicit message behind this statement.

Who sows the weeds? The perpetrator is described as ‘his enemy’: the enemy of the landowner, and thus, on a theological level, the adversary of God. There is no need to call him the Devil or Satan. The ‘enemy’ stands for everyone and everything that goes against the will of God. This is confirmed a little later in verse 28: there, the instigator is referred to only generally as ‘an enemy’, not ‘his’ (= God’s) enemy. The adversary is the enemy not only of God, but of all the good forces and fruits directed towards the Kingdom of Heaven.

The enemy’s cunning is also evident in the fact that he sows the weeds but then disappears again (‘… and went away’, end of verse 25): he insidiously sows evil without openly admitting to it. Here, too, one might read between the lines: ‘Be on your guard!’ Nowadays – taken figuratively – one could use CCTV cameras as a preventative measure. Unfortunately, in practical terms, there are still no moral ‘security cameras’ that would prevent the sowing of evil at an early stage.

What, then, is the remedy for this culture of the Kingdom of Heaven’s field, which is, in the truest sense of the word, overgrown? One model is that of the landowner’s servants (who may be understood as the disciples of Jesus). They wish to nip the problem in the bud and set about pulling up the weeds rigorously and without hesitation. They do not consider that in doing so they are simultaneously destroying the wheat. In the political sphere, this reminds me of the short-sighted attitude of some powerful figures who – perhaps with noble intentions – recklessly instigate wars without considering the collateral damage.

The other model is that of the landowner – that is, God or Jesus as the narrator of the parable: ‘Stop!’ Let us practise patience, even if it is difficult! Let us allow both – the weeds and the good seed – to grow together for the time being. Then the good will be strong enough to survive, and the weeds clear enough to identify. In this way, ‘the chaff can be separated from the wheat’.

How often, in the face of blatant injustice, do we long to strike out and ensure that justice is done: to reward the good and destroy the wicked! But for Jesus, that is not the agenda of the coming Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Here, for the time being, the good must endure the difficult coexistence with the evil. That is not easy. It can only be endured by keeping our eyes on the ‘harvest’ at the end; then, and only then, will the time come for the necessary separation. Without this hope of eschatological justice, the landowner’s command to his servants to hold back would be cynical.

For me, Jesus’ parable is a remarkably realistic and enduringly relevant reminder to exercise prudence and patience. Let us not resort to mob justice before its time; it may destroy us as well. Let us leave the judgement and its execution to the eternal Judge.

Gerhard Hotze