Daily Devotionals

Wake-Up Call Week 5 Monday

The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will remove from His Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 12:41-42

How do we know when we are serious about something? We act on it. For example, if we want to get healthier but do not make any lifestyle changes, people may doubt how serious we are about our commitment to health. Or if someone wants to read more but never picks up a book, it becomes obvious that they are not committed to their goal. On the other hand, when someone wants to get healthier and makes notable changes to their eating habits and exercise routine, it is obvious that they are serious about their commitment. When someone wants to read more and takes time every night to read a chapter from a book, it is clear that they are committed to their goal. In all circumstances, action proves seriousness and commitment. This is also true with our faith. If we believe that God is indeed real and heaven and hell are real, too, we will be serious about our faith.

Jesus Himself taught about the reality of heaven and hell. His teaching about hell was a warning to listeners of what will happen to those who do not place their faith in Him. Sometimes, Jesus taught in parables, which were stories meant to teach others a deeper truth about God and His word. One of the places where Jesus taught in parables was Matthew 13. One of the parables He told in Matthew 13:24 was about wheat and weeds planted in a field. In this parable, when the wheat was ready to be harvested, the farmer and his workers made every effort to separate the wheat and weeds from each other. They put the wheat into a barn and burned the weeds. Further on in Matthew 13, the disciples asked Jesus to explain the parable for them. He explained that the farmer in this story was Himself, the good seed which grew into wheat represented His followers, and the weeds represented people who did not follow Christ, but instead “the evil one” (verse 37-38). Separating the wheat and the weeds represented the day that followers of Christ will go to heaven, and those who do not follow Him will go to hell (verses 41-43).

Jesus finished this teaching, saying, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand” (verse 43). This call from Jesus is a call to urgency. It is a call to take the warning that those who do not place their faith in Christ will experience separation from God for all of eternity in a place of eternal torment seriously. We must act, live, and make decisions based on this reality every day. Who will we live for? Who will we encourage others around us to live for? Let’s live for Christ so that one day we will experience life with Him forever.

MOVING TOWARD ACTION

Pull out your journal and think about God’s call for us to take our faith seriously. As you think about this call, write about how you would expect someone who takes their faith seriously and believes that there is a heaven and a hell to act. When you are finished writing these things, compare them to how you live your life regularly. What gaps do you see? Are there any changes that you would like to make in your life to show how serious your faith is to you?

GOING DEEPER

Read Matthew 13:24-43(NLT)

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds
Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

“The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

“‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

“‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

Parable of the Mustard Seed
Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”

Parable of the Yeast
Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:

“I will speak to you in parables.
I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.”

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds Explained
Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”

Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.

“Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!