God's Grace Waits for Our Repentance

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in His field. – Matthew 13:24

READ: Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:36-43

THICKEN THE PLOT: Psalm 73:1-28; Ezekiel 33:10-16; 2 Peter 3:9-18

Today’s story centers on a man tending to wheat and weeds – wheat, a cultivated crop and weeds, intruding plants that threaten to destroy the beauty, order, and productivity of cultivation. Ironically, [the] mustard story sprouts right in the middle of the wheat and weeds parable, in nearly the same forceful way a weed would appear among wheat kernels.

Digging a little deeper in mustard’s culture, we find this leafy green vegetable, and the heritage of its family, is both a weed and a cultivated plant.

The wild mustard weeds we see gracing the countryside in swaths of mesmerizing yellow could also be harvested to flavor your pot liquor or add a little kick to the ingredients of a scant pantry. It seems the mustard easily repented of its wild ways, so to speak, and came to grow in the kitchen garden with trouble-free cultivation.

Why was the man, the gardener in the story, able to patiently wait while the weeds continued to grow? (Matthew 13:28-30). Pulling them up would uproot the wheat, he calmly explained. The man, picturing Jesus, Son of Man (Matthew 13:37), proved to be a “good farmer”, proactive verses reactive, sticking to his long-term plan and timing.

In his patient approach (2 Peter 3:9), the man gave the weeds, those allied with the evil one, time to turn from their wickedness.

Many of us have been weeds like the ones in the story, growing apart from God’s good, right, and honorable practices in our daily lives, glad to be carefree (Psalm 73:12). Thankfully the Lord had not yet taken up the field, so to speak, giving us time to wake up from our evil ways and turn (Ezekiel 33:14; 2 Peter 3:9).

The mustard plant has one more surprise for us: Cruciferae means “cross bearing,” named for the arrangement of the four petals of every cruciferae blossom in the form of a cross. Because of Jesus and His death on the cross, our wild ways have been accounted for and we are saved from the fire (Matthew 13:30, Matthew 13:40, 2 Peter 3:10-11), welcomed back from wickedness (Ezekiel 33:14-16God).

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Your Turn

God is so good to wait! Even when it feels like He is allowing evil to continue unchecked, can you see His grace in the midst of it, for the sake of those He loves? What is your repentance story? When did you turn from weed to wheat? Join the conversation on our blog! We would love to hear your thoughts about repentance! ~ Devotionals Daily