WHAT ABOUT FAKE CHRISTIANS?—Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Does it bother you when you see and hear prominent personalities act like God is their best buddy, while they live very ungodly lives? Politicians, athletes, superstar performers—all say, “God bless,” and identifying themselves as Christians, while their speech and actions are quite profane.
More troubling, perhaps, are ordinary people who go to church or claim to be “good Christians,” even putting up a good front, when you know how they are living. It’s troubling.
WHAT DOES JESUS SAYS ABOUT THAT?
He told a parable: Read Matthew 13:24-30.
THE ENEMY HAS A STRATEGY TO PLANT FAKE CHRISTIANS IN THE CHURCH.
That is not his only strategy. In some parts of world, believers are persecuted, resulting in very few fake Christians. In those places, it is more likely that people will fall away because of danger, threats from other religions or evil regimes, or pressure from non-Christian families.
The devil used a strategy of persecution in the early days of the church. Jewish Christians expelled from the synagogue, and gentiles were excluded from trade guilds. They were victims of lies, even characterized as cannibals because they ate the body of Christ in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Some were thrown into the arena, to fight lions, or take on trained gladiators. Many were marginalized by society.
The devil’s strategy of persecution was not very effective! From 100-350 A.D.—35 decades—the church grew at a rate of 40% per decade! Christians had a radical commitment to Jesus Christ; there were few fake Christians, and true Christians lived authentic lives of sacrificial love and obedience.
Gradually, however, Christianity became acceptable in most of the Roman Empire. The emperor Constantine recognized the church as legitimate in 313 A.D., issuing the Edict of Toleration. Soon, almost everyone was “Christian,” and the church spread into Europe and England.
As Christianity spread and the church became more powerful, the Enemy focused on a different strategy—a strategy Jesus talked about:
(Matthew 13:24-25) “Jesus told them a parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.’” Later, he explained: (Matthew 13:38-39) “The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil.”
During the Middle Ages (roughly the 5th to the 15th century) secular institutions were in disarray, and the church became politically and economically powerful. In Europe, almost everyone identified as a Christian, because of cultural identity, regional and political decrees, or a desire for economic and social stability. Many did not understand the gospel, as Bibles were unavailable, and church leaders were often incompetent or corrupt.
All of Europe was “Christianized,” but how many were true followers of Jesus Christ? How many were living as true followers should live?
In the United States, there have been times and places where most people identified as Christian. The Enemy was active during that time, as always, but churches were full, and the Christian religion seemed healthy. There were “weeds” in the field, of course, but they were not too obvious.
Now, many people—especially a younger generation of people—look at the church and Christians in general, and they see a church that is not full of the life of Christ. Some may be looking for the wrong things, and not recognizing the profound impact of the gospel on people, despite their faults. Some, however, may be seeing what Jesus said would happen: There are weeds among the wheat.
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THE WEEDS?
Matthew 13:27-30 “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?’ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 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.’”
The servants are not to try to uproot the weeds.
The Middle Ages ended about 1500 B.C., and the Protestant Reformation flowered in the 1500’s. One leader of the Reformed movement was John Calvin, who published his two-volume “Institutes of the Christian Religion” in 1536. Calvin was invited to Geneva, not only to teach the Bible, but to clean up the city. He wrote about Geneva, “There is a very large mixture of hypocrites, who have nothing of Christ but the name and outward appearance: of ambitious, self-seeking, envious, evil-speaking men, some also of more impure lives, who are tolerated for a time, either because their guilt cannot be legally established, or because due strictness of discipline is not always observed”
The problem in Geneva was widespread, as it is today, and the reformers struggled with what to do about hypocrites in the church.
Martin Luther addressed the problem by saying, “There is no such thing as a pure church…A pure church is no church at all!”
The Anabaptists took an opposite approach. They required people to personally declare their faith and be baptized as adults, and then to submit to the moral authority of the church and its leaders. Those who offended were often shunned by the community.
Calvin, in his Geneva experiment, divided the city into areas, with a group of leaders (a “consistory”) to challenge people to demonstate a life consistent with true faith.
Calvin had a reputation for being harsh and judgmental, but he actually reflected the spirit of Jesus in this parable.
***Calvin quoted St. Augustine, “…to regard the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace…bearing with one another…to correct what they can, and to bear patiently with what they cannot correct, in love lamenting and mourning until God either reform or correct, or at the harvest root up the tares, and scatter the chaff. (Institutes, IV, I, 16.)**
The problem of fake Christianity and hypocrisy didn’t go away, no matter what attempts were made. Jesus said it wouldn’t go away, and it endures to this day, and until the end of all things.
What should be done? In Jesus’ parable, (Matthew 13:28-29) “The servants asked the owner of the field, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.”
It might seem that Jesus is very tolerant, as some use that word today. We hear a lot today about how that church should be tolerant and accepting:
“No one has the right to tell someone else how to live.”
“Sin is no big deal. everyone should follow their heart, and live as they please.”
“The Bible is a collection of nice religious ideas, and the commands of God are optional.
“The greatest commandment is, “Do what seems best for you, and affirm others on their journey.”
After all, Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
That was for the weary and burdened, the ones truly seeking life as a disciple of Jesus. But fake Christians—Jesus has a very different message for them:
Matthew 13:36-43 Then Jesus left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 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. “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.
Jesus was gracious to people struggling with sin, but he had a sobering message for fakes, hypocrites, and those leading others astray. They will go to hell.
Who are the weeds in the parable of Jesus? They might be planted in a church pew, next to the wheat. They look like wheat, and they have everyone convinced they are wheat. Maybe they have even convinced themselves! But their appearance of godliness and their good reputation won’t help them at the judgment.
This is sobering: There are “good church people” who are going to hell.
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT FAKE CHRISTIANS?
***I once started a new lawn from seed. When you plant a lawn, you can’t spray for weeds for some time, or you will kill the tender sprouts of grass. All you can do is sow the seed, feed and water faithfully, mow the tops off the weeds, and sow some more grass seed if necessary. That is my parable.**
What can we do about fake Christians?
-Sow good seed.
The good seed is the gospel: the good news of the kingdom of God, through Jesus. (Jesus said, “The good seed stands of the people of the kingdom.”)
We need to get the gospel right, because there are many false gospels. There are gospels about living a moral life, or being a “good person.” There are gospels that seek prosperity or happiness, using God to achieve self-centered goals. There are gospels that are based on joining a nice group of people, and feeling good about oneself.
Good seed is not pasting on a happy face, or having no problems or struggles. Good seed is news that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings forgiveness and real transformation. Good seed is that taking on the yoke of obedience to Jesus is the way to a life that is right and fulfilling.
***One time I stopped in on the fastest-growing church in our denomination. It was a Wednesday night, and they were serving food. I took my plate and randomly chose a table, asking the people at the table what drew them to the church. One man replied that he had been a Christian in name only, until the pastor invited him to join a small group. In the group, he discovered the truth of the gospel, and he accepted the good news of Jesus. His life was changed; he was no longer a fake, but a true believer. The truth of the gospel is good seed indeed!**
-Feed and water the good seed.
Jesus focused his time and energy on people who wanted to hear the truth. He said, “Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
Jesus didn’t ignore the crowds. The parables were to pique their interest—to get them thinking. But Jesus did not cater to the crowds. He knew that by feeding his disciples, they would reach others.
One of the positive trends in the church today is to focus on being “missional,” getting the church out into the world. Jesus agreed with that focus; he was always out in the world, and he sent his disciples out, two by two, to bring the gospel to the world. But Jesus also took care to feed his disciples: (Matthew 13:36), “Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.’” In our desire to be missional, we must not neglect to feed disciples, in worship, Bible study, and intentional fellowship.
-Mow the field. (Keep the weeds from taking over, so the grass can grow.)
Jesus said not to pull the weeds, but we shouldn’t let them take over.
The leadership of the church should be tested and show evidence of authentic discipleship. In 1 Timothy, Paul said the reputation of deacons should be evaluated before they serve. He said that overseers (or elders) should be “above reproach.” He said that although elders should not be accused lightly, those who sin should be rebuked publicly, so that others will take warning. Leaders are sticking their heads up, and they should not be allowed to lead others astray.
Paul also talked about the need to root out obvious rebellion or sin. In 1 Corinthians 5, he said that a man who was having an affair with his father’s wife should be handed over to Satan. He instructed believers not to associate with those who were immoral, greedy, idolaters, slanderers, drunkards, or swindlers.
You see, I don’t try to pull every weed in my lawn, but if one is sticking up, flowering with the potential to spread weed seed around, I pull it out.
This applies, of course, to church discipline. We have no illusions of a “pure” church; none of us are without sin. Sometimes, however, we must take a stand, for the benefit of a person who is living a lie, and for the benefit of the church. We do what we can, to avoid harm and evil. The best discipline, however, is a disciple speaking the truth in love to a friend.
-Keep sowing seed. (In a lawn, re-sowing bare spots keeps the weeds from spreading.)
(Where is this idea in the parable? It’s not, but it is implied in the previous one, the Parable of the Sower. Why doesn’t all the good seed take hold and bear a good crop? The soil is not ready: It is hard, shallow, of full of thorns.” Can those conditions change?)
***I started out as a youth pastor, working with several couples as youth sponsors. One couple seemed content to get students together, even when their behavior was questionable. Several years later, I ran into the husband at a national church gathering. He was an elder in the church then, and he was anxious to tell me how a crisis in his life had caused him to give his life fully and completely to Christ. He pointed out that when I had known him, he was not a true disciple. Yet the seed was sown, and when he was ready, it took root.**
It may be a crisis that softens the heart of a fake Christian, or disappointment with the fruit of the weeds, or finally waking up to the truth of the gospel. We keep sowing.
***One time, I was bemoaning the “weeds” in a church I was pastoring. A good friend wisely said, “At least they are in the church.” He was right, of course! In fact, recently I saw on social media posts by some who lived among those “weeds,” expressing what now appears to be a sincere faith and dependence on Christ. Keep sowing!**
Our primary focus should not be on the weeds, but on the good harvest, for Jesus promised, (Matthew 13:43) “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” May all of us, and all whom we love, shine like the sun in the kingdom of God!
