“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,” Hebrews 11:6
Two thoughts are foundational to our salvation. We must believe in the fact of God, and we must also believe in the character of God. Satan believes in God, the demons speaking out of a man named Legion in Mark chapter five confessed that Jesus is God. It isn’t enough to know that He is God, you have to believe that God is a rewarder, that His impeccable character will not allow evil to go unpunished or those who trust Him to regret that decision. God can be trusted. He is good. This lesson addresses how we need to adjust our vision to align with our Heavenly Father’s, considering the troubles and confusion of our world. It is very difficult for temporal human beings to become eternity minded, but it’s the purpose of the Holy Spirit to direct our trust, love, and devotion to the Son of God and away from the circumstances that threaten to destroy our faith.
Like a seed among thorns, the truth of God is perfect, but our misunderstandings and distractions can choke out our spiritual growth and leave us fruitless if we neglect to keep our eyes on the long game. How often we hear, “ if there is a God, then why…..” Why does He allow sickness, injury, death, birth defects? The list goes on and on. Why do good people suffer and bad people seem to go unscathed? These are not new questions. Solomon himself asked those, and though filled with unparalleled wisdom, he struggled to make sense of them in light of his knowledge of God. Our parable this week reveals a mystery of the kingdom. Jesus revealed a truth that will open our understanding. Pray for wisdom and guidance as we think about the Weeds Among the Wheat.
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
Using a parable, Jesus chose to reveal something to His inner circle that the multitudes would not come to fully understand until after his resurrection. Fortunately for us, He interprets this parable leaving no doubt as to its application. A good rule of thumb is to watch to see if the Bible interprets itself. When it does, there is no need for speculation.
But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
Note who is asleep. The men who work in the fields for their master have failed to anticipate the enemy’s arrival. Our enemy is subtle. He is an artful liar, and Satan seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. The sin he stirs up always yields the same results: division, disbelief, and destruction. He does not have the authority to remove God’s people from the field, only to corrupt the field by planting confusion. The devil’s tactics are not new, they are simple, and yet they work. He plants tares, thorn-filled weeds, that early on look like the good wheat, but prove to be painful and destructive. Again, tares look like wheat but cannot be used for any good purpose because they are bitter. It's an evil trick, they look similar, but what is produced, the fruit is very different. The enemy’s plan is to discredit the character of the householder and ruin the field.
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?
The servants accuse their master first. What has He done wrong? Did He fail to sow good seed? They are asking Him, if you are good, why is the field filled with things that are bad? It takes some time to discern that there are two things growing in the same field. The good wheat and the painful tares are only partially grown at this point in the story. Jesus instructed that “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10). The servants don’t understand the source of the tares, but the householder knows exactly who has entered the field. It would be within His rights and also easier on his reputation to plow under the whole field because of the tares, but He is willing and wise enough to save all that He can.
He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
First of all, God is not our enemy. Our enemy entered the garden in the beginning. He stood opposed to Job, he stirred up lying prophets throughout the Old Testament, he tempted Jesus on a mountain, and then roared his defiance from the lips of the Pharisees at the foot of Golgotha’s cross. Because man allowed sin to enter the field by failing to guard against the attack of the evil one, the world is horribly broken. Our good savior, far from destroying us all, as we deserve, had a plan to save all that He could. We don’t recognize where the trouble comes from, but God sees for us, and we can trust Him because He knows what to do.
Then he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
The householder will let them grow together and separate them at the harvest. He will not attempt to remove the good from the bad for fear He will harm the good seeds in the process. The appearance of the field today is of far less consequence than the harvest that is to come. The goal is the harvest. Neighbors may point at the field and laugh at the terrible trick played on the householder, but the householder is less concerned with what others may say than He is with the end results.
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.
The servants are not to separate them. They are to allow them to grow together. They will be separated based on what they are at the harvest. Only the wheat, the intended plant, will be placed into the householder's barn for safe keeping.
Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
To the disciples, the mystery is revealed. The Son of Man is Jesus himself the creator owner of the field and the sower of the seed. He has sown His own kingdom into the world, notice not just Israel. It all belongs to him. This time the seeds are the children of the kingdom, those that believe on Jesus. Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. (John 12:44-47).
The children of Satan are the tares. Notice that after Satan, the enemy, planted his seed, he went his way. The householder allowed the believers to live and grow up among the wicked non-believers, even the tares were blessed by the field. Until the harvest. Again, Satan’s hope is to destroy the world, to get the world to say that they don’t need God, but not because he cares for those who follow him, because of his hatred for God. He hinders believers (good seed) by stealing what the followers of Jesus need to grow, killing out their belief in Jesus with struggles and sufferings, or destroying their ability and desire to live the Christian life... Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1John 2: 15-16).
As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
The kingdom of God will be separated from the tares of the field when the judgment comes. The character of God, His wisdom, His goodness, His purpose, and His compassion will be revealed. The work of the evil one will also be revealed. All the confusion that the evil one has caused will be torn away, and those who sold themselves to him in sin, who rejected the salvation of God, will be separated eternally. The enemy's plan is always division, God’s plan is to bring us into His glory.
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Thank you for studying with us! God bless!