“But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.” (Matt. 13:25)
Expanded Passage: Matthew 13:24-26
I was a youth camp counselor just once. It was the summer after my junior year of high school, and I was sixteen years old. The cabin was full of energetic, mischievous middle schoolers. By the end of the first evening, my eyes were heavy, and my sleep was deep—clearly deeper than the campers. The next time I woke up, I realized that some of them had left the cabin and were having unscheduled fun on the campgrounds.
The devil does not sleep like humankind. We are not always aware when the devil is sowing weeds among the wheat of our Christian life; sometimes we get distracted. The parable of the soils reminds us that the cares of life can choke out the Word of God. We can be very good at defeating overt temptations but sneaky temptations are often much harder to spot. Being vigilant calls us to regular reflection on our walk with the Lord.
We also remember that temptation is sometimes a good drive or impulse that crosses a line. God loves us to excel, but we can be tempted to excel at the cost of others or to hoard the benefit for ourselves. God wants us to work for righteousness, but we can become legalistic or counterproductive in our advancement of it.
Let’s not fall asleep spiritually!
Be alert for our adversary, the devil.
Ken Schenck is vice president for university partnerships with Campus EDU. He previously served as vice president for Houghton College (NY) and dean of Wesley Seminary (IN).
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
