The Wheat and Tares
Matthew 13:24-30
What can we learn from this Parable/Story of Jesus?
We must be Perceptive vv.24-28
We have an enemy: Satan
His one goal is to oppose God, the people of God and the things of God with all his might.
He is powerful Jude 9; James 4:7
He has a strategy
To lie John 8:44
To blind 2 Corinthians 4:4
To accuse Matthew 4:1
To tempt Matthew 4:3 (
To devour 1 Peter 5:8
We must be Patient v.29
We can’t see everything
We can’t know everything
We must be Prepared. v.30
Prepared for the judgment Matthew 13:36-43 1 Peter 4:17
Prepared for the fight Ephesians 6:12-18
In the ancient Mediterranean world feuding families and feuding groups marked the social landscape of the first-century. Being born into a given family, a person normally inherited a ready-made set of friends and enemies. The scenario of the continued and mutual presence of weeds and wheat being left alone until harvesttime mentions the man’s enemy without explanation. A family’s enemies would make varied attempts to dishonor the family.
The parable we study this morning has that as a back drop. It’s another parable that Jesus tells to describe the dynamics of the Kingdom of God.
Let’s read the parable: Matthew 13:24-30 (on screen)
What can we learn from this Parable/Story of Jesus?
We must be Perceptive vv.24-28 (on screen)
We have an enemy: Satan
Here are some of the names Satan is called:
• serpent Genesis 3:1
• adversary Job 1
• Lucifer, meaning morning star Isaiah 4:12
• devil/accuser Matthew 4:1
• tempter Matthew 4:3.
• ruler of the demons Jesus called him ruler… in Matthew 12:24
• god of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 John 12:31 Jesus called satan the ‘ruler of this world’. What does this mean? The phrase “god of this world” (or “god of this age”) indicates that Satan is the major influence on the ideals, opinions, goals, hopes and views of the majority of people. His influence also encompasses the world’s philosophies, education, and commerce. The thoughts, ideas, speculations and false religions of the world are under his control and have sprung from his lies and deceptions. God in His sovereignty has given satan a measure of power and influence. But God has also given satan limitations & boundaries.
• prince of the power of the air Ephesians 2:2
• dragon Revelation 12:9; 20:2
His one goal is to oppose God, the people of God and the things of God with all his might.
He is powerful
When you read those verses, you see that Satan has been given a measure of power unequaled by any earthly force. Don’t think that for a moment you can withstand his power and deceptions. He is much more powerful than you. There’s this popular notion out there that you can rebuke Satan. There is no biblical basis for that. The only instance of rebuking Satan Michael the archangel and even he didn’t. He said, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan!” Jude 9
We can and should resist him. We’re commanded to resist him and his schemes and deceits and ways. His evil spirits, demons whisper in our ears and appeal to our fleshly nature, conspiring against the redeemed, Christlike part of us. So we are commanded to resist him. James 4:7 “Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
He is waay to smart for you. He can deceive you into making a small compromise here that will lead to another mistake 3 years later that will lead to a huge character flaw, addiction or tragic mistake 10 years after that.
He has a strategy
To lie John 8:44 (on screen)
To blind 2 Corinthians 4:4 (on screen)
To accuse Matthew 4:1 (on screen)
To tempt Matthew 4:3 (on screen)
To devour 1 Peter 5:8 (on screen)
In our parable, the enemy comes at night when everyone is asleep. We’re admonished to not to be lulled into sleep by this wily creature. Don’t get distracted. Don’t fall asleep at the wheel. We cannot, we cannot expect to resist Satan and walk in victory if we’re not wise to how he works. He will deceive us into thinking the things of this world satisfy and bring fulfillment. They will, for awhile. But then end of materialism, popularity, accumulation, sexual conquests, popularity and power—is more brokenness, more emptiness, more bondage.
We must be Patient v.29
We can’t see everything
Wheat and weeds look very similar in the early stages. You can’t tell them apart. The slaves wanted to try to separate them but that wouldn’t work because they look too much alike. It would not be humanly possible to sort it out.
Someone has abused you in one way or the other. Someone has taken advantage of you. Someone has abandoned you. And if you’re human, I want justice. Many times when we say justice we mean revenge. Truth is, in most of these instances, it is not humanly possible to sort it out; to figure out what should happen.
That’s when we need to trust the One who CAN see everything and know that He will make all things work together for them that love God and are called according to His purpose.
Leave it in God’s hands.
We can’t know everything
The other thing we think when someone abuses, takes advantage or abandons us is: how could God let this happen? It looks to us like the person is getting off scott free. But just like we can’t see everything, we can’t know everything. We can’t know exactly what brokenness caused them to do this. We are broken people and we act out of the brokenness way too often. But you don’t know what caused that person’s particular brokenness. If you did, you might have more mercy.
And, you can’t see what God is doing in that person’s life. It could be that God is using that to bring them to repentance. Could be that He is disciplining them. Could be that God is heaping coals of fire on their heads. As humans, we just can’t see what God is doing. So we have to grant mercy and trust God and not judge. Remember Jesus said, “Judge not, lest you be judged.” Leave the judging to the Judge!
We must wait patiently for God to work His way in His time.
Be patient ultimately means knowing that Satan’s power is limited and His future is fixed. He and all who vomit his deceptions and schemes will be dealt with.
We must be Prepared. v.30
Prepared for the judgment
The winnowing fork; how they separated wheat from chaff/tares
Jesus explains the parable a few verses later. Matthew 13:36-43 (on screen)
Just because we grant someone mercy who has abused, offended, abandoned us, does not mean they will get away with it. There will be a reckoning day. The real question is: are YOU ready for the reckoning day? Are you prepared for the judgment? If you haven’t surrendered your life to Jesus and taken His offer of forgiveness and by faith allowed God to cover you in the righteousness of Jesus, you’re doomed for the place where there, as Jesus said, “There is weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
And if you’re a believer, Don’t think that for a moment that there is not a reckoning for you as well. Simon Peter warns us, “For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17. Our reckoning as believers will not be the same as unbelievers; but there will be a judging of our lives as to what we did with what He has given us. So be prepared.
Prepared for the fight
Let’s not kid ourselves. Life is tough. If we are really, really living for Jesus, it’s even tougher. The more we want to count for and live for God, the bigger the target we have on us.
If we’re not careful, we think our adversary is our spouse or our family or our boss or a friend. When Sue and I get frustrated with each other, we have to remind each other that our struggle is not against each other.
The Apostle Paul rightly identifies the struggle in Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” God is not against us. In fact, the Bible says that if God is for us, and He is, than who can stand against us?
But to be in the fight, to live in victory and not defeat, we’ve got to get prepared for the fight. It’s amazing to me that people who call themselves Christians prepare for work, prepare for vacation, prepare for retirement, but never really prepare for the fight! So when the temperature is hot and the battle is pitched—they get defeated and beat down.
That’s why after the Scripture reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against Satan and his evil, worldly forces—we are instructed to arm ourselves for the battle.
13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, 15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. 18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.
Won’t spend much time on this but to say, if you’re not praying daily, journaling daily, reading and studying your Bible daily, and standing on the promises of God by faith, you don’t stand a chance in the fight. At best, Satan will marginalize you and keep you on the sidelines; at worst He will catch you in the snare of fear, flesh, and failure.
Are you prepared today?
