In my opinion, we believers often impose a false construct on the Bible. Many of us believe that the Bible is primarily written to make a distinction between those who at one moment in time believed versus those who never believed. However, primarily, the Bible was written to believers for the purpose of encouraging and instructing us to be faithful servants of God. As we learn at Malachi 3:18, the Bible teaches us to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, meaning between those who serve God as contrasted with those who do not serve God. It is important for us to remember that the Israelites who escaped from Egypt were believers (Exod. 14:31). They all believed. Yet, the vast majority consistently disobeyed God (Heb. 3:17). They did not trust God; They did not serve God, and they did not enter into the Promised Land. With this in mind, let’s look at the Parable of the Weeds. Beginning at Matthew 13:24, we read:
Jesus presented another parable to them saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. And when the wheat sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also became evident. And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No; while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. ‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First, gather the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
Matt. 13:24-30.
Dr. Michael Wilkins, formerly with the Talbot School of Theology, notes, “Satan operates in this world both as a swooping bird ([Matthew] 13:19) and as the enemy farmer attempting to disrupt the growth of good wheat (disciples) by sowing among it ‘zizanion’…, a kind of weed referred to also as “darnel” or “tares.” It is a weedy rye grass with poisonous seeds, which in early stages of growth looks like wheat, but can be distinguished easily in its mature state at the time of harvesting.”[1] Notice that in the early stages of growth, it is hard to distinguish between the wheat and the weeds.
Thereafter, Jesus left the crowds and went to a private location to further explain to His disciples (students) the meaning of the parable. Remember, Jesus commonly gave His disciples special inside information. Beginning at Matthew 13:36, we read,
Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field. And then He [Jesus] said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. So, just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so it shall be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire; and in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH LIKE THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears let him hear.”
Matt. 13:36-43
In my opinion, these verses are not making a distinction between those who at one moment in time believed Jesus to be the Son of God versus those who never believed. These verses are making a distinction between the wicked and the righteous, between those who serve God and those who do not serve God. Note that being righteous means serving God. Those who do not serve God (the unrighteous) include both believers and unbelievers. Those who serve God are the faithful servants of God. Further, in my opinion, the “furnace of fire” is a parabolic image of the wrath of God. It is not a literal furnace. Also, as previously discussed, the image of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” is an image of the extreme disappointment that will be experienced by those who do not enter into or inherit the Kingdom of God. To enter into the Kingdom of God, we must accept God as King over the meditations of our hearts (which includes our attitudes), the words of our mouths, and our actions. Our King does not live in a far-off city. Our King lives in us, and we live in Him (Col. 1:27; Rom. 6:11). We have a very intimate relationship with our King, and His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matt. 11:30).
Entering into the Kingdom of God is a narrow gate (Matt. 7:13-14; Luke 13:24-30). On the other hand, believing in Jesus, avoiding the lower parts of Hades, and going to Heaven when we die is a wide-open gate (Luke 23:42-43). If we enter into Kingdom living, we will uniquely share in the life of God, the glory of God, and the rule of God. However, I do not believe that the “weeping and gnashing of teeth” experienced by the disobedient and unfaithful will be a permanent and literal emotional condition for all eternity. However, their loss of special rewards and blessings from God will be permanent. There will be significant ramifications and consequences for our disobedience. The image of the “righteous shining forth like the sun” in the Kingdom of God is an image of the special glory and blessings that will be experienced by the faithful servants of God.
In summation, Malachi 3:18 provides a superior guidepost and lens for interpreting Bible verses that distinguish between the righteous and the unrighteous. The Bible was written primarily to teach and encourage believers to be faithful servants. When we study the Bible, we are inclined to superimpose a false construct upon many passages of Scripture. We are inclined to conclude that certain passages are making a mere distinction between those that believed (something we have already done) and those that never believed (something that does not apply to us). By doing so, we falsely disregard and avoid the pressure and challenge directed at us to be faithful servants.
For more information about the Parable of the Weeds, listen to this class I taught on “Biblical Imagery: The Kingdom of God, Part 3” at Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhdtAi0Jiog
[1] Wilkins, Michael. “Matthew.” Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Volume 1: Matthew, Mark, Luke, Gen. Editor, Clinton E. Arnold, et al., Zondervan Academic, 2002, pp. 85-86.
