Mar 17

Written by: Mike Smith
3/17/2008 1:46 PM

This question often comes to me in a variety of forms. God does not reveal to us everything he knows. He tells us what he believes we need to know. One of my seminary professors told this to his students, “God reveals to us a little about what he has done, less about how he has done it and almost nothing about why he has done it.” I find this true. I also realize that we as human beings want more information about why, how and what! Jesus tells us one parable that gives some insight about why God tolerates evil at the present time. Jesus did this in a parable – known as the “Parable of the Wheat and the Tare” or the “Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds” found in Matthew 13:24-30.

Jesus teaches that God planted good “wheat” which represents people. “Weeds” are a result of an enemy – that is the devil. When asked if the weeds should be pulled up while the wheat was growing the master says “No because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest.” The conclusion is that the reason God tolerates evil presently is because to remove it would damage the wheat. Jesus does not describe how removing the weeds would damage the wheat. He leaves us to understand that on our own. One day God will distinguish between the “wheat” and the “weeds” at the harvest (which speaks of the return of the Lord and final judgment).

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