The Parable Of The Wheat And Tares Series

Sermon Brief

Date Written: July 23, 2008

Date Preached: July 23, 2008

Where Preached: OPBC (Wed PM)

Sermon Details:

Sermon Series: A Study of the Parables

Sermon Title: The Parable of the Wheat and Tares

Sermon Text: Matt 13:24-30; 36-43

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.”’”

The Parable of the Tares Explained

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”

37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 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, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Introduction:

Jesus uses simile in this parable to get across His teaching point. This particular parable is also what is considered to be a simple 3 point parable, which is made up of one main character or the Master interacting with 2 subordinates. These subordinates are usually denoted as the good vs the bad OR focal and secondary subordinates.

The imagery used is like that of the parable of the soils… that is an agricultural picture or backdrop. Jesus was sensitive to those listening to Him and He knew and understood that using an imagery that they understood would make the message much clearer and they would comprehend it much easier.

And for the most part this parable holds to that form, even though there seem to be more than just the 3 characters. Let’s look at the ‘characters’ of the parable:

The man, sower of good seed…the landowner… Jesus/God

People (background characters)… humanity

His enemy (who’s enemy? The sower of good seed’s enemy) Satan

The plants… the good seed… new believers

The weeds… bad seed… sinful haters of God

The servants of the landowner, caretakers of the field… believers

The reapers, gatherers of the harvest… angels

v.24 & 37 The Master (sower of the seed):

24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;

37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

Jesus describes this in pretty good detail here as He shares with His disciples that the “Master” in this parable or teaching story represents Him… the sower of good seed, and He refers to this person being the “Son of Man”

The Son of Man was a favorite title that Jesus used for Himself while ministering here in this world. We can see several occasions where Jesus refers to Himself as the “Son of Man” In fact, Jesus uses this title a little over 80 different times in the Gospels.

We are very familiar with Mark 10:45 (NKJV) where Jesus says, “…For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many...”

Another verse that we recognize readily when it comes to this title is Luke 19:10 (NKJV) “…for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost…”