Proper 11 Series A (Pentecost 8)

 

Pentecost 8

Isaiah 44:6–8

Romans 8:18–27

Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43

The Word of the Gospel Bestows the Righteousness of Christ and Brings Forth Faith

 The good Seed, which is “the Son of Man,” Jesus Himself (Matthew 13:37), brings forth a harvest of faith and bears good fruits in “the sons of the kingdom” (Matthew 13:38). Whatever is sown apart from His Word is of the devil, who plants the weeds of unbelief and sin, even among the people of God.

Thankfully, the Lord is patient and He does not uproot the weeds, lest the plants also be destroyed. He lets “both grow together until the harvest” (Matthew 13:30) while He continues to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins. 

Thus, He preserves His Church in righteousness, because He alone is “the King of Israel and his Redeemer” (Isaiah 44:6). Since all things are in His gracious care and keeping, “fear not, nor be afraid” (Isaiah 44:8). 

For “the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19), and in this hope we also wait with patience. Though we do not yet see it, “the Spirit helps us in our weakness” (Romans 8:26) and, in truth, “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).

Heavenly Father, thought we do not deserve Your goodness, still You provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may acknowledge Your gifts, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A suggested hymn:

“Thy Harvest Field, O God"

Din Kirke-Mark, O Gud; Thomas Kingo (1689);

Sung to the Tune: “In God, My Faithful God”

TLH #526 LSB $745

Translated by Tim Daub, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Hecla, South Dakota  

1. Thy harvest field, O God,

With vicious tares stands marred,

Thy perfect toil and labor

Now spoiled by the invader.

Can wheat with sin infested

Be worth Thy love’s investment?

2. The scattered seed was pure.

Each kernel of Thy Word 

Still has life-giving power.

In patience, dear Lord, shower

Thy Gospel grains among us

Until the final harvest.

3. When purple crowns spring forth,

Thy servants doubt the worth

Of tending wheat polluted:

“Lord, shall it be uprooted?”

Thou also must feel anguish

To watch Thy church so languish.

4. O God, how can mankind

Sleep on in drunken pride,

And seek their earthly pleasures,

Forsaking heavenly treasures?

Sin keeps the lost soul blinded,

The enemy delighted.

5. But by Thy grace sprouts up 

A faithful, righteous crop.

Her fruit of Gospel preaching,

The noxious weeds o’erreaching,

Proclaims that Jesus’ labor

Has earned for us God’s favor.

6. Have mercy on us, Lord.

Preserve Thy holy Word.

Maintain a pure confession

Within this congregation.

Spare us from all false doctrine,

Our sin and weakness pardon.

7. God, by Thy gracious hand,

Thy Holy Spirit send

Our hearts to tend and water

That we Thy name may honor.

So cultivate among us

A bounteous, fruitful harvest! Amen.

Matthew 13:24-30

The Tares among the Wheat

:24 Ἄλλην παραβολὴν παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς λέγων· Ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ [a]σπείραντι καλὸν σπέρμα ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ αὐτοῦ.

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field,

:25 ἐν δὲ τῷ καθεύδειν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἦλθεν αὐτοῦ ὁ ἐχθρὸς καὶ ἐπέσπειρεν ζιζάνια ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σίτου καὶ ἀπῆλθεν. 

but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds[a] among the wheat and went away.

Probably darnel, a wheat-like weed

:26 ὅτε δὲ ἐβλάστησεν ὁ χόρτος καὶ καρπὸν ἐποίησεν, τότε ἐφάνη καὶ τὰ ζιζάνια. 

So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.

:27 προσελθόντες δὲ οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου εἶπον αὐτῷ· Κύριε, οὐχὶ καλὸν σπέρμα ἔσπειρας ἐν τῷ σῷ ἀγρῷ; πόθεν οὖν ἔχει ζιζάνια;

And the servants[b] of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’

Matthew 13:27 b Or bondservants; also verse 28

:28 ὁ δὲ ἔφη αὐτοῖς· Ἐχθρὸς ἄνθρωπος τοῦτο ἐποίησεν. οἱ δὲ  δοῦλοι αὐτῷ λέγουσιν· Θέλεις οὖν ἀπελθόντες συλλέξωμεν αὐτά; 

He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’

Do not root out evil on your own. The more zealous you become the more harm will be done.

:29 ὁ δέ φησιν· Οὔ, μήποτε συλλέγοντες τὰ ζιζάνια ἐκριζώσητε ἅμα αὐτοῖς τὸν σῖτον·

But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.

:30 ἄφετε συναυξάνεσθαι ἀμφότερα μέχρι τοῦ θερισμοῦ· καὶ ἐν καιρῷ τοῦ θερισμοῦ ἐρῶ τοῖς θερισταῖς· Συλλέξατε πρῶτον τὰ ζιζάνια καὶ δήσατε αὐτὰ εἰς δέσμας πρὸς τὸ κατακαῦσαι αὐτά, τὸν δὲ σῖτον συναγάγετε εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην μου.

Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Note: The reapers will do this not you.

 The Parable of the Weeds Explained

:36 Τότε ἀφεὶς τοὺς ὄχλους ἦλθεν εἰς τὴνοἰκίαν. καὶ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· Διασάφησον ἡμῖν τὴν παραβολὴν τῶν ζιζανίων τοῦ ἀγροῦ.

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”

:37 ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς  εἶπεν· Ὁ σπείρων τὸ καλὸν σπέρμα ἐστὶν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου·

He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

 :38 ὁ δὲ ἀγρός ἐστιν ὁ κόσμος· τὸ δὲ καλὸν σπέρμα, οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ υἱοὶ τῆς βασιλείας· τὰ δὲ ζιζάνιά εἰσιν οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ πονηροῦ,

The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,

:39 ὁ δὲ ἐχθρὸς ὁ σπείρας αὐτά ἐστιν ὁ διάβολος· ὁ δὲ θερισμὸς συντέλεια  αἰῶνός ἐστιν, οἱ δὲ θερισταὶ ἄγγελοί εἰσιν.

and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

:40 ὥσπερ οὖν συλλέγεται τὰ ζιζάνια καὶ πυρὶ  καίεται, οὕτως ἔσται ἐν τῇ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος·

Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

:41 ἀποστελεῖ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ, καὶ συλλέξουσιν ἐκ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ σκάνδαλα καὶ τοὺς ποιοῦντας τὴν ἀνομίαν,

The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,

:42 καὶ βαλοῦσιν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρός· ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων.

and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Gnashing of teeth denotes anger at God not suffering – See Psalm 35:16; 37:12; 112:10; Lamentations 2:16; Job 16:9-10

:43 Τότε οἱ δίκαιοι ἐκλάμψουσιν ὡς ὁ ἥλιος ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν. ὁ ἔχων  ὦτα ἀκουέτω.

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

See Daniel 12:1-3

Footnotes:

ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software

Woodcut Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use