Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
INNER CIRCLE: The Good Seed

INNER CIRCLE: The Good Seed

Last updated on: June 2, 2023 at 8:13 pm by Keith Giles

0 Comments

INNER CIRCLE: The Good Seed 2023-06-02T20:13:34+00:00 Keith Giles

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

IMAGE: Pexels

SAYING 57: Jesus said, “What the kingdom of the father resembles is a man who had a [good] (kind of) seed. His enemy came at night and scattered grass seed in with the good seed. The man did not let them pluck out the grass, saying to them, ‘Do not, lest you go to pluck out the grass and then pluck out the wheat along with it. For, on the day of the harvest the grass will be obvious, and it will be plucked out and burned.'”

The Kingdom is represented by the good seed – the reality of Oneness – planted by the Father at the beginning of all things. This is true reality. This is the Kingdom of God.

The illusion is sown by “the enemy” which, one might suggest is “the devil” or “Satan” if that helps you process the story, but this personification of evil or deception is best understood, not as some dark spiritual being, but as anyone who perpetuates the lie of separation from the Father, or from ourselves.

This seed that is scattered is not “bad” seed, but simply “grass” seed, suggesting that it is natural and appears everywhere we look. The wheat stands in for the “good” seed in that it bears grain that provides nourishment, whereas the grass seed is merely for appearances and physical comfort beneath our feet.

The “day of the harvest” is when all is revealed and everyone’s eyes are finally awakened to the truth of our eternal connection with the Divine. In that day, the lie will be burned up as instantly as darkness escapes a lighted room.

What’s different in this saying, compared to the parallel sayings in the Synoptic texts is the absence of equating the “good” seed and the “bad” seed with individual people. The seed is merely a metaphor used to describe what is true or what is false.

One seed was planted that good. That good seed – like wheat – provides nourishment and life to everyone, whether they realize it or not.

The bad seed – like grass – covers the earth – the physical world – and blankets our world with the illusion of separation and division from God, and therefore, from one another.

The seed is not a metaphor for “saints” or for “sinners” in either case. It’s only used as a metaphor for what is true and what is not true.

So, when the grass is “burned up” it is not suggesting that those who were enchanted by the lie are burned up with the grass. Only the grass – the lie – is burned up, not those who were deceived.

We either harvest the good seed and enjoy the goodness of God’s Kingdom, or we settle for the bad seed and wrap ourselves in the false comfort of the illusion that cannot feed us, or sustain our existence.

Either way, the day of the harvest will come, and the lie will be burned up and the truth will be plainly obvious for everyone to see, at last.

**
HALF-PRICE SUMMER SALE: Get the entire INSIDE/OUTSIDE self-paced online course on the Gospel of Thomas taught by Keith Giles for only $9.99 until June 6th.

HURRY! This offer won’t last.
REGISTER FOR 50% OFF HERE>

Keith Giles is the best-selling author of the Jesus Un series. He has appeared on CNN, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and John Fugelsang’s “Tell Me Everything.” His latest book, SOLA MYSTERIUM: Celebrating the Beautiful Uncertainty of Everything is available now on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

Previous Post

June 1, 2023

What If The Future You Fear Is Already Here?

Next Post

June 4, 2023 A Farewell To Norm by Amy Chumbley

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Googled: “In psychology and everyday language, intelligence is the capacity to learn, understand, reason, think ..."

Herm

AI Is A Gateway to the ..."

"It's so weird to me how anyone thinks that getting basic income is in any ..."

Scott Santens

AI Is A Gateway to the ..."

"Sounds very much like what Pope Leo wrote in Magnifica Humanitas - a lot of ..."

ffeineandsugar

AI Is A Gateway to the ..."

"As it is written in the canonical Gospels:But as many as received Him, to them ..."

Herm

INNER CIRCLE: God’s Transcending Love

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Biblicism Christian Politics Cosmic Christ Deconstruction Discipleship Dispensationalism Divine Unity Ekklesia End Time Stuff Eschatology Evergreen Following Jesus Gender General Christian Topics Gnostics God's Love Gospel of Judas Gospel of Mary Gospel of Philip Gospel of the Kingdom Gospel of Thomas Gospel of Truth Hell Historical Jesus Inner Circle Investigative Reporting Islam LGBTQ Issues Marriage Mental/Emotional Health Mystery Non-Duality Philosophy Podcast Poetry Politics Poverty Preemptive Love Prophecy Psychology Quantum Theology Racism Reconstruction Satire Sex Technology Theology Uncategorized Universalism

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which prophet confronted King Ahab about his sins?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Elijah Ezekiel Jeremiah Elisha

Books by This Author Books by Keith Giles

See All Titles »