The Wheat and the Tares
Read: Matthew 13:24-30
Key Verse: Matthew 13:30 – Let both grow together until the harvest…
The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares is mainly concerned with the fact that the kingdom of God is in the world where there is much evil, and will remain so until the end of the world when the good and the evil will be forever separated. The sower sowed good seed but his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat. The enemy’s purpose in sowing tares was to destroy the wheat. But the wise farmer will not allow the enemy to succeed. Instead, He will sort it out at harvest time.
Jesus uses the analogy of wheat and tares to symbolize believer and unbelievers. On the surface they look the same. They seem to have it all together and it’s sometimes difficult to determine which is good and which is bad. The servants wanted to know if they should go and gather up the tares but Jesus says no, let them grow together. At harvest time, I will send the reapers to gather the tares bind them and throw them in the fire.
The young tares and the young blades of wheat look the same and can’t be distinguished until they are grown and ready to harvest. The tares (the unbelievers) and the wheat (the believers) must live side by side in this world. God allows the unbelievers to remain for a while just as a farmer allows the tares to remain in his field, so the wheat is not uprooted with them. During harvest time, the weeds will be uprooted and thrown away into the fire. God’s end time harvest is coming, when the true believers will be separated from the false believers. We have to make sure, our lives are producing wheat and not weeds. Make sure your faith is sincere, your commitment sure and your life is in Jesus Christ.
Thought for the day:
How can I make sure my life is like the wheat and not the tares?