The Parable of the Wheat and Tares

By - Interim Pastor Freddy Cortez, National Capital Bible Church

Matthew 13:24-30

24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who 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 grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 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?' 28 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?' 29 But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 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."'"

Questions:

Who is the man?

What is the seed?

What is the field?

Matthew 13:24-25 (Parable)

"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.'"

Matthew 13:37-39 (Explanation)

"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. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.'"

Matthew 13:26-27 (Parable)

"But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 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?'"

Matthew 13:38-39 (Explanation)

"The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil..."

Matthew 13:28 (Parable)

"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?'"

Matthew 13:39 (Explanation)

"The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels."

Matthew 13:29-30 (Parable)

"But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 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."'"

Matthew 13:40-43 (Explanation)

"Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 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!"

Summary and Explanation

Sower and Good Seed:

Parable (13:24): A man sows good seed in his field.

Explanation (13:37): The sower is the Son of Man (Jesus Christ), and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom (believers).

Enemy and Tares:

Parable (13:25): An enemy sows tares among the wheat.

Explanation (13:38-39): The enemy is the devil, and the tares represent the sons of the wicked one (unbelievers or agents of evil).

Growth and Recognition:

Parable (13:26-27): Both the wheat and the tares grow and the servants notice the tares.

Explanation (13:38-39): The field is the world and the coexistence of believers and unbelievers becomes evident.

Inquiry and Response:

Parable (13:28): The servants ask if they should gather the tares.

Explanation (13:39): The harvest is the end of the age and the reapers are the angels.

Decision to Wait:

Parable (13:29-30): The owner decides to let both grow together until the harvest to avoid uprooting the wheat.

Explanation (13:40-43): At the end of the age the angels will separate the wicked (tares) from the righteous (wheat). The wicked will be cast into the furnace of fire and the righteous will shine in the kingdom of their Father.

Free Grace Perspective

• Salvation by Faith: The good seed (sons of the kingdom) are those who have believed in Jesus Christ.

• Presence of Unbelievers: The tares (sons of the wicked one) are those who appear to be believers but are not.

• Patience for Ultimate Judgment: Believers are encouraged to be patient and trust in God's ultimate judgment. The final separation will occur at the end of the age, where believers will be rewarded and unbelievers judged.

• Eternal Security: Believers are secure in their salvation. The final harvest will reveal the true nature of individuals and their place.

The explanation provided by Jesus in verses 36-43 clarifies the meaning of the parable in verses 24-30. The doctrinal themes in this parable include:

1. Salvation

2. Coexistence of good and evil

3. Ultimate judgment

This post was written by Interim Pastor Freddy Cortez of National Capital Bible Church. If you have questions about this post or Christianity in general, please contact us today!