马太福音 13:24-30 耶稣又设个比喻对他们说：“天国好像人撒好种在田里， 及至人睡觉的时候，有仇敌来，将稗子撒在麦子里就走了。 到长苗吐穗的时候，稗子也显出来。 田主的仆人来告诉他说：‘主啊，你不是撒好种在田里吗？从哪里来的稗子呢？’ 主人说：‘这是仇敌做的。’仆人说：‘你要我们去薅出来吗？’ 主人说：‘不必，恐怕薅稗子，连麦子也拔出来。 容这两样一齐长，等着收割。当收割的时候，我要对收割的人说，先将稗子薅出来，捆成捆，留着烧；惟有麦子要收在仓里。’”
记住，这是一个关于天国的比喻，也是一个关于上帝教会的比喻。耶稣用这个比喻教导我们一个非常重要的真理。我们通常说的能看得见的建筑物是教堂，而无形的可以称之为教会。教会是神圣的和无形的，只要有两三个信徒和上帝在一起，即可称之为教会。其实，这世界上所有的教会中有信徒也有不信者，那些伪善者们想要成为教会的一员，但是他们心里不相信上帝。纵观历史，一直都是这样的，在《旧约》中，真正的信徒被称为以色列的“余民”。
难道我们不应该把那些冒充的人从我们的身边赶出去吗?答案是否定的，因为你不能辨别，你无法窥探他们的内心，只有上帝才能鉴察人心。如果你试图赶走那些伪善者，那么，你就有赶走真信徒的可能，那将会使神的国有损。相反，有可能那个和你坐在一起的不信者真的会在某个星期天听到上帝的话语，被触动，并且相信了耶稣呢。所以，我们要把决定权交给上帝，耶稣说上帝会在审判的时候解决这个问题。
这是否意味着我们永远不会像耶稣在马太福音18:15-20节中教导我们的那样，将一个人逐出教会或将他从教会中除名？请记住，耶稣在马太福音18章教给我们的不是把人从教会中逐出来的方法，而正相反是试图要挽回他们，使他们悔改从而回到教会中！当一个人通过他们的不悔改、不听劝阻、顽固不化等行为，我们可以看出来其实他们已经不相信上帝了。如果这时候我们却假装视而不见，仍然把他们看做是教会的一员，这是错误的。但处理这些问题都需要智慧和耐心，这就是耶稣在这个比喻中教导我们的。
祷告：主耶稣，请首先赐给我对灵魂的爱，将每一个灵魂都视为宝贵，因他们是你神圣的宝血所救赎的人。第二，请赐给我一颗勇敢的心，能够伸出手来鼓励在信仰中软弱的兄弟姐妹的。最后，求你赐给我耐心和智慧，让我常常能够行在你的旨意中。奉主耶稣基督的名求。阿们！
Matthew 13:24-30: Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 “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?’ 28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 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.’”
Remember that a parable about the kingdom of heaven is really a parable about God’s Church. Jesus’ parable teaches us an important truth. There is the Church and then there is the church. The Holy Christian Church is invisible, because it consists of all three believers. What we see on earth is the church with a small “c.” It consists of both believers and unbelievers, hypocrites who want to belong to a church but who really don’t believe. It has always been this way. In the Old Testament, the true believers were called the “remnant” of Israel.
Shouldn’t we try to remove the hypocrites from our pews? The answer is, “No.” Because you don’t know who they are. You can’t look into their hearts. Only God can. If you try to remove the hypocrites, you will remove believers, too, and that would harm God’s kingdom. Besides, just maybe that hypocrite sitting in the pew with you might really listen one Sunday and come to faith in Jesus. Jesus says that we should let God sort that out on Judgment Day.
Does that mean that we would never excommunicate or remove a person from our church, as Jesus teaches us in Matthew 18:15-20? Remember that what Jesus teaches us in Matthew 18 is not a way to remove people from the church, but an attempt to get them back in! When a person no longer believes and makes that known by their confession or by their impenitence, it would be wrong to pretend that isn’t the case by keeping them as a member of our church. All this calls for wisdom and patience, and that is what Jesus is teaching us in this parable.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, first give me a love for souls that counts every soul a treasure, someone who has been redeemed by your holy precious blood. Second, give me a heart that is courageous and reaches out to encourage the weak brother or sister in their faith. Last, give me both patience and wisdom so that I always act in accordance with your will. Amen.