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SUBJECT: Matthew 13:24-30 The parable of the Wheat
and Tares
QUESTION: What is this parable about?
ANSWER:
The parable of the tares is not just about the Kingdom. It
is about the Word of God and the church. What is described
in the parable is happening now. It is NOT describing a
time after Christ returns. It is a parable that shows us
who will be and who will not be in the Kingdom of God. Look
at the verses:
The parable of the sower is NOT just describing the Kingdom
of God as defined from the time Jesus returns. It is
describing the period between now and the return of Jesus
Christ, the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ and the period
of time AFTER that 1000 years called the 100 year period and
the white throne judgement.
Look at the verses in question:
Matthew 13:24-30
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The
kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good
seed in his field:
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among
the wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth
fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto
him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from
whence then hath it tares?
28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants
said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye
root up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time
of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together
first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but
gather the wheat into my barn.
Notice now this commentary and you will see that the parable
is talking about the Word of God being preached now in this
time when Satan is yet here influencing members and events
and who sends wolves in among the sheep. Christ is saying
that these interlopers are now present in the flock and will
remain until He returns at which time he will separate the
interlopers (false,
unconverted, and fallen away Christians) from
those He called out as firstfruits and who remain in the
Salvation Process until the return of Jesus Christ. Of
course, the firstfruits will be "harvested...(verse 30) at
His return when they all become Spirit beings. Notice…
1Thessalonians 4:16-17
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump
of
God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:52-53
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal must put on immortality.
Notice now the commentary:
Matthew 13:24-30
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom
of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his
field:
[The kingdom of heaven is likened
...] That is, the "gospel resembles." The kingdom of
heaven means here the effect of the gospel by its being
preached. The meaning of this parable is plain. The "good
seed," the truths preached by Christ and his apostles (ministers).
Verse 25. [While men slept, his
enemy came ...] That is, "in the night," when it
could be done without being seen, an enemy came and
scattered bad seed on the new-plowed field, perhaps before
the good seed had been harrowed in. Satan thus sows false
doctrine in darkness. In the very place where the truth is
preached, and while the hearts of people are open to receive
it, by false but plausible teachers he takes care to
inculcate false sentiments. Often it is one of his arts, in
a revival of religion, to spread secretly dangerous notions
of piety. Multitudes are persuaded that they are Christians
who are deceived. They are awakened, convicted, and
alarmed. They take this for conversion. Or they find their
burden gone; they fancy that they hear a voice; or a text of
Scripture is "brought" to them, saying that their sins are
forgiven; or they see Christ hanging on the cross (stake)
in a vision; or they dream that their sins are pardoned, and
they suppose they are Christians. But they are deceived.
None of these things are any conclusive evidence of piety.
All these MAY exist, and still there be no true love to God
or Christ, and no real hatred of sin and change of heart. An
enemy may do it to deceive them, and to bring dishonor on
religion.
[Sowed tares] By "tares" is
probably meant a degenerate kind of wheat, or the
darnel-grass growing in Palestine. In its growth and form it
has a strong resemblance to genuine wheat; but it either
produces no grain, or that of a very inferior and hurtful
kind. Probably it comes near to what we mean by "chess." It
was extremely difficult to separate it from the genuine
wheat, on account of its similarity while growing.
"The tare abounds all over the East, and is a great
nuisance to the farmer. It resembles the American "cheat
(chess)," but the "head" does not droop like cheat, nor does
it branch out like oats. The grain, also, is smaller, and is
arranged along the upper part of the stalk, which stands
perfectly erect. The "taste" is bitter, and when eaten
separately, or even when diffused in ordinary bread, it
causes dizziness, and often acts as a violent emetic.
Barn-door fowls also become dizzy from eating it. In short,
it is a strong soporific poison, and must be carefully
winnowed, and picked out of the wheat grain by grain, before
grinding, or the flour is not healthy. Even the farmers, who
in this country generally "weed" their fields, do not
attempt to separate the one from the other. They would not
only mistake good grain for them, but very commonly the
roots of the two are so intertwined that it is impossible to
separate them without plucking up both. Both, therefore,
must be left to "grow together" until the time of
harvest."-- (Thomson) "The Land and the Book," vol. ii. pp.
111, 112. Thus, "tares" aptly represented hypocrites in the
church. Strongly resembling Christians in their experience,
and, in some respects, their lives it is impossible to
distinguish them from genuine Christians, nor can they be
separated until it is done by the Great Searcher of hearts
at the Day of Judgment. An enemy, the devil hath done it.
And nowhere has he shown profounder cunning, or done more to
adulterate the purity of the gospel.
[And went his way] There is
something very expressive in this. He knew the soil; he knew
how the seed would take root and grow.
He had only to sow the seed and let it alone. So Satan knows
the soil in which he sows his doctrine. He knows that in the
human heart it will take deep and rapid root. It needs but
little culture. Grace needs constant attendance and care.
Error, and sin, and hypocrisy are the native products of the
human heart, and, when left alone, start up with deadly
luxuriancy.
Verse 26. [Then appeared the tares
also] That is, then the tares were "first
discovered." They had grown with the wheat, but were so much
like it as not to be noticed until the wheat began to ripen.
So true piety and false hopes are not known by professions,
by "blades," and leaves, and flowers, but by the fruit.
Verse 29. [Ye root up also the
wheat] They so much resembled the true wheat that
even then it would be difficult to separate them.
By gathering them, they would tread down the wheat, loosen
and disturb the earth, and greatly injure the crop. In the
harvest it could be done without injury.
Verse 30. [Let both grow together]
They would not spoil the true wheat, and in time of harvest
it would be easy to separate them. Our Saviour teaches us
here:
1. That hypocrites and deceived persons must be expected in
the church.
2. That this is the work of the enemy of man. They are not
the work of Christianity any more than traitors are of
patriotism, or counterfeiters are of the proper effect of
legislating about money. They belong to the world, and
hypocrisy is only one form of sin.
The Christian religion never "made" a hypocrite, nor is
there a hypocrite on the earth whose principles and practice
it does not condemn.
3. That all hope of removing them entirely would be vain.
4. That an "attempt" to remove them altogether would injure
real Christianity, by causing excitements, discord, and hard
feelings even among Christians.
5. That Christ will himself separate them at the proper
time. There is no doubt that it is the duty of the church to
keep itself pure, and to cut off gross and manifest
offenders, <1 Corinthians 5:4-5>; but the Saviour refers
here to those who may be "suspected" of hypocrisy, but
against whom it cannot be proved; to those who so
successfully imitate Christians as to make it difficult or
impossible for man to distinguish them.
~from Barnes' Notes
It should be clear from this that we are not talking about a
time only after Jesus Returns but a time now and going on
into the Kingdom. Clearly Jesus would not allow this in His
Kingdom. Notice...
Revelation 2:27
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of
a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received
of my Father.
Revelation 19:15
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he
should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod
of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and
wrath of Almighty God.
Such a being, ruling in such a way would clearly not allow
these things to happen during the 1000 year reign of Jesus
Christ.
Satan will be in bondage during the 1000-year reign of
Jesus. The Holy Days of God are chronological and
demonstrate the plan of God. In the fall we observe:
1: Trumpets: The return of Christ
2: Atonement: The putting away of Satan right after His
return
3: Feast of Tabernacles: The 1000-year reign of Jesus
Christ
4: The Last Great Day: The period of time after the 1000
year reign of Jesus Christ--the 2nd resurrection and the
white throne judgement.
Revelation 20:1-3 (The
Millennium chapter)
1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key
of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is
the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and
set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no
more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after
that he must be loosed a little season.
THE COMMENTARY IN LAY TERMS
The parable of the wheat and tares is a Kingdom parable and
shows us, how the church will be, prior to the return of
Christ and ultimately, who will be in the Kingdom of God.
In the church will be the unconverted, the wolves and those
who have fallen away from the Salvation Process. Also
present are the ones God has called who remain in the
Salvation Process. Jesus is the man of verse 24 who spreads
the Word of God to the members. Because of the unconverted,
the wolves and the fallen away, we have tares among the
congregation and in the ministry. Verse 27 shows us that
we, the members or even the ministry cannot institute a
program, whereby we seek out the unconverted, the wolves and
the fallen away. How can we do that? Now, clearly, if
someone is opening sinning or causing discord, they can be
put out by the ministry but generally and for the most part,
these people are not easily seen and known. Jesus makes it
clear that no one in the church is to go about making these
unconverted and fallen away to leave the church. Jesus is
saying that we must live with these things until the end.
After He returns, He will gather up the members and divide
them wheat and tares. |