The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares - Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Introduction:The enemy is at work. He is sowing his seed (tares) among the true believers (Wheat). We need to be aware of this. It must not shock us, but it should awaken us. We need to know that Satan is at work around us, and that we must be alert (1 Peter 5:8).

I have read that the parable before us of the wheat and the tares builds upon the parable of the Sower, the Seed, and the Soil (13:1-9, 18-23). If you recall, there were four types of soil:

· The wayside soil.

· The stony soil.

· The thorny soil.

· The good soil.

The soil in the parable represented four types of human hearts. Of the four types of hearts only one produced fruit, was truly saved, 75% were lost. Consider that thought among all Christendom today. Not all who profess Christ are Christs. There are a lot of fake believers.

In this chapter we have before us an earthly story about two types of people. Those who have responded to God's present reign in Jesus Christ (the Kingdom), and those who have not responded to the present reign of Jesus Christ (by grace through faith come to Christ).

There are seven key elements found in this parable. What are they?

I. The Sower – 13:36-37

36Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

Back in verse 24, Jesus stated that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who's sows good seed in his field.

Good seed is free from containments (1 John 3:3). If you were to go to North 40 you could buy certified seed. This means it has been tested and found to be free from anything that would hinder it from producing a sound crop.

I find it interesting that in the first parable, the parable of the Sower that Christ is the one sowing seed, and the seed is the word of God. Also, I believe that we can surmise from the first parable that anyone who sows (shares the good news) is the Sower. In the second parable Jesus clearly states that there was a man who sowed good seed. As we drop down to verse 37, we discover as Jesus explains the parable that He is the man. Christ is the one who sowed the good seed in the field.

II. The Field – 13:38

38The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.

Jesus clearly tells us here in this second parable that the field is the world. Scripture tells us two things about the word:

· For God so loved the world (John 3:16).

· Go into all the world and preach the Gospel (Matthew 28:19).

However, in the first parable the world is pictured as soil, And in the world there are various types of soil. Jesus presented four types of soil. Remember, these four soils represent four types of human hearts:

· wayside - hard hearts.

· rocky soil - shallow hearts.

· thorny soil – troubled hearts.

· good soil - receptive hearts.

Do you and I believe that the “field” is the world? Well, Jesus said so! Do we understand the implications of this truth? The good seed has been scattered throughout the whole world. Around the globe the good seed has been planted. This is what Jesus is teaching here.

The seed in the first parable was the word of God, and it fell on four types of hearts. What is the seed in this parable according to Jesus?

III. The Seed – 13:38

38The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.

The good seed here in this parable are the children of the Kingdom. They are Kingdom citizens (Philippians 3:20). They are sons and daughters of the King. Are you a child of God? If you are, then you are called, good seeds.

Throughout the world Christ has sown His seed. They are scattered throughout the whole world. You and I find good seed (believers) in China, Korea, Japan, Australia, Germany, Russia, Poland, Europe, Israel, Iraq, Iran, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and even here in the United States of America.

As I mentioned in the previous chapter there are some 2.1 billion people worldwide who claim to be believers. Keep in mind that this takes an all of Christendom.

It is important to remember that good seed always remains good seed.

IV. The Tares – 13:38b-39

38 but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

Who are the tares? They are called the sons of the wicked one. Satan has his children too. If you are not a child of God, then you are a child of the devil.

Where did the tares come from? ICR (Institute for Creation Research) has a radio program entitled Back to Genesis, in which they remind us that everything had a beginning back in the book of Genesis. We find out where sin originated in the book of Genesis. We also find where tares come from back in the book of Genesis. We read in Genesis 3:15,

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

This verse is talking about the curse that God placed upon the serpent. Notice carefully that Satan has “seed” and that the woman has “Seed”. Notice too that the second “Seed” in this verse is capitalized. This is clearly Speaking of Christ.

Are you aware that prior to your salvation that you had close ties with the devil? And some of you are having a difficult time breaking away from the devil. We read in Ephesians 2:2, the following,

“in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,”

This verse is in the past tense - we are not to walk the ways of the devil once saved. We are to put off the works of the flesh (Ephesians 4:22).

You must ask yourself if you have truly come to faith in Christ. Are you truly a child of God? This is an urgent matter. Don't put it off.

Some time ago I was talking with a couple, and I shared with them that there are only two types of people in the world I used the following contrasts:

· Saints and aints

Here in this parable, Jesus used the words:

· Wheat and tares (the same ideas being expressed).

The Bible also speaks of the differences using animals such as:

· Sheep and goats (Matthew 25).

Another name that is used by Bible teachers for tares is the term, darnel. Darnel is a seed that is scarcely distinguishable from wheat seed, and it is not until they have grown up together that you can spot the difference. Darnel is a noxious, poisonous weed. I read the following about Darnel:

“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.

It is important for us to realize that Satan cannot uproot true believers, so he sows counterfeits among true believers (2 Corinthians 11:14). In this case we must also recognize that these counterfeits will be religious by nature. It's not the drunk, the drug addict, or the street walker that has been sown among us. No, it's the religious (See John 8:44), and often the extremely self-pious.

The tares growing among the wheat all have the markings of true believer. The tares are probably good at:

· Attending church.

· Praying long prayers.

· Reading the Bible

· Giving money.

· Serving in ministries.

Warren W. Wiersbe writes, “We must beware of Satan's counterfeits. He has counterfeit Christians (2 Corinthians 11:26) who believe a counterfeit gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). He encourages a counterfeit righteousness (Romans 10:1-3), and even has a counterfeit church (revelation 2:9). At the end of the age, he will produce a counterfeit Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12).[1]

The only way to move out of the realm of Satan’s world, and into the Kingdom of heaven is through a process called REGENERATION(rebirth – Titus 3:5). This word simply means, born again. Hear what Jesus said in John 3:5,

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.”

Someone has written, “Praise God that we live in an age of grace where tares can become wheat, sinners can be fashioned to the saints, and slaves of Satan can become servants of God.”

V. The Enemy – 13:39

39The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

The enemy is mentioned in verses 25, 28, 38, 39.

The Greek word for “enemy” is “diabolos”, and it means, traducer, liar, against all that is true, high and noble. Satan himself is being described here in that verse.

Most of us know that when the term “enemy” is used that we're not speaking about a friend. Jesus made it clear, “the enemy that sowed them was the devil,” We must not think for a moment that Satan will sit idly by and allow God's work to go unhindered. According to verse 25, it was while men slept that the enemy came along and sowed the tares into the field. Most of us would agree that Satan does some of his most wicked work at night – in the cover of darkness.

One author wrote, “The word “sleeping” does not mean that the Christians were sleeping on the job, being lazy, and not tending to the spiritual welfare of others, but it means that they were unaware of what had happened.”

That is a good point. Satan knows when to do his darkest work.

The following passages warn us of how evil infiltrates the ranks of the good:

· 2 Peter 2:2 - 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

· 2 Timothy 3:1-5 - 1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

· Jude 4 - 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Please hear what I'm about to say, the enemy does not want you or our church to succeed. We must not quit, we must not give in, but we must press on move forward as the body of Christ.

VI. The Harvest – 13:39

39The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

Jesus speaks of the harvest to come. Farmers sow seed with the idea that they will reap a harvest. According to Jesus the harvest will occur at the end of the age. The harvest will occur at the appointed time of God the father.

For now, both the Wheat and the Tares will grow together in the field. I also believe that in this verse we need to see the long-suffering of God (2 Peter 3:9 - God does not want anyone to perish). Why doesn't God deal with the tares today? He could - He's God! However, God allows the tares to grow right alongside of the wheat, and in doing so he is providing them a day in and day out opportunity to place their faith in the person of Jesus Christ.

This opportunity will not always be there. Harvest day is fast approaching! The end of the age is close. It is at hand.

VII. The Reapers – 13:39

39The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

Pretty clear, don't you think? The reapers are the angels. The angels will have the ability to distinguish between the tares and the wheat, the counterfeit from the true. The unholy from the truly righteous.

There are three very distinct responsibilities placed upon the angels. They are:

1. They are told to gather the tares – 13:30

At the end of the age the angels will go throughout the world and they will gather the tares together. The Bible speaks of ten thousand times ten thousand of angels (Daniel 7:10; Revelation 5:11). God has a very succinct work assignment for them. They will have a responsibility to carry out at the end of the age. It will be no problem for them to accomplish.

2. They will bundle the tares – 13:30

This is a very interesting thought. Some scholars believe that this speaks of how various people groups gather into clusters. They believe that at the end of the age that the angels will bundle certain tares together. Consider verse 41,

“The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness.”

In the Book of Revelation, we read of those who will not enter God's Kingdom. Consider the following as a list:

“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8).

The tares will be numerous.

3. They will cast the tares into the fire - 13:30, 42

What we're looking at here is eternal separation from God. There is a literal hell (it is real, it's not something mystical), and tares, those who are lost and outside of Jesus Christ will one day be cast into the lake of fire – forever!

In verse 42, we have a vivid picture of hell. We read,

“and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

Hell is not a paradise, and there are no luxury suites there. It's not a place where you will party with your friends. The words, “furnace of fire” provide for us a picture of the intensity of heat in hell. The words, “wailing and gnashing of teeth” provide the picture of just how painful of a place hell will be.

Hear this with your ears- no one needs to go to hell. God has provided salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible says,

“He who has the son has life; he who does not have the son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:12)

The reapers will gather the tares, bundle them, and then cast them into the furnace of fire, but what about the wheat? Look at verse 43. We read,

“Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Again, this verse is very self-explanatory. The righteous are those who have placed their true faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Christ died for your sins, and he offers you, his righteousness. Have you repented from your sins and called upon Jesus Christ to save you? This is the only way to become a child of God. There is salvation and no other name (Acts 4:12). I encourage you to come to Christ right now. Today is the day of salvation. Don't put it off for another time - you might not have another time.

The righteous in Christ will shine forth in the Father's Kingdom. What a glorious day that will be.

Please don't miss the conclusion of verse 43,

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Understanding and comprehending this parable literally is a matter of life and death. You are either wheat, or tares - which is it? You know!

This parable teaches us that the wheat and the tares will grow together until the end of the age. Saved and unsaved will be side by side many times. It is so important that we realize this. The enemy, the devil, doesn't want God's work to thrive. He has sown his seed into God's field, and the results are that we have counterfeits among us. Therefore, it is important that we never grow tired of preaching the lifesaving message of Jesus Christ. Jesus died for you, so that you would not have to die, to be separated from God the Father forever. Jesus Christ died so that you and I could be forgiven, and brought into God's true forever family.

Conclusion: What steps do you need to take? What steps do you need to take right now at this very moment in time? I suggest that you take the following five steps:

1. Go to God in prayer - just talk with him.

2. Ask God to forgive you of your sins – repent.

3. receive Jesus Christ into your heart and life as your savior.

4. Turn your life over to him completely as Lord (master controller).

5. Begin to grow in your new life in Christ.

Christians don't make a mockery of Christ. Live out your faith in Christ. Be the real thing so that the whole world knows.

[1] Warren W Wiersbe, Quick Verse Deluxe 2008