A World of Wheat and Weeds

Introduction

There are three ages, or steps, through which the Kingdom of God is established. The first was what we could call the age of expectation, or the OT age. This was the age of prophecy, images of things to come like the temple and temple sacrifices, the age of symbols like the serpent on the pole which represents Christ, and the age of waiting for God to come and dwell with his people. The second age, which we could call the age of establishment or the Church Age, began with the coming of Christ and the performance of his ministry, reaching its climactic moment at the cross and the empty tomb. In this age, the Kingdom of God has come to be established. However, unlike the expectations of the Jews then and many Christians since, the Kingdom of God did not come openly in the power and glory of a conquering King. Instead, it came in lowliness, humility, and the image of the King riding on the foal of a donkey. That is the age in which we live, one in which the Kingdom has come and it grows with power, but the powers of this evil age have not yet been destroyed. The devil continues to work, to sow his own evil seed in the world producing a crop of wickedness while the Kingdom of God expands and produces a crop of saints, pure and mature; set apart for God. The third age is the age of Christ’s second coming, inaugurated at the final judgement. This is when the powers of evil will be fully and visibly defeated and the Kingdom of God will be visibly established in all creation. Of these three it is the second age, the Church Age or the Age of Establishment, which our text and this parable of Christ speaks of.

Commentator Grant Osborne sums up the passage well:

Matthew Main Idea

Christ is saying that this is not the time for the final victory over evil, but this is the time for sowing the kingdom seed. As the kingdom message is sown in the hearts of humankind, Satan will cause many to reject and oppose it; yet the kingdom will flourish in the hearts of others, and God will exercise judgment at the end of the age.

We see this idea elsewhere in Scripture, such as

Hebrews 2:8–9 (ESV)

Now in putting everything in subjection to (Christ), (God) left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

So we see, in our text today, that God allows the evil to remain in the world despite the fact that the Kingdom of God has come in power with the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ. This parable explains why this is the case, and gives us the context of the coming Day of Judgement as a hope of a time when evil will be completely destroyed and God’s people will enjoy an unspoiled world brimming with life in the presence of God.

Understanding the Parable

This parable is unique among the Gospel authors, although it may be that Matthew is filling out a parable given to us in Mark 4:26-29

Mark 4:26–29 ESV

And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

This is essentially the same parable with more detail, namely the presence of the enemy and the weeds, to fit a different theme. While Mark is focusing on the gradual nature of the coming of God’s Kingdom, the already-not yet, Matthew adds to this an explanation of a very real problem for Christian theology. The problem springs from the previous parable where seed is sown but three out of four times it is unfruitful. So there is a reality of those who hear the Word and yet do not enter the Kingdom of God for various reasons. The question then is this: what happens to those people? If Christ has come to establish his Kingdom, how is it that most people will reject it? Will God immediately remove such rebels from his earth? Matthew focuses on these details which Mark leaves out in order to answer that question.

We see this parable presented in three parts:

First there is the sowing, first of the good seed and then of the bad seed by the enemy.

Second there is a dialogue between the Master and his servants, the Master being Jesus himself and the servants being angels. This dialogue leads to a waiting period between the sowing and the Harvest.

Third there is the harvest, representing the Day of Judgement. Then, the angels sort the true wheat from the weeds and all is made right in the field. This third part we will cover next week.

The Parable begins with Jesus telling us that he is about to compare the Kingdom of Heaven, once again, to an agricultural story. Because of the agricultural heritage of his listeners, this story will take high spiritual truths and bring them down to the level of those who are listening, so that those who are ready may receive the truth and those who are not will disregard it although it was brought to them in a way they could, in some way, grasp. This is why Jesus once again ends his explanation in verse 43 by saying, “He who has ears, let him hear.”

The subject of the parable is the Kingdom of Heaven, and specifically how it manifests itself in a world in which evil appears to be in charge. Jesus proclaimed that the Kingdom of God was at hand and naturally people expected this to be very evident in their experience of the world. If the Kingdom of Heaven has come, surely the Romans will be thrown out and Christ will be the King. In our day we could say, surely Justin Trudeau and all other corrupt politicians will be replaced by angels who will do Christ’s bidding and bring about a mighty Theocratic society that will extend across the entire planet.

But that isn’t what we see. Instead, we see governments and societies going from bad to worse, we see corruption in every level of society. We see boys and girls being surgically and chemically mutilated and abused in the name of the sanitized doublespeak of “gender affirming care”. We see marriage desecrated with high divorce rates and the celebration of what is falsely called “gay marriage”. We see our Prime Minister taking multiple $250,000 vacations a year while people people in Toronto are finding it impossible to have somewhere affordable to live. We see pastors in Christian churches convicted of sexual abuse and other gross misconduct. We see Islamic terrorists violently disrupting world peace. We see Haiti being taken over by violent gangs. We see the depressed and disabled being offered suicide rather than help in our country. We see less and less people going to church and less and less respect being given to God and his Word. We see many so-called churches rejecting God’s Word in order to be at peace with a world that is at war with God. We see addictions and failures and sin in our own lives and in our own churches. We see families torn apart by abuse, neglect, and selfishness. We see all these things and genuinely wonder: How can it be true that the Kingdom of God has come with power when, after 2000 years of Christian history, things are still so bad in this world? That is a problem we do and should struggle with, a seeming contradiction in what Jesus proclaimed and what we see around us. Where is the victory? Where is the power? Where is the authority? How can it be true that Christ is currently reigning at the right hand of the Father as King over all creation when things are still so bad? Is Christ so incompetent as a ruler that he cannot get things under control? Most definately not, but these are the questions and troubles that this parable is meant to address, and we will get the most from it if we truly listen with believing hearts to discern the answer that Jesus gives us. It is always good for us to ask questions, so long as we engage God’s answers with faith and humility.

The Sowing

The first act of this parable is the sowing. We are introduced to a man, later identified as the Master and Christ himself, who sows good seed in his field. Interestingly, it is not his servants who do this. Though the law was brought to Moses by angels, as well as many revelations from God, they all pointed to the time when God himself would take on the form of a servant, of a human being, and sow the seed of the Kingdom himself.

Hebrews 2:2–3 ESV

For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,

We could say that it is implied that the servants, who represent the angels who do God’s bidding, may have plowed the field, preparing it for when the Master himself, wit his own loving hands, would sow the seed of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God in this world.

This is the moment the Kingdom of God is established. All the ages beforehand prepared for the day when Jesus Christ would come as God in human flesh to establish his Kingdom, and yet the establishment may seem somewhat anticlimactic. In another parable found only a few verses later in verse 31, Jesus likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a Mustard seed which begins small and unassuming and only over time does it grow into a great tree. In other words, the Kingdom of God is established in a small and seemingly insignificant way, and yet gradually gains its power and influence in ways beyond what the human eye can see, just as the yeast that a woman took is “hidden” in flour and leavens the whole dough (verse 33). So we see these two short parables found in verses 31-33 bolster and support this one, showing the manner in which the Kingdom comes. While Alexander the Great brought the Kingdom of Greece to the world in great military campaigns and displays of force and worldly glory, the Kingdom of God comes subtly and yet with far greater power.

However, Jesus is not the only one sowing. As Satan is a master of twisted imitation, he also sows for the advancement of his own kingdom.

The sleep of the Master and his servants is not significant to the parable except to keep the narrative going. We know that Jesus does not sleep while the devil is at work, but this aspect of the story emphasizes the secrecy and craftiness by which Satan works.

The word translated in the ESV as weeds and in the KJV as tares probably refers to a specific plant called darnel (DAHR-nuhl). This is a weed that, when it sprouts, look just like wheat. It only shows itself to not be wheat when it matures. Rather than appearing a golden brown colour, the mature darnel plant is black and woody, and it is often infected with a fungus that makes the plant a poisonous hallucinogen if eaten. This was a common weed for farmers throughout history until modern machinery was developed which can harvest wheat and sort out the darnel from true wheat automatically. Before this, the only thing one could do was wait for the plants to mature and then sort through them by hand.

So we see that, while Jesus came to plant the seed of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God, God also allows Satan to plant his own Kingdom. This is in order to show the great strength of the Gospel through human weakness. God allows Satan to attempt sabotage on the Kingdom of Heaven in order to show his glory through the victory that will come when the true wheat, though plagued with the presence of the darnel, survives and thrives, bearing fruit for the Master’s use. When Christ died, we know that Satan’s power was greatly limited. In John 12:31-32 Jesus explains:

John 12:31–32 ESV

Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

The Ruler of this World is Satan, who had for ages since the fall deceived the nations. Now his power is greatly limited so that the Gospel could spread to the nations. This is what I believe Revelation 20:2-3 is speaking of when it says that Satan was bound for a thousand years so that he might not deceive the nations. This is very similar wording to John 12:31, which clearly speaks of Christ’s victory on the cross and how this limits Satan’s grasp on humanity by casting him out of his place of power. This is the source of the authority Jesus speaks of in Matt 28:18

Matthew 28:18 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

What follows is the call to go and make disciples of all nations. Satan is bound from deceiving the nations, that authority is given to Christ by the Father, and therefore we are to go and take advantage of that authority and preach the Gospel before Satan is finally released.

That being said, it is clear that Satan still has power and some limited amount of liberty in this age. 1 Peter 5:8

1 Peter 5:8 ESV

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

With that in mind, we are aware that Satan is stretching as far as he can on the leash God has set him on to create chaos and destruction for God’s people until the day of Judgement when he will be finally dealt with. Until then, we are here warned that Satan plants weeds in the world. These weeds are symbolized by all the infertile soil mentioned in the parable of the sower. It includes those who are hostile to the Gospel and outright reject it, as well as those who receive the Gospel with joy but in the end show themselves to be unregenerate and apostate in the visible church. We must remember here that Jesus tells us in verse 38 that the field is the world, not the church. Although many of these weeds manage to get themselves into churches, even into pulpits, these weeds represent all who either deny the Gospel or who are not truly converted. They are children of their father, the devil, and make the Saint’s experience in this world difficult in many ways, but especially when they make their way into the visible church. This is the dilema that the parable deals with: Christ has set up his Kingdom on this earth, and yet the enemy has also set up his kingdom in the same place. Both kingdoms exist together and at times it is difficult to tell members of one from members of the other. This leads us into the next part of the story.

The Time Until the Harvest

The next part of this parable begins in verse 26 when the plants begin to sprout. Two things are clear here. First, some of the plants show themselves to be weeds right away, since in verse 27 the servants of the Master are able to see that some of the plants growing in the field are weeds. However, what is also plain is that the servants are not able to tell the identity of every plant. This is clear in the reason the Master gives for not plucking up the weeds right away (vs 29): “no, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.” So while some weeds prove to be weeds right away, some plants that appear to be weeds are actually wheat, and likewise some that appear to be wheat are actually weeds, since this is was part of the purpose of the enemy all along.

So, while Christ has come and planted his Kingdom in this world in the hearts of believers, the enemy has done the same and members of the two are not always obvious. While the weeds may be plucked out immediately, this would mean plucking up genuine wheat. There are those elect individuals who now live in sin and unbelief who, in time, will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ by faith. If judgement were to happen now, they would be cast into hell, and God cannot pour his wrath out on those who has eternally elected to love and show his mercy to. Implicit in this is also the reverse truth: that some of the weeds would remain, being unrecognizable from the wheat, and the problem would continue in the field. Some of the wheat could be lost and the weeds would still be there.

When we ask the question: “Why does God still allow evil to exist in this world?” the answer is simple: if God were to eradicate evil in this world right now, before the appointed time, than his saving purposes would not come to full completion. Some of those predestined to be saved would go to hell, and some apostates would remain and continue to make this world an evil place. God will not allow this so, in his wisdom, he allows both to remain during this age.

It is therefore God’s will that, while the age of sowing and growing remains, while the age of Gospel preaching continues, evil will exist and even thrive in this world. This does not negate the truth that Christ has defeated sin and death on the cross, nor does it take away from his ultimate authority over creation. Instead, God patiently endures the existence of evil because of his mercy and love for each stalk of wheat. His allowance of evil to remain should not be interpreted as impotence or carelessness from God; quite the opposite! His care for his people results in him letting us endure this evil world so that we may show ourselves to be true wheat in the end through patient endurance and trust in his sovereign hand while we wait for the harvest.

Throughout church history, there have been those who have tried to squash the evil of this world in many different ways. The Roman Catholic Church burned heretics, the American Puritans imposed fines on those who did not observe the Sabbath, Amish and Mennonite communities distance themselves from modern life to create an isolated Christian society, and modern Christian Triumphalists speak about reforming western countries like the US and Canada to make them Christian countries again. All of these groups miss the point of this text. Evil is not going to go away until the day of judgement. It is not our job to get rid of the weeds; that is a responsibility God has given to angels, not men. The weeds will always be there, growing alongside us until the final day. They will be in our families, our workplaces, our politics, our arts, our sciences, our healthcare, and yes, even in our churches. The calling of the church is not to root out the weeds, the calling of the church and each individual Christian to keep themselves pure in a world where the sons of the enemy still thrive in the hope of our ultimate vindication and victory. We are to seek out the lost, proclaim the Gospel, bear the fruit of Christ-likeness and good works, and do what we can to keep the church pure so that we may thrive and show ourselves to be true children of our Father and partaker of Jesus Christ in that final day.

Conclusion

It was my intention to take on this entire parable today, but time does not permit it, so let us close with these thoughts.

First, when Jesus came and preached the Gospel, the Kingdom of God was established. On the cross and at the empty tomb, the final victory was won. It was the D-Day of our salvation, and though the war between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of the devil continues, with both kingdoms living side-by-side in this age, our victory is certain. Jesus died and purchased a people for himself and Satan can never undo that. All he can do is plant his children in the world in order to discourage and become hostile to those who are Christs. And yet, the poisonous darnel, with its invasive roots and the toxic spores it emits, will never destroy the crop which Christ has planted in his own body and blood. They can never steal our nourishment, because it comes from him. In another metaphor, he is the vine and we are the branches, and as long as we abide in him by faith in his loving fellowship with him we have nothing to fear.

As this age goes by, the populations of wheat and darnel ebb and flow. We live in a time where apostasy is greatly on the rise and people are leaving the church. Only 31% of Canadians claim to be Christians and go to church at least once a month, which is a massive decline over the last 50 years. This is certainly something to concern us, but not something we should worry about. Nor does it mean, as some say, that the church isn’t doing its job. It is Christ who plants the good seed and we know that that the weeds will always be there. We certainly hope and pray for revival, but also recognize that revival is a temporary work of grace and will not last in keeping the weeds at bay. Let us not be discouraged as we see the world become less and less influenced by Christianity, because that is the nature of the two kingdoms living side by side. Instead, let us each put our hand to plow, share the Gospel faithfully, seek further unity and growth in Christ, fellowship with the Saints, and bear the fruit of true Children of God. Although the day of the Harvest is not known to us, we know that God is faithful and he will keep us firm and hold us fast until that day.

While we cannot keep ourselves physically separate from the world, we are commanded elsewhere in the NT to keep the Church pure. Of course, everyone is welcome to attend the church services and experience the blessing of hearing the Word and observing our worship, but the membership of the church must, as much as we are able, be kept clear of darnel. Darnel can poison the wheat as well as suck out all the nutrients from the surrounding soil. That is why our membership process can seem a bit long, and why we take church discipline seriously. Our goal is to make our membership a heavenly community where we may taste of the eternal promises which we long for. For this reason, we do not remove ourselves from the world, the field which we share with the weeds, but we are to make our church membership community a place of rest for the people of God, and that means putting in the effort to make it a pure community.

And finally, consider which of these plants in the field you are, for you are either one or the other. Remember that darnel can look very much like wheat as it sprouts and begins to grow, but rather than bearing good, full grain it bears a poisonous fungus. You may call yourself a Christian, you may have grown up in the church, or you may not but consider yourself a good person and certainly not a weed planted in this world by the devil. But unless you are in Christ, and unless the seed of the Gospel of the Kingdom has germinated by faith in him who died for your sins and rose that you might have life, you are not his child. But that can change today. Although you life may have looked a lot like the life of a weed up until now, faith in Jesus Christ will prove you to be one of his precious crop. Whoever you are, whatever your past, whatever your past, come to Christ. Do not delay, for the harvest is coming, as we will see next week. The weeds will be burned but the children of God in Christ will shine like the Sun. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ today, and you will be forever his, both in this age of growing in a mixed field, and in the age to come where we will forever enjoy the glory of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ our Lord.