"He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire."
-Matthew 3:12
When I read my bible, and I come across scriptures about the Pharisees and Sadducees, religious teachers of the law, this verse comes to mind.
Why?
Well thanks for asking.
The Pharisees and Sadducees were graduated-Torah men who upheld the law to help keep God's people focused and to do what God commands. Sadly, as the years went on the Pharisees and Sadducees became callous and hypocritical.
They lost sight of why God gave Moses these laws. The law was to help man grow in and closer to God, rather than condemn man in man-made judgement. The practice of the law became traditional and full of patterns. The Pharisees and Sadducees walked around proudly, believing to be men of God when they were men of themselves. Full of religious traditions and patterns.
Saying that, this scripture fits the bill. The Pharisees and Sadducees were like the chaff of wheat. They were dry and not going to produce anything. Let me back up and explain what chaff is. Chaff is dry grass, or husk, separated from the wheat during the process of threshing and winnowing, and it's burned.
Sadly, there are many who are believe they're living like wheat but live like chaff, like the Pharisees and Sadducees. They're boastful, proud, religious. But with the wheat, they are humble enough to go in the dirt, knowing God does His best work in the dirt, and allow themselves to take root in Jesus, and soon will produce wonderful fruit that will bless the kingdom of God.
I see the wheat as the 12 disciples. They chose to be wheat for Jesus, spreading the loving gospel to all (Mark 16:20), and not chaff that blows by the worlds wind. They allowed Jesus to help them know the true meaning of the law and gave themselves to Jesus rather than the practice of traditions and patterns man added to the law.
Jesus says, "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God's law will disappear until its purpose is achieved (Matthew 5:17 NLT)."
We're not to forget the law but learn to live the way it was given to us by God: in love.
If nothing I wrote so far makes sense, remember this: "Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart];"
Strip off every weight (Hebrews 12:1) of chaff and be the wheat that God can plant and see fruit that will be a blessing for you, for others and for His kingdom.
Song of the Week:
Flowers by Samantha Ebert and Seph Schlueter
Scripture of the Week:
"Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother's womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don't know if profit will come from one activity or another-or maybe both." -Ecclesiastes 11:4-6
Threshing and Winnowing By Hand YouTube Video: Wheat Threshing and Winnowing by Hand
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