Matt. 13:24-30
Who’s Who
In the thirteenth chapter of Matt, Jesus gives no less than eight parables. In these earthly stories with heavenly meanings, Jesus speaks about God’s plan of salvation, the work of Satan, the fickle nature of the human heart and the greatness of the Kingdom of Heaven. After Jesus had finished telling the first four Parables, the disciples came to him to ask him a question look at what verse 36 (read vs. 36). They did not ask about the sower, the soils or the seed; they did not ask about the mustard seed or the leaven. When they asked Jesus to explain a parable, they asked about they one that is the focus of our attention this evening; the parable of the wheat and the tare. Why did they choose this one over all the others? Why were they so concerned with the wheat and the tare? Well the Bible does not tell us why. Nevertheless, I am going to use my spiritual imagination tonight. My guess is that this parable contained some elements that really troubled these 12 men. There was something about this parable that really rubbed them the wrong way. In addition, I want to be honest, even when I read the parable it bothered me also. By way of introduction, let us examine this parable by using Christ’s own explanation of it, and notice some reasons why this parable, of all the eight he told that day, caught the attention of the disciples.
A farmer plants a wheat field. He uses good seed and plants the crop expecting a good harvest. However, while he and his servants slept, his enemy entered his field and planted tares among the wheat. What are tares? The word tare in its original Greek language is Zizanion, and is translated in the modern English language Bearded Darnel. The definition of Bearded darnel is, troublesome weed. So what the enemy did was crept into a good field with good soil where good seed had been planted, and installed some tare. It never ceases to amaze me how the devil can come into a good city, and find a good church with good Christians and place in there a chaotic choir member, or a messy missionary, a devilish deacon and even at times a punkish or pimpish preacher. The enemy crept in the field with the mindset to destroy the crop. Now you have to understand that in the early stages of its development tare looks exactly like wheat. And the wheat looks just like the tare. It is only when the plant have matured and the kernels have formed in the head of the genuine wheat plant can you tell one from the other. The bottom line is that the wheat bares fruit in the head while the tare only contains little black seeds in the head that only produces more tares. I heard Dr. Forrest E. Harris preach a excellent sermon during our convocation. In this sermon he said that the students were nothing more than just weed. I think I would have to disagree with him right, you see I am still in my early stages. I haven’t really matured yet; the growth process has just begun with in me. But give me a little time, allow me to get a degree under my belt, let me read a few more books, let me get some credit hours toward my masters, and you will soon see Dr. Harris I to bare fruit. The bible says count nothing before it’s time. I know it looks like I’m the class clown, but just give me some time I am still growing, I know it looks like I am not allowing my self to be theologically challenged but just give me some time I am still growing. I know it looks like I run with the wrong crew but just give me and my crew some time we are still growing. In the words of Steve Harvey God aint through with us yet. So, the field looks good, the farmer is getting excited about harvesting a bumper crop. It seems that there is more wheat growing than he expected. However, as the harvest grew nearer, it became apparent that there was some tare among the wheat. The servants discover the tares and come in to tell the master about the problem. You see, they were able to tell the difference because as the wheat develops, and the kernels grow inside the head of the wheat, the weight of the kernels causes the wheat head to bend, they appear to be bowing toward the earth. But because the tare has no substance in its head they stand straight up. The servants see the problem and offer to pull the tare up. The master knows that if they pull the tare up they will also take the risk of pulling up some wheat, because the root of the tare has intertwined with the roots of the wheat. He gives this counsel, let them grow together until harvest then he will send in the reapers and gather up the dried out tare and then burn them, but when he returns he will gather the wheat and store it in the barn.
In explaining, the parable Jesus give His disciples, and us, the identities of those involved in this parabolic message. The sower is Christ. The good seed is the gospel of grace. The one who sowed tares is the devil. The wheat are those saved and the tare are those that are unsaved but appear to be saved, they look saved, they act saved, they sound saved, but who are in truth deceived about there own salvation. Like the wheat and the tare, at times it very hard to tell the difference between a real genuine Christine and those who only appear to be Christians. It’s hard to tell the difference between the preacher and the player. It’s hard to tell the difference between the thug and the theologian I mean they both carry Bibles Who’s who. They both show up every Sunday, who’s who. They lift their hands in worship, who’s who. They both run and shout all over the church, who’s who. They both cry out Lord, Lord; I declare it is hard to tell who’s who. Allow me to share three brief thoughts with you that tell what the wheat and the tare, the genuine believer and the make believer have in common, which also point out what makes them so different.
My first point is that both were planted together.
Look at the text (read vs. 24-25) both the wheat and the tare shared the common experience of having being planted. The difference in the experience is revealed in two very important ways. First you must look at the character f the two different seeds. Obviously, the wheat seed produced wheat, while the tare seed produced tares. On a spiritual level, the seed is that thing that we have placed our faith in; for the genuine believer the seed is the Gospel of Grace. The truly born again person is trusting Jesus Christ and His Word alone for their salvation. The tares on the other hand might have their in any number of emotional, financial, or physical experiences for their salvation. You have people in the church trying to get into heaven on mammas faith and grand mammas religion. Folks running around talking about what they mamma taught them about the Lord, or what they grand mamma said about the Word of God. You cannot place your faith in your parents or grandparents relationship with God. You have to know Him for yourself. You have to have your own personal relationship with Him. Not only should you not put your faith in others relationship; but then do not put your faith in church activities. Folks think just because they were baptized that they on they way to heaven. My uncles roger use to say they went in the pool a dry devil and came out a wet one. Your soul salvation should not rely on some one dipping you in some water. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change, there must be a change on the inside. The question that must be answered this evening is where is your faith. On what do you base your hope of heaven on? It must be in the Gospel, that is, in the death and resurrection of Christ’s atoning work on Calvary, or your faith is in vain. I remember last year at the GNL lecture series at the American Baptist College, the black nurses association was there promoting different health services that they provided. One of the services that they offered was the flu shot. So because everyone else jumped in line to get their flu shot so did I. Bad idea. After she gave me the shot, this nurse informs me that I might experience some flu like symptoms. I had to ask her why. She told me the reason why this would occur was because what she did was place a dead flu like virus in me to prevent me from getting the flu. God desire for His word and His kingdom to spread like a virus, but what the enemy does is injects a dead virus cells into the people of God to prevent the virus of the gospel from spreading. You have the symptoms of the real virus, but in all actuality, you only have the symptoms from the dead virus. So we have the character of the two seeds, and you have to be sure that your faith is in the right one.
But then we have the character of the sower. The owner of the field sowed the good seed; His enemy sowed the tares. Why did his enemy do this? Obviously it was in effort to ruin the crop. That’s what the enemy does he tries to ruin the crop, and ultimately it was an attack on the farmer. Satan is in the business of sowing tares. Why? Well he knows that if he can place enough artificial among the genuine then he can ultimately devastate the entire crop. If he can fill the church with enough lost church members, than he can fill hell with a multitude of deceived people. What I have tried to say thus far is that you do not need to base your hope on some experience or someone else belief you have to know without a shadow of a doubt that you have trusted Jesus for your personal savior. And Him alone for your salvation.
Not only were they planted together, but my second point is that they progressed together: (read Vs 26-30A) When it rained and the wheat received water, so did the tare, they progressed together. The sun shined upon the wheat it shined on the tare as well, they progressed together. When the wheat was fertilized the tare was fertilized as well, they progressed together Now I think we all know that saved people grow in the Lord. I mean as we come to worship, and continue to read and study our bible, as we continue to fast and pray this is all part of the growth process. However, you must also know that lost people progress in the Lord as well. I mean they can recite memorized learned scriptures. They can tell you about church order, they can inform you on tithing, and they can even tell you what the Lord loves. Here is where they fall short. Because they are not, actually in tune with the spirit they cannot comprehend the deep things of God. They may have progressed with the wheat but the wheat, the true believers of God are so in tune with God that they can hear the voice of God. True believer can really feel the move of God in their life.
I remember I was leaving Nashville, on my way to Atlanta. I was listening to a certain radio station and I started to notice that the farther I got away from Nashville the more static I received in my radio. But then something strange happens. I started out listening to some light jazz but when I entered into Georgia, I started to hear country music. I checked my station to see if it was still in the same spot. And then I called my friend back in Nashville and I ask him to turn to the radio station and he said that he heard jazz music. I told well I am on the same station and I hear country music. He said the problem that you are having is that this is a Nashville radio station, you have gone to far away from the tower, and you are now receiving from another tower. He said we are listening to the same station but you are receiving a signal from a different tower. The wheat and the tare they carry the same Bible but when the tare read the bible they don’t receive anything from it. They simply just see the words on the page. But when the wheat read the word of God wheat receive substance and power and even conviction. Wheat and tare, they go to the same revivals, while the tare is sitting there waiting on the whoop, the wheat is empowered and enlightened and their lives are being transformed. They receive inspiration and hope for tomorrow. They both sit in the same classes under the same professor while the tare is just trying to get through and hoping for any passing grade, the Wheat is allowing him or herself to be theologically challenged, the wheat is trying to stay on the deans list, the wheat is trying to leave better than they came, They both pray at night before they climb into their bed. The tare mumbles some rehearsed some prayer that their mother taught them as a child, while the while wheat has a true connection with God and receives the blessings and favor of God. Yeah they progress together. Not only were they planted together and not only were they progressed together, but third and finally Both were process together: (read vs. 30) Now the time has come for harvest. The reapers go out to first gather the tare, and then the wheat. The question I want answered is how they could tell the difference between the two. I mean who’s who. Which are tare and which is wheat? Well allow me to tell you how. It is very easy to tell at this stage, because the wheat matures and the head of the wheat grows kernels in it and the weight of the kernels causes the stalks of wheat to bend over and it appears as if the wheat is bowing toward the ground. The little black seeds in the head of the tare are light and it allows the tare to stand straight up and tall. Because of the tare standing straight up and tall, it put the tare at great risk. First of all when the strong wind blew and when the rain came the head of the tare was destroyed. Not only that, but when the sun was at its highest and hottest point it would cause the head of the tare to dry out. This is why tare was so useless to the farmer, because they were usually damaged and dried out. The wheat did not experience this same abuse because, of what was inside of its head, it had to bow. You wonder why you come to worship and you never feel anything, you wonder why you always bored at church and everybody else is seemingly enjoying them self, you wonder why you never feel the move of the Holy Spirit during worship. You need to check what’s on the inside of you, because it could be that you are tare and you trying to stand tall and life is just drying you out. Your praise is dry, your singing is dry, your worship is dry, your preaching is dry, your living is dry. Not only are the tare dried out, but then they are damaged from the storm and the rain. You want to know who’s who, Just wait until the storms of life rise. The true Christian believer has something inside of them, like the wheat that causes them to bow. When the rain comes in like a flood you know how to bow, when the clouds are gray and life is dark the wheat knows how to bow, when haters come against you, you know how to bow, when your tuition is longer than your money you are not to proud to bow down So we have seen that the wheat and the tare was planted together and they also progressed together and then we see they were processed together. The difference is, is that when the farmer came back to gather his crop. The tares were only good for one thing and one thing only and that was to be burned, but the wheat was taken into the barn. I have to leave here now but I want to tell you that we can’t be concerned with who’s who in the church. We can’t be concerned with who is wheat and who is tare. We can’t be concern with who is real and who is fake. Our only job is to keep planting. I know it gets discouraging at times but we have got to keep on planting. I know that Satan tries to destroy our crop at times but we have to keep on planting. I know that the world gets on our shoulder at times but we must keep on planting. And when I say planting I mean we have got to keep on telling the story. ( take Him to the cross) He is coming back. Well done thy good and faithful servant. There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s vein sinner’s plunge beneath the blood to loose all guilt and shame.
