Let the inauthentic grow alongside the authentic.

Jesus teaches that there are both authentic and inauthentic among his followers, but it is not our job to seperate them.

Matthew 13:24-30 24 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' 28 He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29 But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

Do we ignore Jesus' teaching to let the inauthentic to grow alongside the authentic?

Note:  Some Christians - whole denominations - have ignored this parable.  They believe they are called to purify the church.  To make certain everyone there has the right beliefs, the right set of rules to follow, and that they are following them.  They believe that God will punish them if they worship with those they percieve as inauthentic.  They see themselves as God's judges and inforcers.  Instead Jesus says to leave the inauthentic alone until harvest time.  He says this for the good of the authentic that they won't be uprooted.  It reminds me of that quote: "Our life with Christ is somehow bound up with our willingness to abide with those we think are sinful and those we think are stupid.” Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury.  It is freeing to think we don't have to judge.  It is also hard to think that for our own good, God doesn't plan to rid us of all the weeds growing around us.

Matthew 13:36-43 And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." 37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!