Uproot The Weeds In Your Life

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

July 24, 2023

in Spritual Growth

No Comments

364

8th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Readings: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19
Romans 8:18-25
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Blessed is the Kingdom of our Father, and the Son and the Spirit now and forever, and to ages of ages. Where is the Kingdom? It is in us. Matthew 6:10 “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” It is our responsibility to redeem the world and bring people back to God. The Scriptures today tell us of a man who planted good seeds in his garden. But while he was asleep, the enemy came and planted weeds in the same place. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads the weeds also appeared. So his servants asked him if he wants them to pull out the weeds. The master said to wait until it was harvest time and just let the weeds grow alongside with the good seeds that were planted. After only which he will separate the weeds, gather them in bundles to burn them. Many times, while we are “asleep,” the enemy comes to plant bad seeds in our lives and we allow him to. Christ uses weeds as an example. Even if they receive the same soil and the same water as the good plants, they are of no benefit and are useless. They will only hinder the crop from growing because the roots are still there. We must get the roots out, otherwise the goodness of the crop will not grow. Just like the Children of Israel when they were freed from slavery. They still longed for the leeks and the garlic of Egypt. They had not taken the roots of Egypt out of their lives.

Christ’s purpose in coming was to destroy the works of the enemy and He has. But if we do not hold firm especially when our guards are down, we are actually allowing the enemy to penetrate our lives. Ephesians 2:1 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” God gave us a mind to be able to analyze what’s good and bad for us. For us to be able to choose. Christ says in the end will be the harvest. Just as the tares or weeds are gathered up to be burned, so shall the angels come and remove the stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness. Note that it is the tares or the weeds that will be pulled out first, and not the righteous. They will shine forth like the Sun in God’s Kingdom.

We are in the Kingdom. It is the here and now. Behold we are now the Children of God. We are the Light of the World, the Salt of the Earth, preserving and giving life to the world. We are blessed. God does not and will not withhold anything from us. We must uproot the weeds out of our lives. We must not sleep but keep firm our faith in God, and be prepared to bring forth His Glory.