Notice, though, what Jesus says to do: leave the weeds - don't try to pull them. For now, leave the weeds. Because in the reality of the kingdom, the dead come back to life. Goats become sheep, weeds become wheat. When we see with kingdom eyes, we don't write anyone off or leave anyone for dead. Instead, we do the radical, revolutionary, counter cultural thing - bear with the unbearable and minister with grace to those who don't have what we have. We coexist with the weeds - peacefully, humbly, lovingly - in the hopes that more and more stalks will come into the light and be transformed into wheat.Jared Wilson, Your Jesus Is Too Safe
I'm reading Jared's book and participating in the blog tour that starts next week, but I couldn't resist sharing this quote. There are are lot of sharable quotes in this book. Look for my review on Thursday.
Sigh. I wonder whether it bothers anyone but me that that's exactly what Jesus says doesn't happen.
I'm such a curmudgeon these days.
@codepoke, I agree kinda. Yes that's true once the wheat is ready to be harvested, but the reason Jesus says to wait is because you can't tell the difference between the wheat and weeds until the harvest comes. I think what the author misses (or is maybe his point, but he should be more explicit) is that Jesus is the harvester and separater, not us. We can't tell if the person sitting next to us every Sunday is wheat or a weed, but it's not up to us to decide for ourselves.
How do you get hooked up with a gig like this? I see on his blog he also did a blog tour on one of Driscoll's books. (thinking of the networking opportunity if I ever get off my rear and write my book) Cool idea, going to check out the other blogs too.
Context might help. This is from the chapter called Jesus the King and specifically relating to the parable of the weeds in Matthew 13:24-29. He says earlier on the same page:
So he's speaking of the kingdom and the qualities of the kingdom and that the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the world exist side by side, for now.
Codepoke - I'd love for you to elaborate on what you mean. From my reading of the parable, Jesus says exactly that - leave the weeds. Besides, I'm a big fan of your writings and Jared's, so to have you at odds with him is disconcerting. :-P
Frank - Well, the blog tour thing is pretty common now. The publisher wants people talking about the book, so they offer copies to folks who promise to review it. No strings attached, but I think that they count on most of the folks who would respond already being fans of the author. But, they also realize that even negative publicity is better than no publicity (in terms of generating sales).
salguod, thanks for the quote-age.
Frank has explained what I was getting at pretty well.
I do believe in election. So my point was not that unelect weeds/goats will get saved. Only that we don't know who's who before the end of time, so we don't write anyone off. I think that's the commission of grace.
I'm sure Jared's written a good book here, and I certainly don't believe there's heresy afoot. It's just a matter of wording.
The precise point Jesus is making is that the Godhead, and only the Godhead, knows who is and is not wheat. If we evangelize, we're finding the lost sheep, not turning goats into sheep. If we water a young plant and it bears fruit, we're not turning a tare into wheat but bringing wheat to fruition. God knows, and we do not.
The net effect is identical. We don't know who is a weed, so we water liberally with love. The paths to that end are different, though, based upon exegesis. Jesus is saying we are kind to all in case, by chance, we might damage a wheat. Jared is saying we are kind to all in hopes of making more wheat than there already is.
It bothers me to hear Jared say the exact opposite of both of those parables, but we end up treating people the same. Maybe it's six of one and a half dozen of the other, but I'm going to continue to curmudge.
Codepoke, if Jesus is saying "leave the wheat" and I'm saying we should obey him, how am I saying the opposite?
Some of this may have to do with how I read the parables as a genre. I track with Craig Blomberg and tend to think the parables have a basic functional meaning (sometimes 2, rarely 3) and are not loaded in with complex exegetical theology.
I don't believe "we" turn goats into sheep. But I certainly believe God does, b/c I believe in total depravity. Although semantics can be in play here, since I do affirm election and what I am calling "goats who become sheep" I would also say are "lost sheep."
Don't know if I can (or should) try to clarify any further, and I probably won't in any event. Just couldn't not respond to repeated charge that I'm saying the opposite of what Jesus said.
Peace
Thanks Jared for your follow up comment, that cleared things up for me. I was thinking that, in believing in election, you would hold that weeds do not become wheat, which is not what you said in the book. I got it now.
Some time ago, you and I went around about free will, you may remember. It took some time, but I was eventually convinced, or perhaps more accurately, better understood what it means. One of these days maybe we can have a go at election, 'cause I'm not buyin' it. :-D I'm not convinced that I completely understand it either, however.
I was thinking a little about this today. Just wondering about stuff.
One of these days maybe we can have a go at election, 'cause I'm not buyin' it.
LOL
Well, while I'm still a loyal card-carrying Calvinist, my days of debating that stuff I'm happy to have left behind me.
Let's give each other a raincheck on the discussion and see what happens. ;-)
But the word and concept "the elect" are in the Bible. So you can't totally "not buy it," right? But you can have a different take on it, for sure. :-)
Peace
beg - do share your thoughts ...
Jared - Heh, fair enough.
And yes, I understand that the concept of election is in the Bible, so I cannot reject it. Certainly we can have different interpretations of it, though.
Just thinking that some people are weeds and don't know it or think it. And some people got pulled for being weeds and weren't. I like your comment that we shouldn't assume to know or be able to decide who is a weed and won't make it and who is not.
I was also thinking on the election thing. Somewhere along the lines that what makes someone so special that their a Christian. I mean, it's easy to think I'm better than someone else, God loves me more, I'm better cause I did my good deed, whatever. When in reality God loves both the sinner and the saved. Just because we've been fortunate to become Christians doesn't mean we deserved it. That we should think we're better than others because we became Christians. I mean in effect we were chosen cause it was nothing we did to deserve the opportunity. If you call that being elected that's fine. I'm not up on it, I'm rusty on it and I'm tired plus I'm naturally not very smart.
Anyway, I guess I believe God turned the world upside down for me to see Him. And I believe that some will be lost that others may be saved. And, I think God's pretty smart and whether their elected or not knows, if not certainly, almost certainly who will and who won't choose to become a Christian. It's kind of like the Sodom and Gomorrah, (sp), thing. Will you spare it for 5,4,3 people? Sure but he knows they aren't there and won't be there. Anyway, in my crazy mind it makes a sense, at least tonight. Still, maybe it's my emotions but I believe that if there is such a list of who will and won't become Christians if someone on the won't list repents and truly decides to get married to Jesus then God won't say know. Still, to not follow the elected part of it you'd have to assume that God gets surprised sometimes. And, I guess part of me, for His sake, hopes that he does. Still, in thinking about it it'd probably better to be worshiping a God who isn't. I guess, I'm getting solom. But, I can say with certainty that I'm glad that I still have the illusion of hope for people and that I am not like God knowing all and seeing all but am glad that He does. And, I guess getting back to the beginning. It really doesn't matter if their is a list or not because we don't know who is on the saved list and who's on the hell list. So if we've already decided we can't tell who's a weed and who's not until harvest comes, and you don't know who is on the list then what does it matter. You still need to share with everyone.
So I guess in my weird way of thinking....tonight I believe in election. And, I've come to the conclusion it means absolutely nothing to me in terms of how I should live my life or view others. But, it may help with my humility.
I could be either wise with all this or on the edge of being crazy. After all, my mother in law is on my mind.
I think what sets me back about Jesus' words here is that He is the harvester, not us; He can genetically, fundamentally, down-to-the-DNA change tares into wheat - so I need to quit trying to second-guess what stage He's at in the transformation of someone else's life and let Him work on transforming me!