Parable Of The Wheat And Tares

(Matthew 13:24-30 KJV) 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.

What did Jesus come to this earth to do? In Matthew chapter 12 Jesus had just been through a series of battles with the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the organized Church in Israel. They didn’t call it a “Church”. They called it a Synagogue (synagōgē), which meant “a formal gathering of Jews that offered prayers and listened to the exposition of the Old Testament Scriptures. Assemblies were held on the Sabbath, the last day of the week”. In other words, it was a Church – except they did not worship Jesus. The Pharisees criticized Jesus because:

He allowed His disciples to pick, shuck, and eat corn on the Sabbath
Jesus healed people on the Sabbath
The Pharisees claimed that Jesus cast out demons by Beelzebub
Jesus chastised them for committing the unpardonable sin
Jesus claimed the Pharisees were a generation of evil vipers
Jesus refused to satisfy their demand for “a sign”
Jesus said they were wicked, demon possessed houses
And Jesus claimed only those who love Him were His family

Everything Jesus did, the Pharisees attacked. So as we come to this chapter, Jesus begins to speak in parables:

(Matthew 13:1-2 KJV) The SAME DAY went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. [2] And GREAT MULTITUDES were gathered together unto Him, so that HE WENT INTO A SHIP, and sat; and the WHOLE MULTITUDE STOOD ON THE SHORE.

Jesus went to the Sea of Galilee, got on the boat, had them take Him out a little ways into the water, and a “GREAT MULTITUDE” gathered on the bank to hear Jesus. Jesus’ choice of where to preach was ideal because,

(1) The Pharisees couldn’t interrupt Him as He preached,
(2) The crowd couldn’t hinder Him as He preached, and because the Sea acted as an amphitheater,
(3) Every person could hear His every word.

This message from Jesus was very important. Great crowds of people are following Him, all with this question in mind:

What is the Messiah here to do?

Some thought He was here to run Rome out of Israel. Others thought Jesus would purge all iniquity from Israel and the earth. They thought that the Messiah would bring in the fulfillment of what the Prophet said in …

(Jeremiah 31:33-34 LSB) But this is the covenant which I will cut with the house of Israel after those days,” declares Yahweh: I WILL PUT MY LAW WITHIN THEM, and ON THEIR HEART I WILL WRITE IT; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. [34] And they will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh,’ for THEY WILL ALL KNOW ME, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares Yahweh, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.

They thought that Jesus was going to bring in a utopia, a wonderful world in which everyone, both Jew and Gentile, would know the Lord. But here we see Jesus in battle with the Pharisees, the religious leaders of Israel. So what is going on?

So Jesus begins to speak parables concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. Is Jesus the Messiah, or is there another to come? Why is it that not every heart is turning to Jesus, IF He is the Messiah?

Is There Something Wrong With Jesus’ Gospel?

Perhaps there’s something wrong with what Jesus is preaching. After all, if the Pharisees, the Chief Priest, the Herodians, the Sadducees, and the Scribes all seem united against Jesus, maybe His Gospel is tainted. Jesus addressed the Gospel of the Kingdom first. He said:

(Matthew 13:3-9 KJV) And He spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a Sower went forth to sow; [4] And when He sowed, some [seeds] fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: [5] Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: [6] And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. [7] And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: [8] But OTHER FELL INTO GOOD GROUND, and BROUGHT FORTH FRUIT, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. [9] WHO HATH EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR.

Jesus came preaching “The Kingdom of Heaven”, also known as “The Kingdom of God”. In Matthew 19:23-24 Jesus calls the Kingdom of Heaven the Kingdom of God. They are the same thing. Jesus is the Messiah, the King of Kings (Revelation 17:14). He is preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. So why is there so much resistance.

The resistance to the Gospel seed has nothing to do with the goodness of the seed. It has to do with the soil of the human heart.

Jesus explains the four types of human heart, or the four soils. And Jesus explains why His Gospel is not spreading so as to correct the entire world they live in. Jesus said that Isaiah (6:9-10) prophesied this would be the case:

(Matthew 13:14-15 KJV) … IN THEM IS FULFILLED THE PROPHECY OF ISAIAH, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and SHALL NOT UNDERSTAND; and seeing ye shall see, and SHALL NOT PERCEIVE: [15] For this PEOPLE’S HEART IS WAXED GROSS, and [their] EARS ARE DULL OF HEARING, and their EYES THEY HAVE CLOSED; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and SHOULD BE CONVERTED, and I should heal them.

The religious leaders who rejected Jesus had hardened their hearts to the Gospel. They saw the miracles of Jesus. They saw Him raise the dead. They saw Him feed thousands with a pittance. They heard Him speak with authority. All the evidence was there, but they rejected it all, demanding “show us a sign”. And once Jesus showed them a sign, they rejected it, saying “He does what He does because Satan backs Him”.

Jesus explained the Parable of the Soils (the four types of heart). He said:

(Matthew 13:19 KJV) When any one HEARETH THE WORD OF THE KINGDOM, and understandeth [it] not, then COMETH THE WICKED ONE, and CATCHETH AWAY THAT WHICH WAS SOWN IN HIS HEART. This is he which received seed by the way side.

One heart hears the Word, the Gospel of the Kingdom. But they don’t understand, and don’t want to understand. These people have a set of beliefs in place that they have walked for a long time. They have a well trodden path following the world. The ground is packed tight. The seed cannot get in. Jesus is the Sower, and the seed is perfectly good. But they have hardened their hearts so that Satan sends “the fowls to devour the seed”.

Then Jesus sows the Kingdom Gospel on some called “STONY PLACES” (Matthew 13:5-6). It looks like these people will be converted. They receive the Word. But Jesus says:

(Matthew 13:20-21 KJV) But he that RECEIVED THE SEED INTO STONY PLACES, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon WITH JOY RECEIVES IT; [21] Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for WHEN TRIBULATION OR PERSECUTION ARISETH BECAUSE OF THE WORD, by and by he is offended.

There are a lot of people who apparently receive the Gospel WITH JOY. They don’t repent. They don’t weep over their sin, or realize their brokenness. But they were told “You can receive Jesus as SAVIOR and go to Heaven – but you don’t have to listen to Him at all. Salvation is a TOTALLY FREE gift. Be saved, then live your life the way you want to”. Of course, these people “WITH JOY RECEIVE IT”. But when the world comes up and challenges them, when “TRIBULATION OR PERSECUTION ARISETH BECAUSE OF THE WORD”, then these people “deconstruct their faith”. I see this all the time, preachers trying to explain away the difficult passages of Scripture, lest they offend their audience. Beloved, the Gospel is offensive. The Gospel says,

We are all sinners.
We are all broken.
We all deserve to be damned.
Even little babies!
We all fall short of the glory of God.
We all need the Word of the Kingdom.
God calls us to an ABSOLUTE SURRENDER.
Jesus is the Messiah, the King of Kings
and WE ARE NOT!

It is BY GRACE we are saved, and that not of ourselves. It is the GIFT OF GOD, not of works, for NO ONE CAN BOAST (Ephesians 2:8-10).

(Matthew 13:22 KJV) He also that RECEIVED SEED AMONG THE THORNS is he that HEARETH THE WORD; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Then there are those who love riches, and covetousness. They hear the Kingdom Gospel, but they reject that Gospel and choose instead to follow after earthly riches. Jesus spoke of these people when He said:

(Matthew 6:24 KJV) NO MAN CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (riches).

Oh, there are so many who hear the Gospel of the Kingdom. They receive the seed only on a temporary surface basis. But their heart is with the money. You cannot follow Jesus and the money.

But then there is the fourth heart, the fourth soil. Jesus said:

(Matthew 13:23 KJV) But he that RECEIVED SEED INTO THE GOOD GROUND is he that HEARETH THE WORD, and UNDERSTANDETH IT; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Preach! There’s nothing wrong with the Gospel of the Kingdom. Those who “HEAR THE WORD” understand that Jesus came as BOTH Lord and Savior. It is a KINGDOM Gospel. Those who HEAR and RECEIVE the Gospel realize they are broken. They realize that God Himself is calling them to a complete and total surrender. It’s not a truce. It’s a surrender. We give ourselves to Jesus, and Jesus gives himself to us.

Since The Problem Is The Ground And Not The Seed

Now Jesus is a Master Teacher. I am sure some of the questions you have all asked is,

“Why is there evil in the world? Why are there so many religions? Why are there so many denominations? Why can’t the prophecy of Isaiah 6:9-10 be fulfilled right now??

Jesus answers this question with another parable, The Parable of Tares Among Wheat.

(Matthew 13:24-26 KJV) Another parable put {Jesus} 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.

I’m sure you’re wondering what a “TARE” is. I’m sure you’ve all seen it. It goes by different names. It’s scientific name is Lolium temulentum, also called poison darnel, darnel ryegrass or cockle. It grows in the same zones that wheat grows in. In fact, while green it looks like wheat. It’s head looks like wheat. When I was a boy (and even now), I’d pull a stalk of it and pop the stem in my mouth. That won’t hurt you. But you don’t want to eat its head! When wheat matures, the head turns BROWN. But when Poison Darnel matures, the head turns BLACK. If you eat the head, it will cause a drunken nausea which can be fatal.

The genius of Jesus’ parable is that both Wheat and Tares look alike. But the FRUIT of each is different. The FRUIT of wheat is a blessing. The FRUIT of tares is a curse!

When Jesus gave us the Parable of the Soils, the SEED was the GOSPEL. But the SEED this time is not the Gospel, but what the Gospel creates. The Gospel brings forth wheat. It brings forth a life that does good, not evil. Jesus said:

(Matthew 13:37-39 KJV) {Jesus} answered and said unto them, HE THAT SOWETH THE GOOD SEED IS THE SON OF MAN; [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; [39] The ENEMY THAT SOWED THEM IS THE DEVIL; the harvest is the end of the world; and the REAPERS ARE THE ANGELS.

In this Parable, “THE FIELD IS THE WORLD”. In this world that we live in there are “GOOD SEED THAT ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM”. The Gospel Seed that Jesus gave us brings Christians into the world. Jesus is the Sower, the Maker of Christians. We do not make ourselves. He makes us. In this world Christians are sown all over the world. But guess what. The devil sows the bad seed, the tares, into the world.

And the wheat and the tares look alike.

The Pharisees, Chief Priests, Herodians, Sadducees, and Scribes all look like men of God. They have religious titles. They are called “Father”, “Pontiff”, “Priest”, “Pope”, “Preacher”, “Apostle”, “Pastor”, “Elder”, “Evangelist”. They dress the part. They know all the right words. There is tares among the wheat. Jesus says:

(Matthew 13:27-30 KJV) 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.

“What shall we do with the tares?” Shall they be torn up? Shall we burn the field? What shall we do? There is nothing we can do but be patient, and wait on God. Jesus is in control of the field, the world. Yes, Satan sows tares, and they look just like wheat. But what does Jesus tell us?

(Matthew 13:40-43 KJV) As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; SO SHALL IT BE IN THE END OF THIS WORLD. [41] The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and THEY SHALL GATHER OUT OF HIS KINGDOM THE THINGS THAT OFFEND, and THEM WHICH DO INIQUITY; [42] And shall CAST THEM INTO A FURNACE OF FIRE: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. [43] THEN SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS SHINE FORTH as the sun in the KINGDOM OF THEIR FATHER. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

One will SHINE. One will BURN.
Both will serve Jesus’ purpose.

It is not the wheat’s job to cast out the tares. If you are wheat, it is your job to produce fruit that glorifies Jesus. There’s going to be tares, false believers, in this world. There’s going to be people who pretend to be good ground, but are poison. “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matthew 7:20). The world will not be a utopia until prophecy is completely fulfilled. Think about Judas Iscariot. Jesus chose him as one of the Apostles in His Church, but Jesus knew he was a tare. Jesus said:

(John 6:70 KJV) Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and ONE OF YOU A DEVIL?

(John 17:12 KJV) While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and NONE OF THEM IS LOST, BUT THE SON OF PERDITION; that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Jesus knows them that are His (2 Timothy 2:19). He allowed Judas to infiltrate the Apostles, knowing he was a tare. God knows. Jesus did this to fulfill the prophecy of the Messiah (Psalm 109:6-19; Psalm 41:9; Zechariah 11:12-13; Psalm 69:25).

What are we to do? Understand that there will be tares that look like wheat. By their fruit you will know them. Rather than worry about the tares, let us sow the seed of the Kingdom. Let us not be discouraged. One commentary I read put it this way:

“Even though the field is the world, recognize that it is among the wheat that the tares are sown. They are intertwined with the wheat. That’s how close they are to the wheat. If the wheat are the sons of the kingdom – the members of the visible and invisible church – then the tares are members of the visible church who are not members of the invisible church. In other words, they made a confession, but the reality of Christ is not in them. But, they’re intertwined with those who are truly believers. … it is our experience – and it has been from the beginning of time – that we see people who make professions of faith in the Lord who do not in fact believe in Him; even amongst Jesus’ inner circle, the twelve, there was one who was reprobate. ”

How do we recognize tares? By their fruit. Do they live their lives by the Word of God? Or do they make statements like, “MY God, the God I love, wouldn’t send anyone to hell”. Or “MY God, the One I trust, wouldn’t send a good person to hell because they didn’t believe in Jesus alone”.

If someone professes Christ as Savior and Lord, professes to be wheat, but does not return to the hand of the Master Who sowed him – then that person is in reality a tare. And I can’t fix a tare. Neither can you.

Until the day that Jesus returns there will be wheat and tares. Let us examine ourselves. Are we children of God by faith in Christ? Do we love His Word? The Gospel Seed is good, and effective. Let us trust in Him and His Word. Amen.