Parables WK 4

Weeds and Wheat

Matthew 13:24–30 NRSV

He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 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?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 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.’ ”

Matthew 13:36–43 NRSV

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

Matthew The Parable of the Weeds, 13:24–30

In the parable the man responsible for the planting has done his job properly. He was not careless in the sowing. He used good wheat seed. However, an enemy slipped in under cover of darkness and sowed weeds, literally here zizavia, which in all likelihood refers to darnel, a weed that looks so much like wheat in its early stages of growth so as to be virtually indistinguishable from wheat to the naked eye.

Matthew The Parable of the Weeds, 13:24–30

Characteristically, darnel wraps its roots around the good wheat like a clinging vine. Notice that in v. 26 we are told that the grain had not only sprouted but had born fruit, much too late to do weeding. There was a theory in Jesus’ day that darnel was wheat that mysteriously went bad in the process of growth and maturation, though of course this was not actually true.

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4: Matthew–Acts a. Declaration (13:24–30)

The word tares refers to a bearded “darnel” (NEB) that looks almost exactly like wheat and cannot be distinguished from it until it ripens. The task of sorting out the tares from the wheat is a very tedious one, done by women and children. But it is important to do this. “If tares are ground into meal they spoil the flour, and often cause dizziness and nausea when eaten.”

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4: Matthew–Acts b. Delineation (13:36–43)

This parable teaches two things: (1) it is not our task to separate saints from sinners; (2) there will be a final and eternal separation at the end of this period of probation.

-----------

Last week we talked about judging and who’s place it was to be the ultimate judge today we continue on that conversation.

BIG IDEA: No one is without hope until the very end. “So, ultimately this parable is two things—it is a warning not to judge people at all, and it is a warning that in the end there comes the judgment of God.”

William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Third Ed., The New Daily Study Bible (Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 2001), 88.

Matthew 13:24 NRSV

He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field;

“the field” —> The world as we know it, all the world

There is good seed planted in the world.

Matthew 13:25 NRSV

but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away.

There is an enemy at work in the world, that does its best work when we are not paying attention.

Matthew 13:26 NRSV

So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well.

The weed in question is specifically “bearded darnel” it is so similar to wheat in its early stages that there is no discernable difference.

Matthew 13:27–28 NRSV

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?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’

When weeds are found the appropriate action is to immediately take action. It is right to uproot and remove certain evil from our lives. The things that cause us to not grow to our full potential.

Matthew 13:29 NRSV

But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them.

In this circumstance their is no way of knowing for sure which is the wheat and which is the weed. It can do more harm to everyone if the weeds are removed.

Matthew 13:30 NRSV

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.’ ”

The harvest is the final judgment, the end of times.