URC Daily Devotion Wednesday 14 January 2026

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.” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,  and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.  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.  They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

Reflection

What stands out for me in this passage is judgement. God’s judgement. In my experience, there are Christians who are made uncomfortable by the idea of a final judgement in which some folk will be excluded from God’s presence for ever, or for an ill-defined period of time, during which they undergo some type of suffering. Other Christians embrace the idea of God’s judgement and are comfortable in using it as leverage for their evangelism.
 
For those who are uncomfortable – of which I am one – is it because we are soft hearted ? Or think that if we were God we would forgive people no matter what? Or frightened of being one of those sent to the fire and so reluctant to accept that possibility?  But then the parable of the sheep and goats also seems to underscore the idea of God’s judgement.
 
Do other Christians embrace the idea of punishment because they think they have worked hard or sacrificed a lot for the reward of Heaven and don’t want to see so-called “bad people” receive the same reward ? Is it that they are confident they won’t be the ones being punished? But then what about the parable of the workers hired in the vineyard, all paid the same no matter how long they had worked? We are also told not to judge lest we be judged.
 
So who, if any, will fall foul of this judgement? Can we know ahead of time?
 
Where does salvation by faith not works fit in ? How can we avoid the punishment? How do we know our faith is sufficient? What about God’s grace freely given and our being accepted unconditionally as we are?
 
Such questions leave us reeling. Only God knows the answers, but he has given us a role model in Jesus and a companion in the Holy Spirit and only asks that we offer our lives to him and love him, and our neighbours, as ourselves.
 
Prayer
 
Dear Lord,
You know all things and order all things
according to your plan.
We use the brains you have given us to understand as much
about you and your creation as we can, but we also ask for that faith
that calms and guides our enquiring minds and allows us to put all our trust in you.
We ask this in and through your precious name.
Amen