2014-06-01 Faith Talk Wheat and Tares

Jesus continued to teach, sharing the parable of the wheat and tares.

Read Matthew 13:24-30 (NKJV) 24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;
25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.
27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'
28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'
29 But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."

Notice: As we look at the simple points, consider how the parable applies to us here in our community, work place, even in our church. The same things Jesus taught about then happen all around us today. Simple points to compare include: There are two sides at work. One is an enemy of the other; the enemy’s work is detrimental to the crop. The sower of wheat works during the day, and the one called the enemy works when others are sleeping. The crops planted by both grow together, though. The owner of the field allows both to grow because removing the plants sowed by the enemy would kill the plants sown by the owner of the field. Reapers will harvest both when the time comes, when the good seeds are through producing their crop, the enemy’s plants are taken first and disposed of.

The disciples asked Jesus for an explanation, and He gave them His meaning:

Read Matthew 13:37-42 (NKJV)
37 He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.
39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.
40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.
41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,
42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus taught as He often did using word pictures and real life examples to make His point. Jesus explained His meaning very clearly here.

Notice: Jesus is the one sowing good seed. The good seed is described as sons of the kingdom. Sons of the kingdom are planted by Jesus in the world only to produce fruit. The devil plants the rest of the seeds, the ones that do not bear fruit. The plants planted by the devil are called tares.

There are several points about tares we should pay close attention to: Tares look just like wheat as they grow together. Before wheat puts on a head and bears fruit, tares and wheat cannot be told apart. Bearing fruit is the only way wheat can be differentiated from the tares growing alongside it.

Consider: If this is the case, what does this mean for us? The real question is this: Are the people we see around us who are not bearing fruit immature wheat or are they tares? Do we ourselves bear enough fruit to be identified as wheat? Jesus said:

Read Luke 6:44 (NKJV) 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.

Consider: If bearing fruit is the only thing that makes the difference in the field, what does that mean to us in our world today?

Question: The question just occurred to me as I wrote this morning, if we are indeed wheat, and we are bearing fruit as we should, and we are surrounded or infiltrated by tares, CAN TARES BE TRANSFORMED INTO WHEAT? I know in the plant world no transformation occurs, but I wonder if there is hope for the tares around us.

Read Matthew 19:26 (NKJV) 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Challenge: Consider carefully the fruit you can claim as yours. Identify specific fruit you bear. Identify the things that hinder your production of fruit. Takes steps today to improve your fruit production and make your fruit apparent for all to see.

Love, Tom