Wheat and tares

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. – Matthew 13.24-30

The next illustration Jesus gives is that of a wheat field infested with weeds. The workers want to get rid of the weeds, but the master says ‘no, leave them so we don’t chance hurting the wheat. At harvest time we can separate the wheat and the weeds. Then we can bring the wheat into the barns and we can burn the weeds.

Later in the chapter Jesus explains the story. The field is the kingdom of God. The wheat are true believers and the weeds are false professors. God is not going to pour out His wrath in the false professors to prevent undue harm to the believers.

That explains why we see some of the activity that we see in the church today. It is why the church does not always act Christian. Among the wheat of the true harvest and some who are tares of chaff or weeds. They go through the motions, but there has never been a heart change. The wheat and the tares are going to survive by side so the church is never going to be perfect.

Until Jesus returns. Then comes the tragedy of the tares. All those false professors are going to be cut off. All those who rested in their works or hoped for the best who even we deceived will be separated from the wheat and face an eternity away from them and away from God.

We can’t assume that all Christians around us are the wheat. Folks need to be sure that each of us are truly wheat who have be delivered from our sins through faith in Jesus Christ.

Wheat or tare? Are willing to do a double check on our own hearts to see which we are?