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So my answer is, the church should be radically concerned about justice, but probably not depending upon the usual institutions (government, that is) to see it through.

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Doc: 1) Do you think that Hilter was given his authority by God to "ensure His justice is carried out"? Or Stahlin, or Poh Pah (or however you spell the name of the sick Cambodian despot)...?

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24 Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the householder came and said to him, `Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?' 28 He said to them, `An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, `Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29 But he said, `No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

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Here’s the gist of his thought:

1) The farmer offered no explanation of why or how the enemy planted weeds in the field, just THAT it was the case.

2) The servants, being good farm hands (my friend is from such farmland), were right in suggesting that the weeds be dug up. They knew what weeds do to a crop when allowed to grow.

3) The farmer, who should have known better, said not to do anything about the weeds (i.e., sin and evil). They should wait until the harvest (i.e., final judgement). Meanwhile they were to “let” the wheat and weeds grow side by side. History is full of examples of the church going out on “weed-pulling crusades.” He suggests that the notion that we should “take authority over evil and actively oppose and destroy the work of the enemy by standing against the ‘weeds’” is misguided.

4) My friend also has a problem with “nonintervention,” or just doing nothing about evil. So…

5) He feels the only option is “to proclaim forgiveness.” In the parable, the farmer said, “‘Let’ them grow together.” He argues that “let” comes from the same root for “to forgive” as found in Jesus’ approach, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” He says, “In other words, all we can really do as a witness of the good is to proclaim faithfully the Gospel of forgiveness” (2Cor. 5.18f). He closes, “I guess I'm saying that God hasn't called us individually, or the church en mass, to be warriors in the culture wars. He has instead made us Christ's ambassadors offering God's forgiveness and friendship to a people who don't deserve either.”

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I thought it was thought-provoking. I mean, what IS the point of the parable besides pointing to the fact that the “ultimate” separation of evil from God’s world will come in the eschatological end? What about now? Is he correct in understanding “Don’t pull the weeds up now. Let them grow together” to suggest that “confronting evil” head-on in this world is not the Church’s job?

Tom


"The will to prepare to win is greater than the will to win." Bobby Knight

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prayer meetings are for loosing the power of God! blessed be his name, (Ria) and we can more profoundly affect the political machinations of this nation from our knees than we can from the voting booth. Can I get an amen!

g

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