Weeds among Wheat

Intro: Last week we looked at The Parable of the Soils/sower. We pointed out that there is only one right response to the gospel message that leads to salvation. This response will allow the seed of the gospel to take root, grow, and bear fruit. Any other response is illegitimate and will result in eternal judgement.

In today’s sermon will look at another parable that Jesus told using similar elements yet with a different application. This parable is prophetic in nature because it gives us both a description of the end of the world and and the order of how the events transpire.

In order to understand this parable fully, we need to go back to the O.T. to Genesis 3:1-4. After explaining the elements of this parable first we will then look at its applciation

Genesis 3:1–4 CSB

1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. 3 But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman.

Satan has always bee the great imitator and deceiver. God created Adam and Eve in a perfect state in a perfect creation that belongs to him. Satan came in and began to preach to them that they could be more than what they are. They could be like god or in essence little gods. Now keep that in the back of your mind as we read our text for today.

Matthew 13:24–30 CSB

24 He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. 26 When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. 27 The landowner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’ 28 “ ‘An enemy did this,’ he told them. “ ‘So, do you want us to go and pull them up?’ the servants asked him. 29 “ ‘No,’ he said. ‘When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.’ ”

Definition : The Kingdom of heaven may be compared to:

This statement is meant to give us context or insight into the meaning of the story. Jesus is telling us at the very beginning if you want a glimpse of what the Kingdom of heaven looks like and how it operates listen up. Jesus uses this statement with varied frequency when sharing parables.

I. Elements of the Parable

A. Two Different Sowers

- The owner/Son of Man Matthew 13:37

Matthew 13:37 CSB

37 He replied, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man;

In this parable we see that the field belongs to the owner, Jesus Christ himself. we see that the field represents the world. We see the sovereignty of Christ, The world belongs to him. However, there is an enemy...

- The Enemy/ Satan Matthew 13:39

Matthew 13:39 CSB

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

The enemy is Satan. In Roman times there was an actual law on the books that prevented a person from doing this very thing. It is recorded in history that people actually would sneak into an enemies field and sow bad seed. So once again Jesus uses and everyday example to to point those who would listen to a greater truth.

Trans: We see in this parable two different seeds

C. Two Different Seeds Matthew 13:38

Matthew 13:38 CSB

38 the field is the world; and the good seed—these are the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one,

-Seed of Wheat (Children of the Kingdom)

Wheat was a staple grain and still is in middle-eastern society.

- Seed of the Tares or Weeds (Children of the evil one)

This weed was known as darnel. In its stages of development if was very difficult to discern true wheat from the false wheat of Darnel. Darnel was not edible, in fact it was toxic to consume. It was only at the time of harvest when the fruit was visible that one could easily distinguish the difference. This means that the children of the evil one will look a whole lot like the Children of the Kingdom. This is important to understand

One Plant is full of life; the other death.

Application: Satan is the great deceiver. He will always follow the behind the gospel work offering a message of his own. His message is the doctrine of demons (I Timothy 4:1

1 Timothy 4:1 CSB

1 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,

2 Timothy 4:3 CSB

3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear.

The reality is not only are people in the world following these teachings. There are many in the world who claim to be believers that are proclaiming these doctrines.

Galatians 1:9 CSB

9 As we have said before, I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him!

the word “curse” comes from the word “anathema” it can mean cursed/damned.

D. The Harvest Matthew 13:39-42

Matthew 13:39–42 CSB

39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all who cause sin and those guilty of lawlessness. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Tares/ The Children of the evil one are gathered first and thrown into the fire

Wheat - Gathered and put into the owners barns

II. The Application of the Parable

In today’s parable we see that Jesus proclaims there are two seeds being sown in the same field. The field represents the world. When these seeds are firmly planted will bring forth fruit. The good seed will bring forth good fruit. This is once again indicative of the gospel message as presented in the parable of the sowers. The gospel message when received will produce fruit.

The bad seed is a false gospel and when received will also produce fruit, but the fruit that it produces is a toxic poison.

Jesus uses this imagery to share a truth in a way that the audience would understand. The good seed was most likely wheat and the bad seed a plant named “darnel”. It was by the fruit that one could tell which seed had been planted. The wheat kernels would be golden brown and good for food. The Darnell would produce black kernels and were toxic and harmful.

One seed was planted by the Son of Man, Jesus and the other by the enemy or Satan as recorded for us in Genesis 3:1-4. Satan is the great imitator/deceiver in his attempt to frustrate the plans of Yahweh God, he will imitate and pervert what God has said and done. Notice the lie He told Adam and Eve. God’s is limiting your development. God created man to be perfect and Satan told them they could be something more. They good be like god or little gods.

Jesus us told us of a coming day when both the plants of the kingdom and the plants of Satan would grow side by side and for many people it will be hard for them to distinguish the real from the false.

Now I will play for you some clips of preachers from some of the largest churches in the USA and world.

Do you not see that the church of satan and the supposed church of god are now agreeing on the same message and to many they cannot tell the difference between the children of the kingdom and the children of the evil one.

The message that was first told by the serpent in the garden of eden. We see as predicted by Jesus in this parable that in our day that that both the wheat and that tares are growing up side by side. Matthew 13:30

Matthew 13:30 CSB

30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.’ ”

One fruit leads to life and the other toxic fruit to death. It amazes me that today even gospel preaching pastors have become so spineless. They will not warn their flock that not only are the wolves in sheep’s clothing coming. They are already here.

Acts 20:29 CSB

29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

but one day soon they will be separated.

Look what the scripture says in Matthew 13:28-30.

We see that at the end of the age/world. The owner of the field Jesus Christ gives his servants the angels some very specific instructions. He says, gather the weeds first…..Then collect the true harvest into my barn.

Trans: Jesus gives us a hint of how these events will transpire. At the end of the age/world the children of the evil one, the lost, will be gathered when?

First. And then the saints....last.

We see this theme throughout scripture

John 6:39 CSB

39 This is the will of him who sent me: that I should lose none of those he has given me but should raise them up on the last day.

John 6:40 CSB

40 For this is the will of my Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 6:44 CSB

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day.

John 6:54 CSB

54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day,

John 11:24 CSB

24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

1 Corinthians 15:52 CSB

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.

I want you to notice the theme of when the the saints of God will be gathered and raised to life. It is on the last day.

church family I submit to you this morning that it is easy to make an interpretive error when studying end-times prophecy.

One mistake that is often made is that we take an obscure verse and use that verse to interpret what is plainly written. Instead of using what is clear to interpret what is obscure.

My goal today is not to change your mind about what you believe about end-time events but rather to get you to at least consider the validity of other possible scenarios.

So then what is the good news in this passage?

The weeds will not choke out the wheat.

I think its so easy for us to look out at the world and think that we as the people of God are being choked out. But we will endure. This parable illustrates once again that not matter how bad things look the kingdom of God is growing and producing fruit in the middle of a garden filled with weeds.

2. The harvest is soon coming. For the wicked there will be eternal punishment. But for the children of God Matthew 13:43

Matthew 13:43 CSB

43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let anyone who has ears listen.

There is coming a day that all of the wickedness of this world will be removed. There will no more suffering, no more anquish, and no more death. All things will be made right and all of creation will be restored and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. If in our hard times we can just hold on this idea. If we can simply glimpse the finish line in this verse than we can live with hope and not fear.