Rev. Dr. Jonathan Blanke, Senior Pastor
Pastor’s Corner for July 19-25, 2026
Not Our Job
(Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)
This seems like a good time of year to be talking about weeds. It is utterly baffling how weeds seem to grow spontaneously and even take over spaces where effort has been expended to feature garden vegetables or ornamental shrubs or perennial flowers. Yet not even mid-July heat or humidity or mosquitoes can dissuade the most ardent weeders from their task! The promise of achieving a weed-free flower bed or clean-looking kitchen garden beckons.
Jesus therefore knows just how powerful talking about weeds and getting rid of them can be for getting a point across about the Kingdom of God. And so, He tells His followers a story about a wheat field into which an enemy has introduced weeds on purpose. The weeds grow in and among the wheat, making the weeding task challenging. You could pull up the weeds…but you’d pull up the wheat along with them! When the owner of the field in Jesus’ story was asked what to do about the weeds, he tells his servants to leave them alone until the time of harvest. Until then everyone would have to live with the prospect of a weed-filled wheat field! When Jesus explains the parable to His disciples, He makes it clear that this time of waiting until the harvest is their proper attitude, too. There will be a time of separating “wheat” from “weeds.” There will be a time of separating out those who are of the Kingdom and those who are not. There will be a time for reaping, for harvesting, and for final judgment. But that time is not yet. Nor does the responsibility to judge others once-and-for-all fall to either you or me. The Law of God is good and shows us what is right. We do well when we strive, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to not only uphold justice but seek the righting of wrongs—especially when we are guilty of them! But sometimes the zeal to “weed out” another person by either rebuking them or pointing out their sins comes from a heart that wants to carry out God’s judgments on His behalf. Jesus’ parable is a reminder that such judgment is not our job. Ours is to wait. Ours is to do what we can to work on behalf of justice here below and to leave the final judgment to God alone. We have received the mercy and grace of God, through the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of God’s Son Jesus Christ. Knowing this, how can we not approach the world with an attitude of trust in God’s timing and God’s restoration at the End of all things?
And here’s the thing: As God teaches us to not worry about the task of weeding, He also gives us the invitation to look forward to the harvest (His harvest) of all that is beautiful and delicious in the garden of His Kingdom which is yet to come! Praise God for His gracious and merciful work to cause you and me—His Kingdom people—to bear fruit. This week, as we take note of our own corner of that garden, let’s look forward to all that God is now at work accomplishing—and ultimately, WILL accomplish—in and through such as us.
Faith in Action Campaign to Begin Soon
Our congregational capital campaign kick-off is just around the corner! The theme of the campaign is “Faith in Action” as emphasized in Ephesians 2:8-10: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Please pray for our “Faith in Action” campaign efforts. I will be speaking a bit this weekend about how everyone can lend a hand and get involved as volunteers. Let’s all ultimately do our part toward this essential effort so that our church can continue to be faithful to God’s mission. I look forward to seeing you in worship!
In peace and joy,
Pastor Jonathan
Pastor Jonathan Blanke grew up in Richmond, Virginia. He received his Bachelor's degree from College of William and Mary in Virginia and attended Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, where he earned a Masters of Divinity degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biblical Studies, Book of John. He served as a Vicar at Messiah Lutheran Church in Richardson, Texas.
The Blanke family lived in Japan while he served as pastor and missionary to Okinawa Lutheran Church and taught Biblical Studies at Japan Lutheran College in Tokyo.
Pastor Jonathan lived in southern Maryland from January 2014 to November 2019 and was thankful to have served as the Sole Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lexington Park, Maryland.
He and his wife, Juli, have two grown children. In his free time, Jonathan likes to travel, "play around" on the piano, and enjoy the outdoors.
Click HERE to view a brief video from Pastor Jonathan.