What is the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares?

Answer

The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, or Tares, is filled with spiritual significance and truth. However, despite Jesus’ clear explanation of the parable in (Matthew 13:36-43), this parable is often misinterpreted. Many commentaries and sermons have tried to use this story as an illustration of the state of the church, pointing out the presence of both genuine believers (the wheat) and false professors (the weeds) in both the broader church and individual local congregations. While this may hold some truth, Jesus explicitly states that the field is not the church; it is the world (v. 38).

Even if He had not specifically informed us that the world is the backdrop of the story, it would still be evident. The landowner instructs the servants not to uproot the weeds in the field but to let them grow together until the end of the age. If the field represented the church, this directive would directly contradict Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 18, which outline how to address unrepentant sinners within the church: they are to be removed from the community and treated as non-believers. Jesus never directed us to allow impenitent sinners to remain among us until the end of the age. Therefore, Jesus is teaching here about “the kingdom of heaven” (v. 24) in the world.

In the agrarian society of Christ’s era, many farmers relied on the quality of their harvests. An adversary planting weeds would have jeopardized a farmer’s livelihood. The weeds in the parable were likely darnel because that weed, until fully grown, resembles wheat. In the absence of modern herbicides, what action would a prudent farmer take in such a predicament? Instead of uprooting the wheat along with the weeds, the landowner in this parable wisely chose to wait until the harvest. Following the harvest of the entire field, the weeds could be separated and burned, while the wheat would be stored in the barn.

In the explanation of the parable, Christ declares that He HimSelf is the sower. He scatters His redeemed seed, true believers, in the field of the world. Through His grace, these Christians bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24). Their presence on earth is the reason the “kingdom of heaven” is like the field of the world. When Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17), He meant the spiritual realm which exists on earth side by side with the realm of the evil one, “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.” (1 John 5:19). When the kingdom of heaven comes to its fruition, heaven will be a reality and there will be no “weeds” among the “wheat.” But for now, both good and bad seeds mature in the world.

The enemy in the parable is Satan. In opposition to Jesus Christ, the devil tries to destroy Christ’s work by placing false believers and teachers in the world who lead many astray. One has only to look at the latest televangelist scandal to know the world is filled with professing “Christians” whose ungodly actions bring reproach on the name of Christ. But we are not to pursue such people in an effort to destroy them. For one thing, we don’t know if immature and innocent believers might be injured by our efforts. Further, one has only to look at the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, and the reign of “Bloody Mary” in England to see the results of men taking upon themselves the responsibility of separating true believers from false, a task reserved for God alone. Instead of requiring these false believers to be rooted out of the world, and possibly hurting immature believers in the process, Christ allows them to remain until His return. At that time, angels will separate the true from false believers.

In addition, we are not to take it upOn ourselves to uproot unbelievers because the difference between true and false believers isn’t always obvious. Tares, especially in the early stages of growth, resemble wheat. Likewise, a false believer may resemble a true believer. In Matthew 7:22, Jesus warned that many profess faith but do not know Him. Thus, each person should examine his own relationship with Christ «Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? », (2 Corinthians 13:5). First John is an excellent test of salvation.

Jesus Christ will one day establish true righteousness. After He raptures the true church out of this world, God will pour out His righteous wrath on the world. During that tribulation, He will draw others to saving faith in Jesus Christ. At the end of the tribulation, all unbelievers will be judged for their sin and unbelief; then, they will be removed from God’s presence. True followers of Christ will reign with Him. What a glorious hope for the “wheat”!