URC Daily Devotion Monday 12 January 2026

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. “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?’ “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.  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.’”

Reflection

What would be your reaction to the presence of weeds among your crops – as a gardener or farmer?  Grab the first deadly weedkiller that comes to hand?  Meticulously uproot every weed you see, while trying not to tread or disturb the crop?  Give up on the whole lot and start again?  Perhaps it would depend on the weed.  Some are quite benign, but others can cause major problems – invasive species or ones that ruin the crop.  Sympathy goes to farmers that find black grass among their wheat or gardeners that have to tackle ground elder or knotweed.  That said, our attitude to weeds has changed somewhat in recent years.  Recognising the importance of biodiversity, the danger of using chemicals on the land and the health of the soil, weeds are being looked at in a different way.  Part of how we read this parable is how we see the weeds.  Some translations specify tares or darnel (poisonous plants that resemble wheat in their early stages).  The fact that an enemy has sown them – as some act of mischief or aggression – implies they are not benign weeds.

Jesus pictures the farmer as one who is concerned for the good harvest, but realistic about the presence of weeds.  His concern above all is that none of the good crop is damaged by some overenthusiastic weeding.  In due course there will be a reckoning and a clearing out of the enemy’s work, whatever shape that takes.  The good will be gathered and the bad removed – the harvest will be safe and celebrated.  But for now, good and bad grow together and all we can do is to try to nurture, protect and grow  whatever is, in Paul’s words, true, honourable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy (Philippians 4.8) and to keep hope alive.

Prayer

Tend your crop, God of all life.
Thwart the forces of evil, the guile of the enemy
and bring your creation (us included) 
to its true fruition.
Renew your hope within us,
through the love of Jesus. Amen.