Silver Bells and Cockle Shells

  “But that night as the workers slept, the enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.” Mathew 13:25

  Our home church leader brought in some information last night about this parable. Based on Greek and Hebrew texts, the wheat referred to is a rice-like plant. The weeds refer to a plant called darnel although some translations say they are thistles. Darnel is very similar to wheat in appearance. It is only when the wheat is ripe and ready for harvest that the difference between the two is obvious. Wheat seeds hang down. Darnel seeds point upwards and the plants are much taller, up to a meter.

   Darnel is also known as cockle. Which brought to mind a saying my Irish ex-husband used frequently, but I had no idea what it meant.

  “It warms the cockles of my heart,” usually spoken in response to good news. I don’t know if he knew where it came from but to discover a Biblical root has surprised me. But then, there are a lot of idioms that have become part of everyday speech whose foundation is in Scripture.

  Of course, nothing else comes to mind right now.

  So there it is…a voice from long ago finding its way back into my life. Praise God it is a positive thing for once instead of an unwanted reminder of all the toxic garbage! Or should I say, a reminder of the other weeds that were planted before the planter slipped away.

  “It warms the cockles of my heart.” (Smile.)

  Grace. There’s no better thing to warm weeds with than this! And maybe, just maybe, they will get warm enough to transform into wheat!

   P.S.  The title today is from the nursery rhyme, "Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row." I know it refers to sea shells but the concept, the question, seemed to fit with today's sharing.