NOTES for Mat 13:24-43

Another absurd story from the field of agriculture. Every one of Jesus' listeners knows perfectly well that weeds must be pulled as early as possible, before they have drained the juices from the useful grain, especially since telling one from the other is no great difficulty for an experienced farmer. But, as you can tell, the absurdity of the content of this parable is precisely meant to show the listeners how unlike human judgment God's judgment is. Even the "reapers," the angels, are unable to tell the weeds from the wheat in this field of human lives. Many "good people" would no doubt like to be rid once and for all of the "bad people" who prevent them from living a full life. But weeding can lead to the death of the grain, which means there is no clear distinction between "good" and "bad" people: the first can become last, and the reverse.