SUPER SECRETS OF THE WHEAT AND TARES
Matt. 13:24-30,36-43
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: COMPLIMENT ON HIS SERMON
1. After a very long and boring sermon the parishioners filed out of the church, saying nothing to the preacher. Towards the end of the line was a thoughtful person who always commented on the sermons.
2. “Pastor, today your sermon reminded me of the peace and love of God!” The pastor was thrilled. “No-one has ever said anything like that about my preaching before. Tell me why.”
3. “Well,” the parishioner began, “it reminded me of the Peace of God because it passed all understanding and the Love of God because it endured forever!”
B. TEXT
24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds [KJV “tares”] among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” 36 His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear. Mt. 13:24-30; 36-43.
C. THESIS
1. When examined closely, this simple parable turns out to be a block buster and treasure trove of revelation that most expositors have passed over without noticing.
2. It answers several profound questions that trouble the modern world, “Where do good and evil come from?” “Why are there so many problems in churches?” “Why doesn’t God stop evil?” and “What will happen at the end of time?”
3. So the title of this message is “The Super Secrets of the Wheat and Tares.”
I. ANSWERS THE RIDDLE OF GOOD & EVIL
Unbelievers stumble at the idea that an all-powerful, all knowledgeable & all-good God could exist, yet the world is filled with evil & suffering. How could a “Good God” let that happen?
A. ORIGINS OF GOOD & EVIL
1. This parable, spoken by Jesus, makes it clear that sin & evil weren’t God’s intention. God confirmed that ALL He “planted” was good and that the source of the weeds was “an enemy.”
2. In Jesus’ day, sowing weeds in a neighbor’s field was a common way folks had of getting even with each other. Instead of spray-painting graffiti on the wall of the house or egging the neighbor’s chariot, they’d sow Johnson grass in the neighbor’s wheat or corn or barley. It had become such a common practice that the Roman government actually passed a law against it. [Philip McLarty]
3. ORIGIN OF EVIL? Ezek. 28:14,17 explains how one of God’s highest guardian cherub angels, Lucifer (Isa. 14:12-13), fell, after becoming proud of his splendor and thinking that he could occupy the throne of God. One-third of the angels were deceived by him, revolted, and were thrown down (Rev. 12:3-4, 7-9). That is the beginning of evil, along with the disobedience of Adam & Eve.
4. EVIL NOT OF GOD. James 1:13 NKJV says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.” God, the ultimate holy Being, is incapable of inciting moral evil.
5. WHY DOESN’T GOD STOP EVIL RIGHT NOW? In this parable, the angels offered to do it (28b) – to pluck up the weeds – but God pointed out the problems: some of the wheat (future children of God) will be destroyed with the tares – possibly because they are still weeds until God saves them.
6. So God perceived it as best – in the scope of eternity – to let human history run its course to bring in the maximum number of sons and daughters into the kingdom (Heb. 2:10).
B. EXPLAINS WHY CHURCHES ARE MESSED UP
1. HOW COULD JESUS HAVE SUCH A MESSED-UP CHURCH?
“Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field?” Sometimes it looks like there’s a lot wrong with the church! Where do these conflicts, scandals, back-biting, and divisions come from? It’s sad to see the bad reputation for the Lord/church created by the weeds. An enemy has sown a deceptive look-a-like to try to ruin the work God is doing through the church.
2. Many times the ministers of Christ lay blame on themselves for the presence of problems in the church. The Lord here vindicates all faithful, diligent minsters who do their best; the Devil is the source of the hypocrites mixed in with the genuine of the church. The devil’s sowing took place at a time when they couldn’t prevent it; “It was while men slept (25).” There was no negligence since everyone must sleep sometime.
C. HUMOR: PREDICTING THE FUTURE
1. A pastor fell out with his church board over various church policies and procedures, including how the finances were handled. He felt that some of their plans were unscrupulous.
2. After bitter arguments and many nights of lost sleep, he decided to leave the congregation to take a job as a prison chaplain.
3. He preached his last sermon at the church on John 14:1; “I go to prepare a place for you.”
II. ONLY TWO CLASSES OF PEOPLE
A. ILLUSTRATION: TITANIC
1. The Titanic definitely catered to people according to their wealth. There were different decks people could stay on.
a. Some for the Rich – Executive Suites or 1st Class.
b. Some for the Middle Class – 2nd Class rooms.
c. Some for the Ordinary People – Steerage.
2. But when the Titanic went down, their offices at New York only listed two classifications: the Saved and the Lost! That’s the same way it’s going to be in eternity.
3. Some of you may be going to Hell in first class, but on the Day of Judgment the only thing that will matter is whether you are Saved or Lost!
4. There are only those who are Christ-indwelt and those who are without Christ. There is no gray area, no in-between. Which group are you in? In this parable, at the time of harvest, are only two classes: the wheat & the tares.
B. CHARACTERISTICS OF WHEAT
1. WHEAT is a valuable plant that can survive hard seasons, like winters, and still produce. The fruit of wheat is good and nutritious for eating; it’s profitable for something.
2. Wheat needs constant “weeding” or it will be overrun by weeds. Likewise, believers need to weed-out ungodly ideas & temptations or they will have the life of God choked out (Mt. 13:7) of them and spoil their fruitfulness. It takes time for the wheat (& Christians) to grow to maturity.
C. CHARACTERISTICS OF TARES/WEEDS
1. Tares or weeds, Gr. “Zizanion,” are a noxious plant of the grass family – the “darnel.” It grows among the wheat everywhere in Palestine and looks like wheat. The seeds are poisonous to humans and animals, causing sleepiness, nausea, convulsions, and even death.
2. Unlike wheat, which takes cultivating to grow, tares spring up by themselves. Tares mimic and grow alongside wheat. The Lord uses this to point out that’s it’s difficult to detect whether a person is a genuine child of God.
3. IDENTITY REVEALED. “But when the wheat [had fully] sprouted…then the weeds also appeared” (26). Jesus said, “Every tree is known by its fruit.” It’s the same with people. What we are inside ultimately manifests itself as “fruit” – the fruit of the Spirit or the fruit of the flesh.
4. It’s frightening that many people will be shocked on the Day of Judgment: they do the right kinds of things and consider themselves one of the flock. They hear good preaching and are at times convicted by the sermons. They sing the songs. They give in the offering.
5. But there has NOT been a fundamental change in their nature by contact with Jesus Christ in repentance and faith. So because their inner life hasn’t changed, the outer is just superficial. May God save us all from such a condition!
D. ILLUS.: When Paula was Born Again
1. Paula Webster had been raised in a Christian home, had been given a Christian education, and was settled down in what seemed to be a Christian marriage. She was active in her church, and even had regular times of personal Bible study. She said that if anyone had asked her if she was a Christian, she would have said yes, immediately and emphatically.
2. Yet something was missing. She knew about God, but she sensed that she did not actually know him. She felt frustrated and unhappy.
3. As Paula studied the Bible, she was particularly attracted to David and Paul, because each man clearly had a heart for God. They knew about God. In addition, each loved God and wanted to obey him as an expression of that love.
4. As she studied their lives she realized that something was wrong with her own heart, and she asked God to change her. And God did! He taught her that she had never really trusted in Christ alone. She had never really submitted herself to God. Here, in her own words, is what happened:
5. "At that moment I surrendered my life entirely to God. I knew that he had heard me and accepted my surrender. I was conscious immediately that a great burden had been rolled away. I knew that I had been forgiven and cleansed. I knew that I had been changed.”
6. “Peace, like a great calm following a storm at sea, and joy unspeakable filled my heart. I knew that the great war within had ceased. The sense that all had been made right replaced the agitation and restlessness I had felt only minutes before.”
7. “I had finally been subdued and conquered by the Lord of Glory. And God no longer seemed distant or impersonal, nor I unclean and unsure before him. . . . I had been born again."
[from Freddy Fritz, "Responding to Rejection of the Gospel."]
III. THE EVENTS OF THE END OF TIME
A. SCRIPTURAL DESCRIPTION
1. Next, the Lord spells out the future in three verses; “41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”
B. A DAY OF SEPARATION IS COMING
1. Jesus said, “Let both grow together UNTIL THE HARVEST.” A Day of Separation is coming: the genuine from pretenders; saints from sinners. Just because God doesn’t judge people NOW for their sins, doesn’t mean we won’t be judged! It’s coming and YOU must be ready!
2. HOW WILL GOD IDENTIFY THE RIGHTEOUS? How will the angels know which to bring to Heaven? Genuine Christians have been “sealed” with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13, 4:30). Paul said we have “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). God can certainly recognize His Son in us! “The Lord knows those who are his” (2 Tim. 2:19), those who’ve sold out and belong to Him.
3. There will be 2 vastly different outcomes; one group is destined for Heaven, the other destined for Hell. The real difference is the presence of Jesus in their heart because they surrendered to Him (1 John 5:12; Lk. 9:23).
4. On that Great Day the righteous will shine forth, perfected, before all the world. God will own them as his children, and will take them to Himself as His eternal treasures!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. Cassandra Wessel was awakened from a nap by a phone call. Groggily, she heard a friend’s voice say, “Cass, I’ve picked a bunch of apples from my old apple tree. Would you like some?” I said, "Oh, sure. I think I could use a few."
2. Shortly, there was a basket of luscious-looking golden delicious apples sitting on my front porch. She said, “As I took my first bite from the apple, my taste buds were wakened to the pleasant sensation of apple, slightly tart but wonderfully sweet.
3. Then while I continued to eat toward the core, suddenly a piece broke away, revealing a hollow core! Only tiny withered seeds existed where full-bodied ones should have been.
4. Then I remembered that her old apple tree was hollow. It bore fruit, but the fruit was hollow like the tree; its fruit would never produce new fruit trees. It was barren fruit!
5. As I regarded this hollow apple, it seemed as if the Spirit spoke to my soul saying: “This is how my church is. It appears to be fruitful, but all its deeds are hollow. So say to My people, “Do not be fooled by the appearance of fruitfulness, but be fruitfully productive, grounded in My Word.”
6. Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” John 15:4-5, NKJV.
B. THE CALL
1. Are you tired of having a “hollow life” – not really having the fruit of Jesus brought to fullness? "I want to pray for the fruit of the Spirit to be evident in my life." Raise your hands.
2. For others of you, is there still a storm churning inside you? Would you like the inner peace that Paula Webster found when she surrendered to Christ? Let’s see your hands.
3. Others are thinking, "I would like to be prayed for -- I'm battling with some weeds in my life."
4. Prayer.
