Dandelions

 

The Dandelion. I feel sorry for this plant. We put forth a great effort to kill every one of them that we encounter. The reason we dislike them? Because they grow everywhere we don’t want them to grow. It really isn’t a bad plant. It isn’t poisonous. It is easy to grow. It has a beautiful yellow flower. If you mix up a tasty batter, dip the flower in it and deep fry it, you can eat it. The leaves are good for food. The seeds are good bird feed. Yellow finches enjoy eating them. But I know of no use for the root of the dandelion. But there isn’t much waste of the plant. So why do we not like it?

This past spring I noticed the usual purple wildflowers in my yard. There were also some blue bonnets, but not nearly as many because it was a dry winter and spring. Now that we have received some rain, I’ve noticed a few little white flowers popping up here and there. They’re short lived because we treat them the same as dandelions, generally mowing them down. We have decided grass is what we want in our yards. We fertilize our lawns to stimulate grass growth and poison to destroy the weeds. We have our ideas for a beautiful lawn! These ideas are neither right nor wrong. It’s my lawn – my rules.

[Acts 20:28] “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” The church belongs to Jesus. He bought it with His own blood. He can put in it what He wants. In fact, He decides who is in the church. “…And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47b). The Lord adds to the church. The Lord has described to man who is saved or who can be in the church. The people who were saved in Acts chapter 2 (Peter’s preaching of sin and repentance) were those “…who gladly received his word (and) were baptized” (Acts 2:41). The Lord decided how men were to worship Him in the church. He has given us five avenues of worship to be used by the church: prayer, singing, teaching, partaking of the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of His sacrifice for our sins, and giving as we have prospered. The church is people whom the Lord has added to the church. They are His. He bought them with His blood. He has given His church the avenues of worship which please Him. He has given us the Bible, God’s Word, to guide us in all good works. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Lord has told His church what they are to do in serving Him. Those works are: benevolence, evangelism, exhortation. We have a duty of faith to serve one another (James 2:14-17). And He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16). “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

You own your lawn and have the right to plant grass, flowers, or whatever you choose in it. Jesus owns the church. He has the right to designate how people get into the church, and what people are to do, or not do, in the church. He has decided what the rules are that His church must follow. I have no right to come into your lawn and sow seeds that you would forbid me to sow. The Lord has the same right in the church. “And He put all things under His feet …to be head over the church …which is His body…” (Ephesians 1:22-23).