Discipleship Evangelism

Discipleship Group Questions for July 17, 2005

 

Scripture:

 

Matt. 13:24-30  Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field – that’s the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Reading on:  25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.  26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.  30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

 

In this parable Jesus is giving us insight into what the kingdom of heaven is like.  So what does this parable tell us about God’s kingdom?

 

Discipleship Questions:

 

  1. Which came fist the chicken or the egg?  Which comes first – conversion or discipleship?  Do we WIN and then DISCIPLE or do we DISCIPLE and then WIN the lost?  Please discuss.
  2. Please read the Gospel reading above.  This parable is telling us that God’s Kingdom in “inclusive.”  Based on this reality should we tolerate “everybody” in the Church?  Please discuss.

3.      “Perhaps a better word for what this parable is getting at is “tolerance.”  Now this must clearly not become “permissiveness.”  For instance, a dandelion is obviously a weed and must be eradicated as soon as possible.  There’s no mistaking it from the good grass and it must be weeded out immediately and that’s what Church discipline is all about. 

 

But it’s tolerance that is the focus of this parable.

 

      In the words of Bible commentator Fr. Brendan Byrne:

 

“This parable reflects Jesus’ highly inclusive understanding of the community of the Kingdom.  The Kingdom is like a great net of God’s grace thrown out over humanity without first asking who was worthy and who unworthy to be included.”

 

Inclusion did, of course, entail conversion but for Jesus that came after, as a result of being touched by God’s grace, rather than before.

 

The parable seems to warn us against an overly zealous drive to purify the Christian community.  This parable warns against the sort of thing which resulted in the Spanish Inquisition or the Salem witch trials.”  Please discuss the above statement.

4.      “It was St. Augustine in his commentary on this passage that pointed out that in Palestine there’s a poisonous weed known as “Darnel” and it affects wheat crops.  In the early stages of growth it looks very much like the young shoots of wheat but by the time that both have grown sufficiently to be recognized apart, their respective root systems are so thoroughly entwined that to tear out the Darnel weed would result in the destruction of some of the good wheat.  And so Jesus is warning against prematurely tearing out the weed for fear that some of the good crop will be lost in our zeal to have a pure crop.”  Please discuss this statement.

5.      We are being challenged to draw unbelievers into the church and then to love them into the kingdom – this is what I’m calling “Discipleship Evangelism.  What do you think of this idea?  Please discuss.