Title: Parable of Wheat and Tares Type: Series
Script: Mt. 13:24-30, 36-43 Where: GNBC 9-23-07
Intro: “One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty . . .” We say it. We argue about it (especially the “under God” part). But is it true? In reality, how united is the United States? The “more perfect union” sought by Lincoln is hardly perfect in terms of harmony. We are a nation—morally, philosophically, and religiously—deeply divided. Yet there remains the outward shell of formal and organizational unity. We have union without unity. As it is with the “United” States, so it is with the unity of the Christian church. The “oneness” of the church is one of the classic four descriptive terms to define the church. According to the council at Nicaea (325 AD), the Church is one, holy, catholic, and Apostolic. Few church bodies today give much regard to being Apostolic. Fewer still seem concerned with the dimension of the holy. When these two qualities become irrelevant to the minds of church people, it is a mere chimera to speak of catholicity and unity.” (RC Sproul article, 5-11-22, Ligionier)
Prop: In Mt. 13:24-43 we’ll notice the importance of 3 parable Jesus told about the KOG.
BG: 1. Continue in parables of Jesus in Mt. Here in Mt. 13 we see 7 parables relating to the KOG. Kind of Matthew’s style –collect by topic. –we’ll examine. – Tares among the Wheat, Mustard Seed, The Leaven.
2. What is the KOG? Jesus spoke volumes more about the KOG than did the church. The KOG as revealed in the NT is something understood in 2-fold aspect – it has come and even now is in the world, and yet is something still to come. The KOG involves the whole notion of the rule of Chris over His people. The vindication of that rule and reign will be Christ’s personal return to establish His millennial reign.
Prop: In Mt. 13:24-43 we see 3 parables Christ told to further explain the KOG.
I. 1st The KOG is Alive within a Fallen World. – Tares Among Wheat vv. 24-30
A. There is an Enemy who seeks to Disturb Christ’s Kingdom
1. Although Christ’s Kingdom is Secure and Sovereign an Enemy seeks to harm it.
a. v. 25 The enemy came by night and sowed these tares right among the wheat. What’s the purpose of this action? Hateful malice. The KOG is in the world and yet that world is fallen. I am no longer shocked by the hateful malice people outside the Church often have for the Church. Some might be deserved, but very little. Illust: Nigeria this past Christmas. Probably didn’t hear in Western media (They don’t care.) Scores of Nigerian churches burned and Christians killed by Muslims. Why? Because they hate and despise Christ’s Church.
b. What were these weeds called “tares” and why was it so bad to sow these into the farmer’s field? Scholars have identified the plant Christ was talking about as the “bearded darnel” – looked very similar to wheat and cannot be distinguished until ripens.
2. The Desire of the Enemy was to Poison or Ruin the Crop.
a. Illust – If that bearded darnel was accidentally picked and ground into meal with the wheat it would spoil the flour, the one who ate would become dizzy and nauseated, and in rare cases could even die. But, if undetected and milled and went to market, would ruin the reputation of the farmer and spoil entire harvest.
b. The enemy still attempts to undermine the KOG in a variety of ways. He wants to spoil the harvest through unscriptural ideas and actions. v. 39 Look at the end of v. 38: “children of the evil one.” Remember that the next time you hear someone trying to reconcile false doctrine, perversion, immorality, with Christianity. Beware! making the common statement—“remember, we’re all God’s children!” This is a common belief, that all humans on the earth are God’s children. No! We’re all God’s creation, but not all His children. Jesus told a group that they were of their father, the devil. There are 2 family lines on this earth. Some have been born once, and others twice. Ye must be born again. Jesus is the way. That sounds narrow and politically incorrect. I have no desire to be narrow except for where God the Creator is narrow and I have even less desire to be PC even if my initials are PC!
B. Satan Attempts to Infiltrate the KOG with evil individuals.
1. The visible church is infiltrated with evil as well as righteous individuals.
a. This parable tells us that the devil tries to attack the kingdom of God by infiltration, and by planting imitators in the church. They may not know they aren’t the real thing, and the others may not know, but Satan surely knows, as does God! They are counterfeit Christians. Paul called them “false brethren.” [II Cor. 11:26] Illust – D-Day Invasion: Allied Paratroopers took simple precaution in order to make sure not infiltrated by enemy upon landing when attempting to reform units. When came to hedgerow or wooded area, took small, 5cent “cricket” from pocket. Clicked it once. If friendly, response was to listen for click 2 times or open fire. Why? Because many Germans knew English and could pose as allies and infiltrate lines with result being disaster. You see, theologians refer to the “Visible Church & the Invisible Church”. The “visible” church is made up of all of those who claim to be or identify as followers of Christ regardless of profession or true repentance and faith in Christ. The invisible church is made up of those who are true followers of Christ who have truly repented and trusted Christ. Can have both in church, even a Bible church.
b. Remember, in this passage Jesus is saying that the wheat and the tares look very similar. They have the same appearance. I know it’s a little bit different in a community like Iowa City, but when I lived in the South, Christian culture was very strong. People carried their Bibles, sang the songs, knew the Christian “lingo” and pat answers, Christian ads. Who or what were they trusting in for their salvation? More than a few “Holy Tares”! (Southern accent!)
2. Guard against Pride – Realize that the Very Picture of the Wheat can Teach us truths.
a. Wheat doesn’t have a deep root system. Wheat doesn’t go very deep compared to how high it gets. It’s easily pulled up and uprooted. I could say it like this: wheat is not firmly attached to this world. The same ought to be true of us when it comes to this earth.
b. Wheat has a head which when mature begins to bow. What a beautiful picture! The head of wheat becomes full of grain and slumps over. Bearing more fruit for the Christian should not lead to pride, but to humility. But for many, success doesn’t cause the head to bow, but the nose to rise!
C. In this parable Jesus tells us that a Separation will eventually come.
1. This separation does not come on the earth in this time.
a. v.28 – Notice the response of the farmer’s servants – “Should we go and gather them up?” Should we go in and get rid of them? Only one problem – like I said earlier, nearly impossible to tell apart in the early stages, not until right at harvest can tell apart.
b. v.30 – Response of the owner – Allow to grow up together. Now this doesn’t mean never have discipline or standards in a church. Rather, it is saying that the church will always have both Christians and non-Christians in attendance. In fact, I recently read that 70% of North Americans converted at Billy Graham Crusades were already members of a church! Here’s the point, Jesus is saying that no matter how hard we strive for a pure church ultimately impossible here below.
2. What is the point of this parable?
a. The point of this parable is simply this: The devil is going to bring forth people, whether in or out of the church who act so much like true Christians, yet not Christians, that even the very servants of God themselves will not be able to tell them apart. Yet, we should be vigilant and on guard not to be taken in.
b. And yet we can also rest assured that wherever the KOG advances, and whether true or false believers, there will one day come a day of separation (v.30 & 39) God’s angels will separate those who are his from those who are not His.
D. Applic: It’s not our task to attempt to separate saints from sinners. There will be separation at end of time.
II. What is the Important Question this Parable Answers?
A. Don’t Miss the Main Point of Christ’s Teaching in this Parable.
1. This parable seeks to answer the Apparent Problem of God’s Delay in Judgment.
a. This parable was told to address what I call a “Kingdom Mystery”. There was confusion in the minds of Christ’s listeners. “If the KOG had arrived, as Jesus clearly said it had, then why was there still evil?” Now to the disciples (He is now speaking privately to them v.36) , that “evil” was seen in the occupying Roman Empire. So, although on the surface there seem to be several similarities with the Parable of the Sower, the content of what it addresses is significantly different.
b. So yes, although we see seed being sown in this as well as the previous parable, the point is radically different. We see two sowings: the farmer (Christ) sewing good seed to produce a bountiful harvest and an enemy (Satan) who comes by night to sew weeds among the good grain for the purpose of damage and destruction. The whole point of the parable is not about the miraculous growth of the seed (Gospel) as in the 1st parable, but rather the allowance of the growth of the grain and weeds together.
2. Even today we struggle with the question of God’s allowance of Evil to exist.
a. One of the most pressing challenges to Christianity is the problem of evil. Unbelievers are quick to ask how Christians can believe in the existence of a good God in the face of so much evil. God’s people have often been weak while their enemies loomed large. Only Noah and his household stood apart in a violent world. The armies of Abraham, Moses, David, and Hezekiah were vastly outnumbered. The Apostles and the early church faced the persecutions of the massive Roman Empire. Faithful churches of Jesus Christ continue to exist today as a tiny minority in many nations. If we survey history, there were comparatively few times when God’s people had the numbers in their favor. With respectful deference to my Postmillennial friends, neither these parables, nor history would tend support the theory that the world is just going to keep getting better. Evil is a reality. God doesn’t seem to judge it. It is allowed to grow up side by side with the KOG.
b. Illust: The story is told of an Iowa farmer who had a strong disdain for “religious” things. As he plowed his field on Sunday morning, he would shake his fist at the church people who passed by on their way to worship. October came and the farmer had his finest crop ever—the best in the entire county. When the harvest was complete, he placed an advertisement in the local paper which belittled the Christians for their faith in God. Near the end of his diatribe he wrote, “Faith in God must not mean much if someone like me can prosper.” The response from the Christians in the community was quiet and polite. In the next edition of the town paper, a small ad appeared. It read simply, “God doesn’t always settle His accounts in October.” (William E. Brown in Making Sense of Your Faith)
B. Repentance is Part and Parcel of the Purpose of God’s Delay in Judgment.
1. God is Kind & Merciful and Seeks to See Sinners Repent and Return thru Christ.
a. I love Rom. 2:4: “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” Couple that with the beautiful intention of God in II Pet. 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
b. The disciples struggled with this concept in the time of Christ and Jesus’ disciples struggle with the same concept today. Our righteous spirits, like Lot’s, (II Pet. 2:7-9) are tormented by the depravity we see around us. Sexual sin and perversion tormented Lot while living in Sodom and Gomorrah. As believers today we are often offended and sickened by the sinful depravity that surrounds us. And we naturally pray “Come Lord Jesus” or ask “Lord, when are you going to judge these people or this nation????” However, you know what all of those prayers have in common with every person who prays them? We pray that prayer AFTER we become a Christian! Illust: I know there were devout believers who sincerely praying that prayer in Fall of 1983. I sure am glad God didn’t answer their prayer in November of 1983! I would have deservedly gone straight to Hell!
2. This Parable Should Cause us to Seriously Reflect Upon our True Heart Condition before Christ.
a. Illust: “It isn’t always easy to spot the difference between a weed and a prize-winning flower. Some of the most destructive weeds look beautiful. And some plants which look very unprepossessing in their early stages grow up to be the most stunning orchids. You really need an expert gardener to know the difference. That’s why it’s called the invisible church. That person sitting in front of me on Sunday? I can’t tell for sure what she’ll grow up to be, spiritually speaking. It’s invisible to me. If she tells me, “I’m a Christian,” I’m delighted to take that claim at face value, but naturally I can’t see into her heart to see if she truly belongs to Christ. That’s invisible to all except the Master.
b. In John Bunyan’s book The Pilgrim’s Progress, we meet a cheery character called Talkative. There’s nothing Talkative loves more than to talk about the glorious truths of the gospel. He talks about the need for repentance and faith, the necessity of new birth, and the fact that our good works cannot save us. He knows how to refute false opinions and instruct others. He has full assurance that he is heading for heaven. But he is mistaken. What makes Talkative so frightening as a character is that he is absolutely convinced of his own salvation. Talkative has talked such a good talk for so long that he has managed to deceive himself. He has no idea that he is in terrible danger.
C. Applic: I don’t want to put an ounce of doubt or dear in the heart of a true believer. However, we need to honestly evaluate our lives to make sure we are in Christ and not simply a weeding growing next to His wheat.
III. What is the Interpretation of this Parable? Vv. 36-43
A. First We See that there are Seven Important Elements in this Parable.
1. What are those 7 Important Elements? Vv. 37-39 we see 1:1 identification w. 7 key elements: Sower – the Son of Man who brings the KOG. B. The Field – The world. C. Good Seed – Those belong to the KOG d. Weeds/Tares – Those belonging to the Evil one E. The enemy – The devil F. The harvest – The end of the Age – The Harvesters – The angels. Illust- At the 2nd Coming of Christ will Angels be riding John Deere tractors? Sorry Iowans, but no. They will be riding IH, because they are International Harvesters!)
2. The field, very clearly is to be understood as the world – (ho kosmos), But this corresponds with the church’s mission and ministry to impact the world with the message of the Gospel. Illust: Past week saw someone put up post that said: “Never trust someone for answers in this world who have an apocalyptic religion. They are too concerned about the next world to offer any sound solutions or help in this world.” May I give the one word Irish reply? Eejit! No one institution has been a greater force for good in the world than the Church. Christianity ended slavery, child labor, infanticide, child marriage, suttee, positive education, literacy, medical, homeless, addiction, housing, etc. Yet in all of these have faced fearsome opposition.
B. Vv.40-43 Culminates in the Explanation of the Central Point of the Parable.
1. Vv. 40-42 should elicit a response of terror in the hearts of those doing evil. False teachers/preacher. “Stumbling blocks”. Those in the world causing individuals to stumble in their faith or life. Very popular for liberal pastors and university religion department profs to “Deconstruct the Christian Faith” and attempt to get their vulnerable listeners to do the same. Those esteemed and academically honored individuals are listed next to “the lawless” in Christ’s account. Common criminals.
2. There is a place of punishment for the weeds/tares attempting to infiltrate the Kingdom: v.42 – place – location. Not an idea. Not a theory. Rather an eternal place of judgment for the wicked. Illust: I once heard a story that a member of the British royal family asked a member of the clergy of the Church of England if there was a hell, and the clergyman apparently replied, “Your Highness, the Bible says so, Jesus taught so, and the articles of the Church of England affirm so,” to which the member of the royal family was reported to respond, “Then why in God’s name do you not tell us about it?” We are warned.
3. There is also a place of eternal reward for the people of God! V.43 – We will “shine as the sun” in God’s presence! Great news! Eternal life. Eternal joy! “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Listen and apply!)
D. Applic: There is nothing as good in Mexican food as home-grown Cilantro! A couple of years ago I grew it in a little raised spice garden bed we had. Now some of the previous year’s spices were perennials, sure I cleaned out, but… When first began to sprout was sure had something mixed in with the Cilantro, but not confident which to pick. Let it grow. Within a matter of a few days was completely obvious. Texture of leaves and unique sent identified Cilantro.
