EXAM TIME

It was time again to separate the weeds from the flowers, and toss the unwanted, wild greenery into the garbage bin. As I went through the routine of yard-work chores, I thought of how God does the same with those who seek to follow Him wholeheartedly. Like earth's rogue grasses, thistles, horsetails, and dandelions, there are spiritual faith-chokers that need removal so the soil of our souls can nourish the blossoms of godliness. Maybe, for this, we could use the term “eternal exams.”

Of course, the word "exams" takes me down memory lane to my education, especially college. The academic semester was full of lectures, papers, quizzes and such to convey information and evaluate how students were taking it in. With finals at the semester's end, two groups of students emerged: those who passed, and those who didn't. There were flowers (who bloomed through acquisition of knowledge) and weeds (those who slunk through without bearing the good fruit of learning).

Okay, done with poetic comparisons (and my analogy was admittedly a bit weird). But Jesus told a similar story (Matthew 13:24-30) about a farmer who sowed good seeds, symbolizing the goodness that God has sown into the world. But during the night, an enemy sowed weeds in the same field. Obvious analogy here: the work of Satan—sneaky and dark.

The weeds I pull are obviously different from the plants I want to nurture. But Jesus' parable makes a lot more sense upon learning the “weed” He probably had in mind: “darnel,” which looked like a stalk of wheat until mature and was toxic when ingested by animals and humans.* “Weeding out” the tares before harvest would damage the remaining wheat stalks. (Ever try to walk in a grain field without smashing the stalks?) After harvest, the weed-tares could be separated and burned.

I weed my flower beds and uproot dandelions to keep my home attractive and a credit to the neighborhood. When I get down on my knees to eradicate the unwanted weeds, I am reminded of how that humble posture is one way to approach a holy God in prayer.

My most-used tool is a long rod with a V-shaped tip to slip down the weed's stem to take “more” of the root than just snatching off the bloom. Maybe there's a lesson in that, too. When we're made aware of behaviors that aren't pleasing to God, it's easy to say, “Well, I won't do that anymore.” But casual declarations don't get to the “root” of the problem. God's “eternal exam time” digs deep into attitudes like selfishness and entitlement that grow from a life focused on me-me-me.

God's Final Exam is coming. In the meantime, we have the privilege of soul checkups—the “weeding out” of actions and attitudes that don't honor Him, giving the true blooms of godliness space to thrive.

*For more about the toxicity of “darnel,” check this reference: Topical Bible: Darnel