Matthew 22 37-38 Sermon For Women

With All Our Hearts: War on Weeds

For the past two days I have fought with weeds - weeds in my blueberry bushes, weeds in my flower beds, and weeds around the pool. The absolute worst weeds to deal with are the ones with thorns. My arms and legs are covered with battle scars! It wouldn't be so bad if I had more time to spend outside keeping things weeded. The problem comes when I allow the weeds to grow unchecked for too long. It’s then that weeding becomes a difficult job. And unto Adam He said, "Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life: thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. -Genesis 3:17-18 The wild brier bushes in the blueberries made picking them very difficult and painful. My hands, arms, and legs are all scratched up from pulling out the briers yesterday. In the same way, sin causes pain. Thorns definitely illustrate that pain well. Not only does it cause pain in our lives and those around us, but it caused pain for Christ who suffered the wrath of God in order to pay for our sins. Weeds will take over if you ignore them. If you fail to repent of your sins, confess faith in Jesus Christ, and worship Him as the Lord and Savior of your life, your sins will consume you like the weeds in an abandoned garden. You will be choked by your sins and die just like a plant that is choked and killed by briars. To fail to recognize the fact that we need God’s forgiveness for sins will result in death and hell. The longer we wait to submit to God, the more pain we cause for ourselves, and possibly others, and the more difficult it will be to change our behavior. “Today is the day of salvation.” Weeds steal the water, nutrients, and sunlight from the other plants. When they are removed, the desired plants can grow and become healthier. They can bear more fruit! Unconfessed sin in a Christian’s life robs us of our effectiveness for God. When we get rid of the sin in our lives by confessing and receiving God's forgiveness we become spiritually healthy and are able to bear more fruit for God's kingdom. My flower beds look so much better now! I was embarrassed for people to see my yard before I got out there and took care of all those unsightly weeds and grass.

Eerdmans commentary on the Bible

The Oxford Bible commentary

Commentary on Matthew

The thousand faces of the Virgin Mary

David C. Cook's NIV Bible Lesson Commentary, The Essential Study Companion for Every Disciple