Weeds Among the Wheat

Introduction

Previously we had seen four messages on the kingdom of God taking root.

These are parables that talk about fundamental aspects of the kingdom: the new cloth and bottles - the kingdom is not contained in or by anything in this world; the two debtors - the woman loved much because she was forgiven much, and kingdom citizens love much; then we saw the sower and the soil - kingdom citizens listen to the word and watch the condition of the soil of their heart and the cost of discipleship

We will now look at 4 messages on the presence of the kingdom.

Parables are extended metaphors or similes. When a person is ready to receive Jesus’ message, the parables move from being riddles to being life lessons (Matt 13:10–17, 34–35). The stories or similes suddenly make sense of the kingdom of heaven—God’s reign—and what it’s all about.What this all means is that to understand Jesus’ parables, we have to live them. Or as Jesus puts it, we will truly see and hear his words about the kingdom of heaven as we learn to observe and live them (Mark 4:10–12, 33–34; Luke 8:9–10).In these eight lessons, we will examine a series of parables Jesus delivered in Galilee, the region where he grew up; we will then look at four parables he delivered during his last journey to Jerusalem and the cross.

Parables: Portraits of God’s Kingdom in Matthew, Mark, and Luke Lesson 1: The Weeds and the Wheat

Pray that Jesus would reveal to you how to follow him in a world that opposes him.

Main idea: the kingdom will make its away among hearts, competing pressures and even failure. It will produce an abundant crop. So should we separate the crop from the weeds? Should we separate Christians from the world? Well there will be a delay in this separation!

Kingdom citizens should take courage in the midst of an evil world, finding hope in the justice and reward of final judgment.

Matthew 13:24–30 AV

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.

Now we didn’t read vv. 31-35 but in these jesus tells the parables of the grain of mustard seed, a parable about leaven and the sower and the soil a bit earlier in this chapter.

But look at v. 36

Matthew 13:36 AV

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

Why did the disciples want more explanation about this parable? Well, we’re not sure, but for some reason it may have been more troubling to them.

1. The Sowing of the Seeds

vv. 24-25

There’s an important similarity here in v. 24. These seeds were planted together. But while they were planted together we must note some significant things.

A. The Seeds Are Different

We see that there was good seed in v. 24 and tares or weeds in v. 25.

The picture of the seeds has progressed little bit from the Sower and the Soil parable.

Matthew 13:38 AV

38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

The good seed now represents those who heard the word (seed) and the tares or weeds are those that rejected the word.

These tares/weeds are trusting in something else - maybe self, maybe baptism, maybe religion, or good works, but they did not receive the seed of the word.

These seeds while different were sown in the same place - the world - the same field. To be clear this is not talking about the church - it is talking about the interaction of the kingdom of heaven in the world.

Yes, there are examples of wheat and weeds in the church but the scope here is broader.

B. The Sowers are Different

We see that the good seeds was sown by the owner - or as in v. 37, the Son of Man, Jesus. The weeds were sown by the enemy or as we see in v. 39, the devil.

So this parable shows that both the Lord and the devil sow seed. Their actions are the same, but who they are is very very different.

Note that the devil sowed while the owner slept - the likes to work his wickedness in the dark. We must watch for the devil and his wicked ways.

2. The Growing of the Seeds

vv. 27-30a

A. They Act Identical

Their activity was similar. The wheat and the weeds/tares grew right alongside each other. All kinds of people can grow in Bible knowledge

Matthew 7:21–22 AV

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

B. They Appear Identical

They could not be differentiated early on.

But here tares is a specific word. It was the bearded darnel.

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke (c. The Parable of the Weeds (13:24–30))

What he sowed was zizania (“weeds”)—almost certainly bearded darnel (lolium temulentum), which is botanically close to wheat and difficult to distinguish from it when the plants are young. The roots of the two plants entangle themselves around each other; but when the heads of grain appear on the wheat, there is no doubt which plant is which (v. 26). This weed the enemy sowed “among the wheat”; the Greek suggests thorough distribution. The growing plants gradually become identifiable, and the servants tell their master about the weeds.

Actually in some areas, this bearded darnel is called ‘false wheat.’

C. They Produce Differently

The tares, weeds, the bearded darnel produces no fruit, nothing healthy or beneficial, but is actually poisonous.

On the outside the tares or weeds look ok, but inside they are poisonous, sickly, and dangerous.

They don’t have the fruit of the Spirit as pastor has been teaching.

There are people in this world that on the outside look like Christians, ‘grow’ like Christians, even act like Christians, but given enough time their true nature will eventually show.

3. The Winnowing of the Harvest

v. 30b

The Sermon Notebook: New Testament Are You Wheat or Are You Tares? (Matthew 13:24–30)

The picture here is this: You and I cannot really tell the difference between the genuine and the artificial! If we set ourselves up as judges and start trying to weed out those we think may be tares, we will certainly pull up some of the wheat as well. (Ill. The word “among” in v. 25 means “every other one”.) Judging between the real and the false is God’s job and it must remain that way! All we see is the outward appearance, but God is able to look upon the heart, 1 Sam. 16:7.

2 Peter 2:9 AV

9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

God is the one that will winnow or reap the harvest. It is not our job to eliminate the tares or weeds from this world. It’s not our job to make the world more Christians.

Jesus is telling us that yes, the kingdom is present now among us, but it has not yet reached it’s full presentation.

CONCLUSION

Matthew B. The Kingdom: The Faithful Must Coexist with Evil until Judgment (13:24–30)

To the farmer, it was more important to save the good wheat than to get rid of the weeds. He instructed his workers to leave the weeds until the harvest, when the two could be sorted out. Notice the verbal emphasis on the side-by-side existence of the wheat and the weeds. They are both to grow together. But when the two are separated, the weeds are burned, and the wheat is gathered into the farmer’s barn. Jesus was careful to put into the farmer’s mouth the words my barn, rather than simply, “the barn.” Jesus hinted here at the loving, personal possessiveness the Lord has for his faithful.

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke c. The Parable of the Weeds (13:24–30)

Nowhere in Matthew does “kingdom” (or “reign”—see on 3:2) become “church” (see on 16:18; and esp. 13:37–39). The parable does not address the church situation at all but explains how the kingdom can be present in the world while not yet wiping out all opposition. That must await the harvest. The parable deals with eschatological expectation, not ecclesiological deterioration.