The Bible presents the earth as land to be developed for human flourishing.
God’s intent for this begins in the garden of Eden… where He put Adam, to cultivate and keep it (Gen. 2:15).
But Eden was just the starting point.
God has a greater territory in mind.
Jesus conveys this in His Parable of the Wheat and Tares (Mt. 13:23-30; 36-43).
In this parable, Jesus describes the world as a field where wheat is grown.
Yet coexisting with the wheat are weedy plants called tares.
This situation is undesirable… but Jesus urges patience.
Because the day is coming when the tares — i.e. all that offends God and those who practice lawlessness — will be rooted out of His kingdom (v.41).
Let this encourage you to persevere in faithfulness.
There are going to be thorns to contend with…
Along with resistance from those who do wrong.
But a great harvest will come at the end of the age…
When ‘the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father’ (v. 43).
… “let us not grow weary of doing good” (Gal. 6:9).
