The Rabbit Trail | Key
The field where weeds won’t grow
Life can be a puzzle, but more often than not it is really a mystery—far more profound, meaningful, and worth solving than just any old puzzle. At the same time, God intends that the important mysteries should add interest to life; so he makes these mysteries solvable, at least in part, so that in both seeking and discovering solutions, we will come to understand God, life, others, and ourselves better. God intends that we be involved curiously.
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Without making this explanation too much of a puzzle, let‘s just say we are following the Father‘s lead by offering you a bit of a mystery here, and the White Rabbit will be your guide to the solution. Of course, like Alice in Wonderland, you'll have to do some thinking and sleuthing on your own. But this will make it enjoyable—fun, if you please.
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In the Bible Jesus talks about "the knowledge of the secrets—or mysteries—of the kingdom of heaven." One of these mysterious secrets is what Bible students have come to know as "The Parable of the Weeds" (NIV, or "Tares," NASB or KJV; see Matthew 13:24-30), with an explanation attached (13:36-43). Anyone who gardens or loves a lush, green lawn, knows about weeds and wishes they never were! But weeds in a field of wheat—well, that’s something you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy...unless you were the enemy! Every wheat farmer from the Great Plains in the U.S. to the Indo-Gangetic plains of Asia longs for field where weeds won’t grow.
This White Rabbit mystery is about just such a field...
Where is it? How do we get there? What happens on the way?
You may have the answers alreay—if not, or if you would like to compare and learn more about God, life, you, and Scripture in the process...
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Well, just follow the clues by following the White Rabbit—look for him on inside pages, click on him when you locate him, and read the clue. Then find the next. In fact, there are only three after this key. If you do not have the answers by the third clue, or if you think I have led you on a detour, or if you just see something I have missed...well, let me know! Then—with your permission—we will post your answers along with others and see what we can learn from one another!
One final suggestion: like a real mystery where every clue counts toward the solution, and the clues add up, see if you can discover how each clue relates to the solution. Of course, you can just make a wild guess—and miss the blessing that will come from what you discover in the pursuit! We will spotlight selected comments (with your permission) on the site later.
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Oh, yes, the mystery; what are we trying to solve? Well, we want to know: Where is this field without weeds? How do we get there? What happens on the way?
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TO THINK ABOUT: what is it about this field we are looking for that prevents the weeds from growing? CLUE: This is all about the kingdom of God in the world today and what God is doing in, through, and around us, and what he will accomplish in light of our promised inheritance of which the Holy Spirit is the "firstfruits" (see, Romans 8:23), and the essence of his eternal purpose (see Ephesians 1:11-14; compare 3:10-13, etc.)!
Now, about that rabbit. He went that way...