In Matthew 13 Jesus tells the parable of an enemy planting bad seed. He said: “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares [bad seed] among the wheat, and went his way.” (24, 25) When asked about this the landowner said, “An enemy hath done this.”
The person that sows discord among brethren is repugnant to the Lord. The sowing may not result in an instant discord, but it is the very start of the discord. There is no stem of strife or root of bitterness until the seed of discord has been planted. We must be very careful never to sow this way: to intend to persuade the opinion of one brother against another. Why would we do this, to get ourselves allies as we oppose the one against whom we are talking?
We get ourselves allies, but we caused two relationships to be destroyed:
1) The one between ourselves and the one we talked against and
2) The one between the brother and brother.
How could this have been an advantage? The results are mistrust, bad feelings and strife where were none before. Is this an accomplishment of which to be proud? How can it be good to be an aggravator and destroyer? Better to choose to be a person of health and healing, a builder, not a destroyer.
