One thing most folks around this part of Nebraska can agree to is that this last winter season was a doozie! Some of us were snowed-in for a while last December, and we had to cancel our Christmas Day service here at St. Paul. We reminded ourselves that, "spring is coming," even as the snow cover lingered into March. But spring is here, now in all of its glory. Things are green again, and we are reminded that life goes on, and God still blesses and sustains His creation.

When I remarked about how quickly things are growing, all around us, one of our ever-cautious farmers made the comment, "It’s been a good season for dandelions, so far!" That brought up the topic of weed control in general, and around the church property in particular.

That got me thinking about what the Bible says about weeds. The first mention of weeds in the Bible is in Gen 3:17-18, when God said to Adam, after his fall into sin, "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field."

Jesus mentions weeds (tares, darnel, etc.) in some of his parables. Back in the days before expensive herbicides, the tares were usually left in the fields until harvest time, then separated from the wheat during winnowing. Jesus used tares growing with wheat as a parable to illustrate evil in the world (Matthew 13:25-30, 36-40) . He assures us that even as the tares were separated from the wheat at harvest time, so also, God would gather to Himself only those who have true faith, on the Last Day.

As food for thought, the next time we notice one of those annoying dandelions peeking out over the grass in the lawn, perhaps we could take a moment to consider what evidence of sin still makes its presence known in our own lives. A weed might be described as something which is growing where it doesn’t belong, and as such, needs to be removed. So also, we Christians are called, in Ephesians 4:31-32, to "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (NIV)

To the weeds in our life, God urges us to apply His word—the Law to guide us and the Gospel to motivate us to faith and forgiveness. The good result that comes from this will be the fruit of the Spirit, as listed in Galatians 5:22-23: "The Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Even as our farmers are hoping to see abundant fields of corn and beans this summer, God is looking for these things in our lives. May we enjoy the summer as we walk in the warmth of God’s love.