When we think of the word “weed” what often comes to mind? It is natural to think of it as a noxious plant that invades our lawns and gardens. We want, however, a lot of nice green healthy grass to grow in our lawns, but if that same grass grows in our vegetable and flower gardens we get annoyed and pull it out as quickly as we can.
Many years ago, in my flower garden, I had some lovely marigolds growing. Then one day a friend visited me who was visiting from the South Pacific. When she saw them she asked why I grow marigolds in my garden. Where she comes from they are pests and weeds. In North America we consider dandelions in our lawns and vegetable gardens as troublesome weeds; however, these highly nutritious plants with healthy greens are purposely grown in gardens in different parts of the world.
A weed then is really a plant growing where we do not want it to grow—a displaced plant. It may be a perfectly good, healthy and edible plant, but we do not want it to grow in a particular area, so we pull it up. It is dissimilar to the plants around it. It invades areas where it is not wanted and stands out as different. It takes valuable nutrients away from the plants we do want growing in the area.
We tend to our lawns and our flower and vegetable gardens with care. We water them, we fertilize them, and we prune them. Even though we pull up the unwanted weeds they still keep coming up over and over again and need to be pulled out over and over again. If I would pull up a tomato plant, it would not regrow as would the weed that I pull up in the same garden. The weeds seem to be much more hardy. If left untended they would continue to grow rapidly, choking out the plants we want growing there. They often have lengthy root systems.
In the hot summer weather, during a drought, when the lawn does not receive adequate water, the grass goes dormant and turns a yellow colour. If there are any weeds in the lawn, they always remain a lovely green colour and continue to grow.
Even if the grass is still green, I have noticed every summer when I cut my father’s lawn that the weeds grow faster and are taller than the surrounding grass, even though the conditions for growing are exactly the same. Many of these weeds that are growing taller than the grass are edible weeds. They are burdocks, dandelions, plantains, wild carrots and so on. They are very healthy and edible and in the hot and dry weather they stand strong. Yet we cut them down because, in our lawns, we want primarily grass to grow.
Some weeds closely resemble other plants and you have to be very careful when you pull them up. You do not want to pull up your vegetable plants by mistake.
We can learn a lot of spiritual lessons from weeds.
THE GARDEN OF THE LORD
The Lord has a garden. It is described in Isaiah as a vineyard. “Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching His vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And He fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein.” Isaiah 5:1–2. He takes good care of it.
In the garden of the Lord we are to be flourishing plants that bear fruit. Not every plant bears fruit, sadly. Unfortunately the enemy does come in and plants his weeds in the garden/church. “Satan has many helpers. Many who profess to be Christians are aiding the tempter to catch away the seeds of truth from other hearts. Many who listen to the preaching of the word of God make it the subject of criticism at home. They sit in judgment on the sermon as they would on the words of a lecturer or a political speaker.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 45
Weeds often cause damage to the plants in the garden in that they can grow so thickly that they crowd out the plants we wish to grow. They steal moisture and nutrition from the soil so that the plants we want to grow do not grow as strong and hardy. There are weeds in the church that also can cause damage to the weaker members. “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” Romans 16:17. These people are weeds in the church—unwanted plants doing damage to the good plants, hindering their growth.
“Satan is stealthily working to confuse the minds of those who know the truth by bringing in misleading sentiments and misleading examples. Unless they repent and are converted, those who are living divided lives, professedly serving the Lord but at the same time scheming to carry out their own plans—plans which retard the very work which Christ gave His life to accomplish—will be deceived by the enemy of souls. . . . He [the enemy] would be delighted to have minds diverted to any subject by which he might create division of sentiment and lead our people into controversy.” –Mind, Character and Personality, vol. 1, p. 22–23
“Beware of those who arise with a great burden to denounce the church. The chosen ones who are standing and breasting the storm of opposition from the world, and are uplifting the downtrodden commandments of God to exalt them as holy and honorable, are indeed the light of the world. . . . I tell you, my brethren, the Lord has an organized body through whom He will work. There may be more than a score of Judases among them; there may be a rash Peter who will under circumstances of trial deny his Lord; there may be persons represented by John, whom Jesus loved, but he may have a zeal that would destroy men’s lives by calling down fire from heaven upon them to revenge an insult to Christ and to the truth. But the great Teacher seeks to give lessons of instruction to correct these existing evils.” –This Day With God, p. 172
Weeds can sometimes resemble the plants and need to be pulled carefully so that the true plants are not uprooted. Jesus told a parable of the wheat and tares in this regard (further described later). We are also given a warning. “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Matthew 7:15
“Satan came as an angel of light in the wilderness of temptation to deceive Christ; and he does not come to man in a hideous form, as he is sometimes represented, but as an angel of light. He will come personating Jesus Christ, working mighty miracles; and men will fall down and worship him as Jesus Christ.” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1105–1106
“Satan gives his power to those who are aiding him in his deceptions; therefore those who claim to have the great power of God can only be discerned by the great detector, the law of Jehovah. The Lord tells us if it were possible they would deceive the very elect. The sheep’s clothing seems so real, so genuine, that the wolf can be discerned only as we go to God’s great moral standard and there find that they are transgressors of the law of Jehovah.” –Faith and Works, p. 45
“We are in times of peculiar danger from foes without and within.” –Gospel Workers, p. 421 (emphasis mine). Satan’s weeds may grow outside of the Lord’s garden or within. He loves to come in and disrupt the Lord’s Garden.
We are given counsel “not to company with fornicators.” 1 Corinthians 5:9. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.” Ephesians 5:11
“Truth is of God; deception in all its myriad forms is of Satan, and whoever in any way departs from the straight line of truth is betraying himself into the power of the wicked one.” –Prophets and Kings, p. 252. This is true whether he is in the church or without the church. “Wherever an influence is exerted to cause men to forget God, there Satan is exercising his bewitching power. When men yield to his influence, ere they are aware the mind is bewildered and the soul polluted.” –The Acts of the Apostles, p. 290
The noxious weeds need to be kept out of the Lord’s garden.
THE DEVIL’S GARDEN
Satan also has a garden where he grows all kinds of noxious and poisonous plants—plants that will kill you if you eat of them. Some may poison you even if you touch them. Many people in the world grow in this garden. It is very large and full of all kinds of evil and vice.
Are we to run away from this garden? Jesus said, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.” Matthew 10:16. And, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15
We have the example of Enoch. Although he “would withdraw, to spend a season in solitude, hungering and thirsting for that divine knowledge which God alone can impart,” he would not remain in seclusion. The wickedness of men had reached such a height that destruction was pronounced against them. As year after year passed on, deeper and deeper grew the tide of human guilt, darker and darker gathered the clouds of divine judgment. Yet Enoch, the witness of faith, held on his way, warning, pleading, entreating, striving to turn back the tide of guilt and to stay the bolts of vengeance. Though his warnings were disregarded by a sinful, pleasure-loving people, he had the testimony that God approved, and he continued to battle faithfully against the prevailing evil, until God removed him from a world of sin to the pure joys of heaven.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 87
We are to be a “weed” in Satan’s garden. We are to grow up and be different and “invade” the enemy’s garden.
When the weather gets hot and dry, and the grass withers, turning yellow and going dormant, we are to remain green and tall. “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7–8
Although Satan has tried to kill and destroy the truth of God’s word, as many times as he keeps pulling up the weeds, they keep returning. It is said of the Waldenses, “The work of these missionaries began in the plains and valleys at the foot of their own mountains, but it extended far beyond these limits. With naked feet and in garments coarse and travel-stained as were those of their Master, they passed through great cities and penetrated to distant lands. Everywhere they scattered the precious seed. Churches sprang up in their path, and the blood of martyrs witnessed for the truth.” –The Great Controversy, p. 71–72. They were not content to remain hidden in their mountain fortresses. They went into the world to invade Satan’s garden. They planted their seeds, often with their blood. The truth could not be eliminated and uprooted. It kept on springing up over and over again.
The Waldenses went carefully and discreetly. As “weeds” they outwardly imitated some of the “plants” in order to make inroads into the hearts and lives of the people. “To have made known the object of their mission would have ensured its defeat; therefore they carefully concealed their real character. Every minister possessed a knowledge of some trade or profession, and the missionaries prosecuted their work under cover of a secular calling. Usually they chose that of merchant or peddler. ‘They carried silks, jewelry, and other articles, at that time not easily purchasable save at distant marts; and they were welcomed as merchants where they would have been spurned as missionaries.’” –The Great Controversy, p. 71. They truly were, “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16
The Waldenses boldly left their safe haven and went as “weeds” to invade the garden of Satan; to bring some perfume and beauty amongst the noxious plants. They went to bring hope to the hopeless.
Although the Waldenses sought to be discreet, one who is a true follower of Christ can never be exactly like the world. In fact, we are told that true Christians are a spectacle in the world. “The world is in need of a demonstration of practical Christianity. In view of the fact that those who claim to be followers of Christ are a spectacle to an unbelieving world, it behooves them to make sure that they are in right relation to God.” –In Heavenly Places, p. 313
“They are made indeed a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. They are marked characters because of their purity of heart and life, their strength of purpose, their firmness and usefulness in the cause of God. They are God’s noblemen.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 577
The word “spectacle” means, anything presented to the sight or view especially something that is striking or impressive. It is synonymous with marvel or wonder. Something seen that is unusual to what we normally would expect.
Yes, people in the world often wonder how, and why, true Christians are so different; they do not conform to the norms of society. How are these people so different? Firstly, in their manner of dress. Outward appearances often make the first impression when you meet someone new. Does your outward appearance reflect Christ so that a difference can be seen before you say anything? Secondly, in their manner of speech. The next impression often comes from the speech. Is your speech such as others can detect that you are different? And also in all habits of life, such as diet and the keeping of the Sabbath, there is a marked difference.
When you add an “s” to the adjective “spectacle” it becomes a noun, “spectacles”, which is another word for “eye glasses.” Eye glasses give you better vision; they help you to see clearer and things become more noticeable. So with the children of God, the world looks at them through their eye glasses. It is as though they are looking at you with a magnifying glass; carefully studying your habits to see if they line up with your profession. And not only the world, but the quote above states that true Christians are a spectacle also to angels and to men. They also are watching your actions with keen interest; through spectacles—a magnifying glass.
We are not to hide our light under a bushel. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” Matthew 5:14. Everyone can see it. If you let your light shine, it will dispel the darkness. We are not to fight against the darkness, but to let the light in. We will not be ashamed of being watched through spectacles; being different.
“As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.” John 17:18. Let your true colours been seen in Satan’s garden. Seek not to imitate the plants around you.
OUR DUTY
So what are we to do when we see potential “weeds” in the Lord’s garden? Are we to go weeding, pulling up all the weeds? We are counselled to separate open sinners by following the counsels written in Matthew 18, but the tares are to be left for the Lord to pull up. There have been many disturbing elements come into God’s church, professing godliness, but as the members draw closer to the Lord and to each other, false brethren will be seen in their true light and the Lord will separate them. Notice, it is not the wanted plants that pull out the weeds. It is the gardener.
“A few words more press upon my mind. I want you to be united with the church, not because I regard all the church members perfect nor because I regard you perfect. God has precious ones in His church; there are also men and women who are as tares among the wheat. But the Lord does not give you or anyone else the office of saying who are tares and who are wheat. We may see and condemn the faults of others, while we have greater faults which we have never realized, but which are distinctly seen by others. God requires you to give to the world and the church a good example, a life that represents Jesus. There are duties to be performed and responsibilities to be borne. The world has not enough true Christians; the church has need of them; society cannot spare them. Christ’s prayer for His disciples was: ‘I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil.’ Jesus knows we are in the world, exposed to its temptations, but He loves us and will give us grace to triumph over its corrupting influences. He would have us perfect in character, that our waywardness may not occasion moral deformity in others.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 333–334
The “weeds” that venture boldly into the devil’s garden by spreading their roots, with the purpose of diffusing light, will never been seen pulling up the noxious plants. They will simply be a shining example of a wonderful and beautiful plant. Their beauty of character will draw others to them. Their kindness, friendliness, helpfulness and honesty will be something that others who are tired of the ungodliness around them will be drawn to.
“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” Romans 15:1. “God does not want us to place ourselves upon the judgment seat and judge each other. . . . When we see errors in others, let us remember that we have faults, graver perhaps, in the sight of God than the fault we condemn in our brother. Instead of publishing his defects, ask God to bless him and to help him to overcome his error. Christ will approve of this spirit and action, and will open the way for you to speak a word of wisdom that will impart strength and help to him who is weak in the faith.” –That I May Know Him, p. 187
If plants are grown very tightly, few weeds can get in as there is neither sunlight nor space in the soil to spread their roots. In the church (the Lord’s garden), we need to grow tightly together also to keep the weeds out. In perfect unity there is strength.
“Union is strength; division is weakness. When those who believe present truth are united, they exert a telling influence. Satan well understands this. Never was he more determined than now to make of none effect the truth of God by causing bitterness and dissension among the Lord’s people.” –Counsels to the Church, p. 291
“Those who refuse to work in harmony greatly dishonor God. The enemy of souls delights to see them working at cross purposes with one another. Such ones need to cultivate brotherly love and tenderness of heart. If they could draw aside the curtain veiling the future and see the result of their disunion they would surely be led to repent.” –Counsels to the Church, p. 43
“Strive earnestly for unity. Pray for it, work for it. It will bring spiritual health, elevation of thought, nobility of character, heavenly-mindedness, enabling you to overcome selfishness and evil surmisings, and to be more than conquerors through Him that loved you and gave Himself for you. Crucify self; esteem others better than yourselves. Thus you will be brought into oneness with Christ. Before the heavenly universe, and before the church and the world, you will bear unmistakable evidence that you are God’s sons and daughters. God will be glorified in the example that you set.
“The world needs to see worked out before it the miracle that binds the hearts of God’s people together in Christian love. It needs to see the Lord’s people sitting together in heavenly places in Christ. Will you not give in your lives an evidence of what the truth of God can do for those who love and serve Him? God knows what you can be. He knows what divine grace can do for you if you will be partakers of the divine nature.” –Counsels to the Church, p. 290–291
“It is important that all now come up to the work and act as though they were living men, laboring for the salvation of souls who are perishing. If all in the church would come up to the help of the Lord, we would see such a revival of His work as we have not hitherto witnessed. God requires this of you and of each member of the church.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 165–166
May God help us to be tender plants for the Lord. Amen.
Wendy Eaton