Photo of the Week: February 18, 2026

Posted on February 18, 2026 by Don Merritt
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Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds

Posted on February 18, 2026 by Don Merritt

Matthew 13:36-43

Jesus told the Parable of the Weeds to the crowd in 13:24-30, and we covered it a couple posts back. At the end, I gave a simplified and “practical” or “every day” kind of explanation. For the most part, I just left it at that, knowing that A) you might not believe me if I went into it further, and B) that Jesus spoke about in this passage. Jesus isn’t as easy to argue with as I am.

Everything about the Kingdom is apocalyptic, both because it reveals things in the here and now, and because it has eternal significance, as you will shortly see.

The disciples ask about the parable and Jesus holds nothing back:

He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. (13:37-39)

Can you see the “here and now” in this? The here and now is everything except for the last sentence, which is the end, when Jesus returns. We are living in that messed up field, in which good seed has been planted by the Gospel, and in which the weeds planted by the nasty neighbor, the enemy of the farmer (Jesus) has sought to sabotage the crop (Satan). Like the wheat of the field, we struggle with the weeds that try to choke us off. But when the harvest comes…

“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” (13:40-43)

Sometimes apocalyptic passages reveal things about the present that have future implications. These verses, however, do the opposite; they speak of the future in a way that has implications about the present. Take special notice of the weeds in the Kingdom in 41b:

…and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.

Are there “weeds” in the Kingdom today that cause “sin “? Are there “weeds” in the Kingdom today who do evil?

At this point, we might run into a problem if we don’t recognize the fact that there is another Biblical term for the Kingdom, and that term is the “Church”. Are there such “weeds” in the midst of the Church today?

I would have to say that there are weeds in the Church today, and that these ‘weeds’ cause tremendous harm to both the citizens of the Kingdom, and to the very Kingdom itself.

OK dear reader, are you getting the hang of this whole “apocalyptic” business now? Present things have future implications, and future things have present implications, for both reveal considerably more than it would seem at first. Apocalyptic = Revelation.

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All Flash and No Cash

Posted on February 18, 2026 by Don Merritt

Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
    than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

Proverbs 12:9

Many years ago, a man called me and wanted to meet for lunch; he had a business proposition to discuss.

He showed up in a white limousine all dressed up in the latest style… and had a busty blonde “escort” on his arm. He took me to a fancy restaurant, and I was “wined and dined” as he made his big pitch; there was big money to be made, and this guy was tossing millions into the deal. All I had to do to make my share of the millions was…

When the bill came, his credit card was declined, all of his cards were declined, and I had to pick up the check; how embarrassing. This guy was all flash and no cash! Another person who was acquainted with the guy told me that he lived off money invested for his big deals, and that he spent so much on appearances that there was never anything left for the business. I’ve met quite a few people like that.

My guess is that there were people just like that in Solomon’s day too, for as Solomon would have said, “there is nothing new under the sun.”

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Parables of the Mustard Seed and Yeast

Posted on February 17, 2026 by Don Merritt

The Parable of the Mustard Seed is one of the best known of Jesus’ teachings; we cite it often as a teaching on faith, but that is not what this parable is about. The faith connection comes from Matthew 17:20, which is not a parable. Rather, the Parable of the Mustard Seed is about the Kingdom. The same is also true of the Parable of Yeast, which Mark did not include in his account.

Matthew 13:33-35

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables,
    I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”

Mark 4:30-34

Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

I doubt that Jesus was intending to give a lecture on botany here, but He clearly used frames of reference His listeners were familiar with: Mustard seeds are tiny, yet they grow into very large plants. That is the point of the metaphor, tiny seed becomes very big plant. How does this apply to the Kingdom?

If I was an atheist, I would be asking myself how it is possible that an obscure travelling teacher from first century Galilee is still a controversial figure all over the world twenty centuries after his death. Yes, that’s right, a carpenter’s son born in a stable who grew up in flyover country became the most influential figure in history, yet he never traveled more than a hundred miles or so from his birthplace.

After his death, a ragtag bunch of misfits from the provinces, just a handful of them mind you, unleashed a revolutionary idea in the minor provincial capital of Jerusalem. They were opposed by the greatest power the world had ever seen, and Mr. Atheist, you are still opposing this teaching today. How could this have happened? It’s simply incredible!

As Jesus told us, the Kingdom is like that. A tiny seed grows into the largest of garden plants, big enough to give shelter to the birds; it just wouldn’t seem likely at all… but there it is.  It isn’t reported in the text, but I have a hunch this is what Jesus explained to His disciples. Yes, they were obscure, true, they weren’t important big shots from famous and powerful families, and they were young, very young.  Yet, in spite of all outward appearances, they made a huge mark on history, and more importantly, they made a huge difference for God’s salvation plan, in spite of all apparent circumstances.

Jesus continues His teaching of parables with the Parable of Yeast. As before, He begins with the words, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like…” denoting that 1) this is a parable (Is like) and 2) that the subject is indeed the kingdom of Heaven. The Parable of Yeast is similar to that of the mustard seed, for when we put a small amount of yeast into the flour to make the dough for bread, little would we suspect that such a small amount yeast would find its way into the entire dough mixture, becoming something so powerful that it entirely changes the nature of the dough. The Kingdom is like that because it comes into the world, and changes everything; no wonder it is opposed so fiercely!

The section ends with Matthew yet again showing us how this speech of Jesus’ ties into Israel’s history of prophecy.

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A Way with Words

Posted on February 17, 2026 by Don Merritt

The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,
    but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

Proverbs 10:20

This is another one of the proverbs that deals with what we talk about and the words we use. This time, we have a comparison and contrast between the intrinsic worth of righteous speech, and value of a wicked person’s heart. I must admit that I would not have thought of this comparison- is it too harsh?

Maybe. Yet Solomon penned these proverbs in a time when people tended to place a lot of value on the Truth, and we live in a time in which we place a higher value on our feelings. However you prefer to look at this, one thing is clear, and that is that Solomon is strongly suggesting that there is a close relationship between the condition of our hearts, and what comes out of our mouths.

Once again, this gives us a point to ponder and consider going forward: what is your conclusion?

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President’s Day

Posted on February 16, 2026 by Don Merritt

…or should that be Presidents’ Day?

Well, whichever one it is, today’s the day.  It is of course a holiday and many of us are off work; yippie!

When I was a kid in school, we didn’t have President’s Day.  Instead we had Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12 and Washington’s Birthday on February 22, and if both of them missed the weekend we had two days off from school; everyone who wasn’t a Mom loved that!  Now of course, in order to provide workers with a three-day weekend we have today… whatever it is supposed to be for.

I am usually a bit of a contrarian; I think that Washington and Lincoln deserve to be remembered, for both of them played vital roles in the establishment and building of our Nation.  In fact, I would dare to go so far out to the “extreme” (you know where that is, it’s “out of the mainstream”) as to say that we have lost something of our heritage in seeming to forget their contributions to our Nation!

So, here’s a thought:  Why not take a few minutes sometime in our day off today to look back and reflect upon our Nation’s presidents… all of them.  Many of them were very good people who wanted to improve the country and the lives of its citizens.  A few were just plain great; Washington and Lincoln are certainly at the forefront of these.  Some of them were more than a little rough around the edges, engaging in colorful speech and actions.  Some of them were entirely untrustworthy… and still others never wanted to be there at all. Together they paint of picture of us all.  They had the same faults and talents that we the people have.  They made many of the same mistakes that we all make, had triumphs and tragedies like we all do.  They had sleepless nights, lost loves and depression, yet they kept on going…

And of course a certain number of them came to the point when they realized in private that they couldn’t carry all of the load of their responsibilities alone and fell to their knees before God.  If you look very carefully, you will discover that the ones who did this ended up being the ones who went down in history as truly great, while the ones who never came to that point didn’t quite make the cut of greatness.

Huh, I wonder why that is?

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The Summation

Posted on February 16, 2026 by Don Merritt

Proverbs 9

The 13th discourse concludes this first section of the book of Proverbs, and it contains a general summation of what we have seen up to this point. Here, Lady Wisdom invites us to her house. Unlike the house of folly seen in chapter 7, Wisdom’s house is one of celebration; she’s going to throw a party.

The invitation is extended in verses 1-6. Everyone is invited… well almost everyone. Those who are deliberately evil aren’t invited. In verses 7-10 we see the exclusions from the invitation. “Mockers” aren’t invited, for they are just evil. These are people who willfully seek to do evil; in fact, they can take almost anything and turn it into something perverse. Try to correct or give guidance to such as these, and they will hate you for it. By contrast, correct or rebuke a wise person, and they will be wiser than they were before, and that is quite a contrast.

Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;
teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.

Psalm 9:9

Each person has it within his or her power to choose the right path, the path of wisdom and godliness. Many will do so, but more will not, preferring the ways of folly and mockery of all that is virtuous and godly. Following God’s path is its own reward and will add to one’s days. This is because through godly wisdom, a person will more likely be able to avoid those paths that lead to a premature or violent death. You will recall that Jesus expanded upon this notion by teaching that those who choose to follow God’s path will receive the gift of eternal life.

Folly also has a house. It is represented by an “unruly” woman who calls out her invitation to passers-by. Her house is no mansion supported by seven pillars, instead it is an ordinary house in the “highest” part of town: interesting imagery. She sits on the porch and calls out to people going by who have no thought of doing anything wrong; all she has to do is tempt them inside. Both Lady Wisdom and Ms Folly invite the “simple” and it seems that then as now, these are the ones in whom the battle is waged for souls. They haven’t made a final decision as to where their lives are going, whether they will follow the path of wisdom or folly. Lady Wisdom prepared food and drink to share with her guests, Ms Folly advocates stolen waters and secret eating in a metaphorical allusion to adulterous relations.

Lady Wisdom’s guests are shown the ways of knowledge and wisdom that add to the days of a person’s life. Ms Folly seeks to set a person on the road to ruin and death. It’s almost as though I’ve heard this story before…

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Loose Lips Sink Ships

Posted on February 16, 2026 by Don Merritt

Sin is not ended by multiplying words,
    but the prudent hold their tongues.

Proverbs 10:19

Teenagers never cease to amaze me; they think they can talk their way out of anything. OK, maybe I’m only thinking about my kids, I’m sure there are those who show wisdom in these matters. Politicians are most often just like teens; they mess up, get caught with their hands in the cookie jar, and think they can talk their way out of trouble.

Multiplying words causes no end of trouble.

A prudent person doesn’t volunteer information in legal proceedings, but this maxim goes well beyond legality. A prudent person doesn’t say stupid things or engage in silly and foolish conversation, including gossip and the telling of tall tales. Rather a prudent person restrains him or herself to conversation that is wholesome, empowering, loving, truthful and kind.

I can recall hearing my father talk about WW2 and the restrictions of what you could and could not say about serving; where you were going, what your job was and so on. Loose talk could get people killed.

It still can.

This is something we will see a lot of in the Proverbs- discussions of words and talking too much: Wisdom requires it.

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Deathbed confessions of a food snob- redux

Posted on February 15, 2026 by Don Merritt

There are some things in life that aren’t worth the effort or the money they cost; lousy food is one thing that comes to mind…

Food is necessary to sustain life, food costs money, food takes time and effort to prepare and food can be something that adds zest and variety to life:  Food is important.  People in Western countries put a lot into food.

I wouldn’t think that any of this comes as news to you, dear reader…

The great question of this or any other age is: Why would we settle for lousy food if we don’t have to?  Yes, friends it is upon such great questions that the fate of civilization rests.  In connection with this great issue, I must now confess that somehow I have slipped into snobbery; I am a food snob!

Since I must eat to live, I’d prefer to eat good stuff.  If I am going out to eat, I would prefer a place that serves good food to one that slings the hash or tosses the burgers… and I am unrepentant on this point. As an old boss once (maybe more than once, come to think of it) said to me: “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”

Why accept mediocrity?  Why settle for average?  If we have the power or the ability to do better, shouldn’t we do better?  You see this really isn’t about food at all, it’s about not settling for second best.   Martin Luther King once said that if you are a street sweeper, be the best street sweeper you can be.  Doesn’t this apply to all areas of our daily lives?  I think it does, and I think that it is a firm Biblical concept. It isn’t about showing off or being a hot-shot or arrogant or prideful, it’s about having a great testimony for Christ.

Let’s say you are at work and there is a Christian among your co-workers.  This person wants to tell everybody about God and church and that person is a slacker, a sand-bagger and a lazy worker.  How do they reflect upon God? Not well!

Back to true confessions: God has provided us with the physical need to eat, and the means to eat well (hopefully). Why eat lousy food?  Why not do the best we possibly can within our means, giving glory, thanks and praise to God all the while?

Final note:  There is no deathbed; nobody is even sick.  But if you’re going to write a title, why not make it a good one?

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Sunday Reflection: February 15, 2026

Posted on February 15, 2026 by Don Merritt

The wise store up knowledge,
    but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

Proverbs 10:14 

Chapter 10 of Proverbs, the first chapter of this section of the Book, has 32 verses. Of those 32, 11 are about the kinds of things we either say or do not say: Clearly, human speech is a very big deal.

Notice here, that we are faced with a contrast between a wise person and a fool – and knowledge and ruin. Nothing is mentioned about the wise person’s speech, but for the fool, his mouth invites his ruin. In my lifetime, I have met a great many people of all backgrounds and personality types. Many of them were wise, some very wise. Many more were less than wise, and some of those were fools. It has often struck me how easy it is to spot a fool; you only need to listen to what they say, and they will tell you what a fool they are. Often, you can tell from across the room; wise people don’t usually shout in a social setting, but fools like to talk over everyone else.

Scripture teaches us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. If reverent respect (fear) is where wisdom begins, then the next stop is taming our tongues and getting rid of the foolish talk.

It’s something to think about, something to pray about, and I’ll see you next time, got another Sunday Reflection.

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