Worship Helps for Pentecost 8

Title: Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

Artist: Abraham Bloemaert

Year: 1624

Worship Theme: The Christian lives as wheat among weeds as he waits for the harvest. We ask for the spirit to live like wheat—to think and to do what is right—even while we live in this sinful world. Living with an eye on the coming harvest gives us encouragement, comfort, and hope.

Old Testament: Joel 3:12-16

'Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. ¹³ Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow-- so great is their wickedness!' ¹⁴ Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. ¹⁵ The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. ¹⁶ The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.

1. Revelation 20:7-9 says: “When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth-- Gog and Magog-- to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.” These verses speak of a time at the end of the present era when Satan would deceive the nations and lead them to war against the new Jerusalem. Compare this to Joel 3:12-16.

2. The book of Joel foretells the coming of the Day of the Lord. Here in chapter 3, Joel pictures the judgment of the nations as a day of harvest. The day is coming when the sickle will swing and the harvest will begin. What will be the reaction for unbelievers when the sun is darkened and the moon and stars fail to shine?

Epistle: 1 Peter 4:1-8

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. ² As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. ³ For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do-- living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. ⁴ They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. ⁵ But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. ⁷ The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. ⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

3. Why is it true that the person “who has suffered in his body is done with sin”? (verses 1,2)

4. Why do unbelievers think it strange that we do not join in with them? Why do they heap abuse on Christians for what Christians are doing? (verses 3,4)

5. What does Peter remind his readers about their previous lives?

Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. ²⁶ When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. ²⁷ "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' ²⁸ "'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' ²⁹ "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'" … ³⁶ Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." ³⁷ He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, ³⁹ and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. ⁴⁰ "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴² They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

6. What does this parable teach us about the makeup of the kingdom?

7. Why shouldn’t we attempt to root false Christians out of the Christian church?

8. A person once gave this as his reason for avoiding church: “I don’t want to be with all the hypocrites there.” How would you respond to this?

Answers:

1. God himself will use Satan to summon the nations, God’s enemies, to battle. When they have gathered in the valley of decision, God will thunder on them and destroy them. Yet he will be a refuge for his people.

2. Unbelievers will feel extreme terror when they see these heavenly signs and when they hear the roaring and thundering of the Lord. This is a reminder that we live as wheat among weeds, but the harvest is coming. When it does, there will be no need for God’s people to fear. He is their refuge and stronghold.

3. Peter reminds us that Jesus suffered for us. Jesus’ attitude was to willingly suffer for our sins so that he might be done with them. Our attitude should be the same. We should be willing to suffer for our faith. Our suffering does not rid us of sin like Jesus’ suffering did. Rather, he helps us release our grip on this sinful world and turn our attention to serving the Lord. Suffering has a way of purifying us of our sinful lusts.

4. First, we used to be like them. By nature, we are no different than they. But now we have changed, and they (like us before we came to faith) cannot understand why this change came about. Second, their consciences bother them, even though they don’t like to admit it. When they see us doing the right thing, we trouble their consciences and threaten to take away their pleasures.

5. Peter reminded his readers that they had spent enough of their lives living in sin. Living as wheat among weeds means leaving our lives of sin behind and living for the will of God with an eye on the coming harvest. Just because we have to live in the world, doesn’t mean we have to be of it. Yes, this break with the world will lead to our persecution. When it happens, fix your eyes on the coming harvest.

6. Here the “kingdom” refers to the growth of God’s Word as it is reflected in the growth of the external church on earth. The Word of God will call people to faith, and they will join the gathering of God’s people that we call the church. But Satan will bring people into the church for reasons other than the desire to have their faith nourished.

7. We can never really be sure if we have correctly labeled a person “a false Christian.” Note that Jesus is not excluding open sinners from the congregation. He will talk about that in Matthew 18. In this chapter Jesus is saying we shouldn’t try to guess who may be hypocrites.

How many churchmen have tried to separate the wheat and weeds in the kingdom with rules or monasteries, with inquisitions or Pharisaical laws? Anyone who tries only succeeds in ruining wheat along with the weeds. They uproot the faith of the weak who fall into sin; they trample the faith of the strong by feeding their pride. The Lord most certainly has a plan to separate the wheat and weeds—just not yet. He has servants standing by to do the work—they’re just not us. Instead, God urges his people to live with their eye on the coming harvest. God does not want us to try and separate wheat from weeds before then. Christ tells us to live as wheat among the weeds of this world and wait expectantly for the harvest when the angels will sort it all out: weeds to fire, and wheat to shine as the righteous sons of God in the kingdom of their Father.

8. There are hypocrites in the external church. We cannot deny it. So it is best not to begin your response on that note. Point out that this is where God’s people meet and where the Word and sacraments can be found.

Putting your faith into action

When Jesus taught his disciples and the crowds he often used illustrations from everyday life.  When he told the parable of the weeds and wheat, his hearers could relate to the details of his story. They knew that good seed would produce a good harvest and that weed seeds would produce a mess. We as Christian stewards are “God’s sowing.” We are like the good seed because of our faith relationship in Jesus Christ. As good seed it naturally follows that what we produce, namely, our words and actions—our total life of stewardship—should reflect that which is good and godly. As God’s stewards we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ and equipped to do those good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do. Such Christian living will result in a rich harvest in heaven where all the righteous will shine like the sun.

A reading from the Book of Concord for Pentecost 9

I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth…

We emphasize the words “Creator of heaven and earth.” But what is the force of this, or what do you mean by these words, “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth?” Answer: “This is what I mean and believe, that I am God’s creature.  I mean that He has given and constantly preserves for me my body, soul, and life, my members great and small, all my senses, reason, and understanding, and so on.  He gives me food and drink, clothing and support, wife and children, domestic servants, house and home, and more…

We could say much about how few people believe this article.  For if we believed this teaching with the heart, we would also act according to it.  We would not strut about proudly, act defiantly, and boast as though we had life, riches, power, honor, and such, of ourselves.  The world is drowned in blindness and abuses all the good things and God’s gifts only for its own pride, greed, lust, and luxury.  It never once thinks about God, so as to thank Him or acknowledge Him as Lord and Creator.

This article ought to humble and terrify us all, if we believed it.  Christians acknowledge that they are duty bound to serve God for all these things and to be obedient to Him. – Large Catechism, Part II, Apostles’ Creed (paragraphs 9, 12-13, 20-22)

“If the Church has the pure doctrine, it does not become a false church when sins and offenses are committed. If a church is really Christ’s Church, nothing else is possible but that many sins and offenses appear. The purer the teaching is, the more hostile Satan is, and the more effort he puts forth to cover her with shame. Whenever souls are rescued from sin and brought to peace with God through the preaching of Christ, Satan angrily rushes in and tries to makes it appear that sin and misery rule in the Church. Wherever true unity of faith is, there Satan causes such a commotion that it seems as if there were nothing but discord, quarrels, and strife. Wherever the devil is in control, he is quiet; but wherever his authority is taken away by the Word and Sacrament he storms and rages with all the might of a prince of darkness. In short, wherever Christ sows His good seed, Satan will also sow his tares. Of that we can be certain.” – From a sermon by Dr. C.F.W. Walther, Matthew 13:24–30 (the parable of the weeds).