Following and Trusting : Encountering God Out of the Box

I woke up this morning and found myself back in Matthew 13:37–43—the parable where Jesus explains the wheat and the weeds.

Yet, it landed differently this time.

Maybe it’s the lens of walking with thousands of people through their stories—through pain, healing, confusion, breakthrough. Maybe it’s having seen how fragile and sacred the human heart really is.

But as I read it again, one line stood out with a fresh perspective:

“The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.” – Matthew 13:39 NIV

Not us.

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Then What Is Our Role?

If we’re honest, many of us have grown used to a completely different posture…

We assess.

We label.

We call things out.

Often publicly.

(Sadly, we all have witnessed how this practice has grown with social media.)

We try to determine:

• who’s “in”
• who’s “out”
• who’s wheat
• who’s weeds

But Jesus is very clear in this parable.

That role?

It belongs to the angels.

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Seeing People Through the Lens of God’s Kingdom

Jesus tells the servants not to pull up the weeds prematurely, because in doing so, they might uproot the wheat as well.

That alone should cause us to pause.

Because how often have we:

• misjudged someone’s process
• misunderstood someone’s journey
• labeled someone based on a moment, not their destiny

What if the person we’re tempted to “call out”…

is actually in the middle of transformation?

What if God sees wheat where we only see weeds?

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A Sobering Thought for the Global Church

This hit me deeply:

If the Church had truly embraced this parable throughout history…

how differently might we (who say we love Jesus) be treating people?

There have been seasons—including the present season—where leaders publicly name, shame, and expose others.

But when I sit with Jesus’ words here, I don’t see Him assigning us that role.

I see Him inviting us to:

• trust His timing
• trust His justice
• trust His ability to separate what we cannot

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The Great Exchange (Seen Differently)

This also made me think about what we often call the Great Exchange. (See chapter 10 in the yellow book: ‘God, Show Me More of You’.)

Jesus doesn’t just deal with sin—He transforms identity.

He doesn’t label people permanently by their brokenness.

He redeems.

He restores.

He calls forth who they truly are.

And if that’s His heart…

then how we see people matters deeply.

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So What Are We Called to Do?

If we’re not the harvesters… then what is our assignment?

To love.

To listen.

To walk with people.

To point them to Jesus.

To create space for transformation.

To trust that God is at work in ways we cannot fully see.

(This past week, I found myself coaching a woman in the Freedom Coaching Circle to re-read Luke 10 as an example of how Jesus released his disciples.)

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A Beautiful Picture of God’s Kingdom Living

Later in the same chapter of Mathew 13, my friend Sue highlighted to me, how Jesus says something that feels like a perfect companion to this idea:

“Every student well-trained in God’s kingdom is like the owner of a storehouse who brings out treasures new and old.” (Matthew 13:52, paraphrased)

I love this picture.

Someone who walks with God learns to:

• listen
• discern
• offer what’s needed in the moment
• help others find the hidden treasures

Not from a place of judgment…

but from relationship.

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What If We Lived This Way?

What if we truly embraced this parable?

What would change?

• Less labeling
• More listening
• Less fear
• More trust
• Less control
• More surrender

We would stop trying to do what was never assigned to us…

and start partnering with God in what actually is.

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A Simple Prayer

Jesus,

Teach us to see people the way You do.

Free us from the need to judge, label, or control what only You can rightly handle.

Give us hearts that are patient, discerning, and full of love.

Help us trust Your timing, Your justice, and Your mercy.

And show us how to walk with others in a way that reflects Your heart.

Amen.

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The harvesters are angels.

Which means we can lay down the burden of trying to be them…

and simply walk in love, as Jesus taught us to.

Merri Ellen 🙂

PS… So, what is the process of confronting others?

Dig Deeper:

Key Verses on Confronting Another

Verse Reference	Content
Matthew 18:15	“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.”
Matthew 7:2-5	“For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Galatians 6:1	“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.”
Ephesians 4:15	“Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.”

Principles of Confrontation

• Approach with Love: Always aim to speak the truth in love, fostering understanding rather than conflict.
• Private Discussion: Address issues privately first, allowing for a more open and honest dialogue.
• Gentleness and Humility: When restoring a brother, do so with a gentle spirit, recognizing your own potential for error.

Notice how these verses above provide guidance on how to confront another effectively and compassionately, emphasizing love and humility in the process.

Merri Ellen 🙂

He has more for you!

YOU are a sacred space.

Meet with a trained coach to walk with you.

Join other hungry women seeking the Lord together.

Enjoy the books: “God, Show Me What You See”
or “God, Show Me More of You“