Jesus’ parables are earthly stories with heavenly meaning and eternity in mind. The parable of the wheat and weeds directly applies to Jesus’ ministry and shows two contrasting “seeds” – the wheat and the weeds (Matt 13:24-30). It emphasises that Satan plants evil intention, lies, and influence alongside those who spread God’s Word. The “field” represents the world, and the “good seed” represents those who know God and live faithfully by His Word (Matt 13:38). Jesus’ message and His followers are planted throughout the world in preparation for His Second Coming (v.38). Satan also plants his followers, “the children of the wicked one,” among God’s people to counteract God’s truth and turn people away from God (vv. 25, 38-39).

Jesus’ parable of wheat and tares highlights the unhealthy church’s theological and practical realities, as well as its visible expression. The enemy planted the seeds “while everyone was sleeping,” showing the vulnerability that comes when a church becomes spiritually complacent. A mixture of true faith, false motives, and deceptive doctrine within the same community reflects the mingled influences of Satan’s infiltration.

Among the community of disciples following Jesus, some are weeds masquerading as true followers, and this still resonates today. Ananias and Sapphira appear to be true believers until their actions prove otherwise (Acts 5:1-11). Paul mentions several coworkers who abandoned him and were “shipwrecked in their faith” (1Tim 1:19). Jesus’ parable awakens true disciples today to the dangers posed by people with deceptive doctrine of weeds who act as true preachers and believers.

Jesus’ parable of the wheat and weeds reminds us that no church or leadership is immune to becoming toxic and unhealthy. Leaders shape culture, so different types of leadership can thrive in any setting depending on whether they are sowing wheat or tares. Many are called to sow seeds of biblical truth; the question is, what are they sowing and preaching today? God’s plan for the church is to be healthy and fruitful, with a missional leadership pipeline, impactful discipleship, and missional unity. Sadly, Satan’s tactics are very subtle, making the weeds look like the wheat as they try to choke out true believers and true teaching of Jesus Christ.

The secret and source of God’s plan for a healthy church is evangelism: sowing good, fruitful seed that continues to multiply. Sam Rainer explained that ‘if people are not coming to Christ, then every other measure of health will eventually weaken. You cannot disciple the lost into maturity. You cannot assimilate people who never arrive. You cannot build a leadership pipeline if no believers are entering the life of the church. Evangelism is the headwater of all church health.’ Evangelism is the bloodstream of church health, just as sowing the Gospel leads to the salvation of souls.

Healthy churches are not just about revising structures or rebranding with better systems or wealth, because ‘no church can system its way out of evangelistic decline. A church may look organised while quietly becoming spiritually brittle.’ Sadly, a church can be busy and still be dying ‘because health is not first structural. Church health is first evangelistic.’ The pattern in Acts is about the Lord adding to the church, not just preserving or maintaining it (Acts 2:47).  

Unhealthy churches are often characterised by unhealthy leadership, a lack of transparency, holiness, and manipulation disguised as management and spiritual growth. They tend to prioritise the institution and its image over the well-being of the congregation, leading to a culture of fear, divide and rule, gossip, and spiritual burnout. Unhealthy churches and unhealthy leadership demand unquestioning loyalty, discourage differing opinions, and use position, “mentoring” or “discipleship” to control personal decisions. They often arrive at a decision before and outside established processes, and what is said publicly differs from private realities. Critics are marginalised as enemies and subtly undermine Christian family structures. An unhealthy church’s performance-based, driven culture not only seeks to earn the leadership’s approval, but its poor and biased conflict resolution silences problems or sweeps them under the rug; hence, those who raise legitimate issues are often viewed as threats. An unhealthy church environment fosters deep-seated burnout, stifles genuine spiritual growth and relationships, and can result in significant emotional and spiritual trauma for attendees.

The main task of Satan’s followers is to cause people to doubt the authority of God’s Word and to distort the truth by promoting attitudes and actions that are not right and by supporting false teaching (Gen 3:4, Acts 20:29-30, 2 Thess 2:7, 12). The weeds still exist, and they are still trying to choke out the wheat. Jesus’ warning of a great deception among His people because of so-called ‘Christian’ leaders who are false teachers still resonates today. Therefore, true believers must watch and pray, using the words of Charlotte Elliot:

1 ‘Christian! seek not yet repose,’
hear thy guardian angel say;
thou art in the midst of foes;
‘watch and pray.’

2 Principalities and powers,
mustering their unseen array,
wait for thy unguarded hours;
‘watch and pray.’

3 Gird thy heavenly armour on,
wear it ever night and day;
ambushed lies the evil one;
‘watch and pray.’

4 Hear the victors who o’ercame;
still they mark each warrior’s way;
all with one sweet voice exclaim,
‘watch and pray.’

5 Hear, above all, hear thy Lord,
him thou lovest to obey;
hide within thy heart his word,
‘watch and pray.’

6 Watch, as if on that alone
hung the issue of the day;
pray, that help may be sent down;
‘watch and pray.’