Finding Jesus in the Bible…So We Can Follow Him in Life
Bible Reading Plans
- Plan One: New Testament Only
- Plan Two: New Testament + Psalms
- Plan Three: New Testament + History
- Plan Four: The Entire Bible – Year 1 of 3, Year 2 of 3, Year 3 of 3
Don’t know which plan? Go to A Christ-Centered Bible Reading Plan: Quick Start.
Extras
Verse of the Day, Audio Capsule, and Video Minute
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(Today’s Book Installment)
The One True Church
Chapter 48 – The Wheat and the Tares
One of the best known of Jesus’ kingdom parables is the one about the wheat and the tares. Although some modern English translations use “weed” in place of “tare” because of its greater familiarity, Google AI says:
“Many Bible teachers point out that “tares” is a better title because it refers to a specific, insidious weed called darnel (Lolium temulentum). Darnel looks almost completely identical to wheat during its early stages of growth. It isn’t until the plants mature and form heads that you can tell them apart—the wheat heads turn golden and bow down under their own weight, while the toxic darnel heads stay upright and turn a dark grey or black.”
Here then is that parable:
Matthew 13:24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
Matthew 13:25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away.
Matthew 13:26 But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.
Matthew 13:27 The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’
Matthew 13:28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’
Matthew 13:29 But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them.
Matthew 13:30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
Later on, Jesus’ disciples asked for an explanation.
Matthew 13:36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
Matthew 13:37 And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,
Matthew 13:38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;
Matthew 13:39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.
Matthew 13:40 So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.
Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,
Matthew 13:42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
We know that “the end of the age” was characterized by tribulation and apostasy. At the harvest, the necessary separation took place.
This is the same separation John the Baptist was talking about when he said:
Matthew 3:11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Matthew 3:12 His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
This separation to which John the Baptist and Jesus were both pointing would put further emphasis on the distinction between the church we read about in the New Testament and all others.
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