Matthew 13:24-30
This parable appears only in Matthew, between the parable of the “soils” and the parable of “mustard-seed faith.” Careless readers may find it challenging because Jesus does not immediately explain it, but first presents additional short parables which also illustrate the nature of His kingdom. His explanation (vv. 36-43) comes in response to His disciples’ questions – they were clearly struggling to understand these parables. This is also one of the few “parables of the kingdom” which presents the activities of an antagonistic figure (the “enemy”) who attempts to sabotage the good work of the “sower.”
As with the parable of the sower and soils, here the kingdom and the field also represent the world as a whole. The good seed (“wheat”) represents those who live “in” Christ while the tares stand for those who live apart from Him in the way of the world. The harvest represents the day of judgement at the end of time (rather than a “harvest of souls” as in Matthew 9:38).
Most commentators identify the “tares” here as a variety of darnel, a noxious, grassy weed that resembles both wheat and barley when it first sprouts. The “good seed” is simply an edible grain (“wheat” in verse 25 is a generic word for any edible grain), and the farmer clearly intends to produce a valuable, useful crop.
The seven verses of this parable tell a simple tale of hard work and malicious mischief. The “Owner” of the field goes to considerable effort and expense to plant a crop. His good efforts are promptly compromised, however, by an enemy who overseeds his field with the seeds of worthless weeds. The enemy’s malicious intention is unmistakable, because he left after planting the weeds. According to The New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible (p. 926) darnel is mildly poisonous, and The New Bible Dictionary (p. 1238) notes that planting tares in a field as an act of revenge was a crime under Roman laws.
This evil act of pollution goes undetected until the two plants begin to put on their grains (vs. 26). The farm owner’s servants bring the situation to his attention, and he immediately identifies the situation as an act of sabotage. Although the servants are willing to go through the field and root out the tares, the farmer rejects their plan because the intertwined roots of both plants would result in the good grain being uprooted along with the weeds. Instead, the crops are allowed to grow together until the harvest, when the tares are separated for burning while the wheat is gathered into the barn.
The main point of these “kingdom parables” is that the Son of Man (vs. 37) is not the only person “planting seed” in the world! He is followed by an “enemy” who is deliberately planting a very different sort of seed! In the previous parable, he was shown as snatching away the good seed (vs. 19), but here he is not content to simply remove what falls on the wayside ground. The evil one’s actions here explain why Christ’s church always struggles with things like false teaching, personality conflicts, and moral failings among her members. By introducing the evil influence of the tares, the devil also deprives the good seed of the “nutrients” taken up by the growing of the tares; how many congregations have failed to grow in other areas because they have been forced spend time and energy combating false teachings?
Even though it can be very frustrating and tiresome to contend with such problems in the kingdom, Christians should take comfort in knowing that in the Day of Judgement we will be separated from the wicked, who will be punished for their evil-doings. Some practical lessons to glean from this parable include:
The Character of the Enemy’s Work — Jesus plainly identifies the “enemy” (vs. 25) as the devil (vs. 39). HIS “work” is done under cover of darkness rather than in the open light of day (cf. John 3:19), but Christians are commanded to act openly and honestly;
“…for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light … Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.” (Ephesians 5:8-12, NAS)
In John 18, Jesus pointed out to the high priest that He had always spoken openly, not hiding anything from those who wished to hear His words (vs. 20). This declaration later put the high priest in the position of offering an outright lie to Pilate (Luke 23:2), when he and his companions claimed that they “found” (uncovered, discovered) the Lord fomenting a rebellion against the Roman government – implying that Jesus had tried to conceal what He was teaching.
Satan’s “Mission” is to Destroy as Many as Possible in Hell — He “walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,” 1 Peter 5:8. The parables of the sower and the tares show us that he uses whatever methods work, whether by depriving us of the word or by polluting us with the influence of spiritual “weeds!” Satan is described in John 8:44 as the “father of lying,” and his actions undoubtedly explain much of the religious conflict in the world.
Evil is NOT Always Obvious — As the parable points out, the presence of the tares was not known until they began to produce fruit. Jesus had warned His disciples earlier that evil-doers would be identified by their fruits (Matthew 7:16 & 20), rather than by their appearance. Satan does NOT parade around in red flannel underwear with horns, a pointed tail, and a pitchfork!
-Dave Rogers
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