The Wheat and the Tares

Background

In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus goes into a boat on the sea and proclaims EIGHT parables. The Parable of the Sower, the Parable of the Wheat & Tares, the Parable of the Mustard Seed, the Parable of the Leaven, the Parable of the Hidden Treasure, the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price, the Parable of the Dragnet, and the Parable of the Householder.

In the Parable of the Sower, we learn that not everyone is going to accept the Gospel. We also learn that some people accept the Gospel, but then fall away. And then some people accept the Gospel and actually become fruitful.

After Jesus gets through telling the Parable of the Sower, Jesus explains the reason for His teaching in parables:

Jesus says that some people have eyes to see, but refuse to see the Truth; they have ears to hear, but they refuse to hear and understand the Truth!

Meanwhile, those who truly WANT to know the Truth will take the time to decipher the meaning of Jesus’ parables!

Well, we keep surveying through some of these parables in Matthew 13 and we also come to the Parable of the Mustard Seed — In this parable, we learn that the Kingdom had small beginnings (like a tiny little mustard seed), but grew into a grand tree (so this parable shows the rampant growth of God’s kingdom).

The Parable of the Leaven also shows rampant growth of the Kingdom by illustrating the power of yeast to cause bread to rise.

In the Parables of both the Hidden Treasure & the Pearl of Great Price, we learn that the kingdom of God is very precious/very valuable!

In the Parable of the Dragnet, we learn that as the dragnet was cast into the see, the fishermen caught all sorts of stuff — some a good catch of fish, some NOT a good catch of fish — so the good catch of fish was kept, but the bad fish that made its way into the net was separated from the good — Lesson being that at the end of the world, the good will be separated from the bad! (Hold that thought, because that’s the major theme of our parable of the Tares too!)

In the Parable of the Householder, Jesus seems to indicate the idea of a treasure trove of new and old information being uncovered as Jesus fulfills the prophecies of Himself and His Kingdom.

Well, we’re going to look at one last parable in the chapter for our main discussion this morning, but before we do that, take a look at how the people reacted to Jesus shortly thereafter. (Read Matthew 13:54-58).

Matthew 13:54–58 NKJV

When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

3. Isn’t that a shame?!

4. Well, let’s get into the meat of the text that we want to look at now …

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

(Read Matt. 13:24-26).

Matthew 13:24–26 NKJV

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.

(Matt. 13:27-29).

Matthew 13:27–29 NKJV

So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.

(Matt. 13:30).

Matthew 13:30 NKJV

Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

First of all, what is a tare?

More or less, a WEED, right?

The opposite of what you want in your crop!

It’s worthless! It doesn’t do any good. It’s not of any use to the farmer!

So what we have here is a farmer who has put in the work to get a good crop, but an enemy comes in and plants WEEDS in his crop to try to destroy it!

Now who does THAT sound like?

Sounds like SATAN doesn’t it!

That’s what he does, and that’s what his WORKERS do — everything they can to interfere with the work of God!

Now, we might expect to just go ahead and try to weed the field of the tares right off the bat, but that’s not the strategy of the farmer — lest he accidentally uproot the wheat in the process!

So he let’s them grow together until the harvest time, when the good (the wheat) can be sifted from the bad (the tares).

Now, what is the deeper meaning to all of this?

Well, luckily for us the disciples ask Jesus, and He tells us exactly what this means!

The Parable Explained

(Read Matt. 13:36-38).

Matthew 13:36–38 NKJV

Then 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.” He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.

(Matt. 13:39-40).

Matthew 13:39–40 NKJV

The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.

(Matt. 13:41-43).

Matthew 13:41–43 NKJV

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, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

4. So what can we gather from all of this? What is the application that Jesus wants us to see?

First of all, keep in mind that these are all KINGDOM parables — We’re talking about the kingdom of God that is His church!

So you’ve got to remember that context in this parable and then you can realize the main point!

Jesus is saying that within the church, you’re going to find some PRETENDERS!

You’re going to find people that are just “PLAYING A PART” — hypocrites! Fakes! Phonies!

And brethren, we need to be on the lookout!

Brethren, in Jesus’ day there were people called PHARISEES — people called SADDUCEES as well — people Jesus referred to as “scribes, Pharisees, HYPOCRITES!”

Jesus said that they were “blind leaders of the blind!”

He said that they were a “generation of vipers!”

He said that they drew near to Jesus with their MOUTHS, and honored Him with their LIPS, but their HEARTS were FAR from Him!

Jesus said that these people worshiped Him in VAIN, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men!

Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven!”

“MANY will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”

Jesus talked about how these people DEVOURED WIDOWS’ HOUSES, and for PRETENSE make LONG prayers. — Jesus then said, “Therefore (they) will receive greater condemnation!”

5. ALL these people considered themselves to be “faithful Jews,” and yet in reality Jesus says that they were NOT EVEN CLOSE!

6. In essences, they were TARES in the wheat!

7. Question — If that could be the case with people who thought they were “faithful Jews,” could it not be the case that the same could be said about people who just THINK they are faithful Christians?!

8. Brethren, we’ve GOT to examine ourselves to make sure we are truly “IN the faith!”

9. Turn with me to …

Psalm 12

We just mentioned a lot of how Jesus described people who are PRETENDERS, people who He described as the TARES.

Now let’s look at an O.T. description of the same!

(Psa. 12:1-2).

Psalm 12:1–2 NKJV

Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

(Psa. 12:3-4).

Psalm 12:3–4 NKJV

May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, And the tongue that speaks proud things, Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; Who is lord over us?”

(Psa. 12:5-6).

Psalm 12:5–6 NKJV

“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.” The words of the Lord are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times.

(Psa. 12:7-8).

Psalm 12:7–8 NKJV

You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever. The wicked prowl on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

Conclusion:

What will be of the ones we’re talking about — the pretenders — the tares?

Jesus says, “Leave them be … for now!”

“But when the day comes, bundle them up, and cast them into the fire! There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth!”

You don’t want to be a “pretender Christian” — You don’t want to be a TARE — on the day of Judgment! What about you?