The Weeds among the Wheat
Matthew 13:24–30, 37–43. In contrast to the first parable that taught various types of reception of the seed, the second parable refers to the difference between true wheat and weeds. For the parable, Jesus used the situation where a man sows good seed in his field (v. 24). However, after the man has sown the good seed, his enemies come and sow weeds (v. 25). When both begin to grow up, it becomes evident that the wheat and the weeds are growing together. When servants ask whether they should try to pull up the weeds, they are told to wait until the harvest (vv. 28–30). At the time of the harvest the harvesters are instructed to collect weeds first and then the wheat (v. 30). As in the first parable of the kinds of soil, the parable here does not support the postmillennial idea that the gospel will be triumphant and bring in a golden age. Also, it does not support the concept that the present age is the fulfillment of the kingdom promises of Christ. Instead, it is an accurate portrayal of the present age, where both the true gospel and false gospels are proclaimed.
This parable is used by the posttribulationists as proving that the rapture cannot be placed before the end-time events of the great tribulation because the weeds are gathered first. This would refute the pretribulationists who teach that the rapture gathers out the saved first. Accordingly, they place the rapture as an event preceding the second coming of Christ to earth.
The answer to this is quite simple. First of all, the order of the gathering is not significant as illustrated in the final parable of the dragnet, when the reverse is true: The good fish are gathered out first, and the bad fish are thrown away (v. 48). The fact is that there will be a series of judgments at the second coming, and the order is not significant here.
However, the real answer is that the rapture is not in view here. The period involved is the whole period between the first and second advents of Christ without special consideration of the church age as such from Pentecost to the rapture.
The disciples did not readily understand the parable of the weeds in the field, and Jesus explained it to them, stating, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear” (vv. 37–43). Once explained, the parable is simple to understand and believe, but this parable, like others, requires interpretation.
Walvoord, J. (2011). Every Prophecy of the Bible: Clear Explanations for Uncertain Times (pp. 363–364). David C Cook.
Contents: Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. The sower, tares and wheat, grain of mustard seed, leaven, hid treasure, pearl, drag net.
Characters: Jesus, disciples, Satan, Isaiah.
Conclusion: The present age will be marked to its end by the presence of both professors of religion and possessors—sinners and saints. The believer’s work is to sow the Word of God in faith, not expecting thereby to convert the whole world, but in expectation of Him, who at the end of the age, will come with His angels to separate the good and the bad—to make an end of sinners and set up His glorious Kingdom.
Key Word: Kingdom mysteries, v. 11.
Strong Verses: 12, 41, 42.
Striking Facts: Some make the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven to teach the conversion of the whole world in this age by the preaching of the gospel. This view is explicitly contradicted by Jesus’ interpretation of the parables of the wheat and tares and the drag net—therefore there is something wrong with the popular interpretation of the leaven and mustard seed. Leaven means “corruption” and is always used in Scripture as a symbol of evil. The mustard seed parable pictures an abnormal and unsubstantial growth of the outward church. See Dan. 4:20–22.
“The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.” (Daniel 4:20–22, ESV)
Brooks, K. (2009). Summarized Bible: Complete Summary of the New Testament (pp. 10–11). Logos Bible Software. (Public Domain)
25. While men slept, his enemy came, &c. That is, in the night, when it could be done without being seen, an enemy came and scattered bad seed on the new-ploughed field, perhaps before the good seed had been harrowed in. Satan thus sows false doctrine in darkness. In the very place where the truth is preached, and while the hearts of people are open to receive it, by false but plausible teachers he takes care to inculcate false sentiments. Often it is one of his arts, in a revival of religion, to spread secretly dangerous notions of piety. Multitudes are persuaded that they are Christians who are deceived. They are awakened, convicted, and alarmed. They take this for conversion. Or they find their burden gone; they fancy that they hear a voice; or a text of Scripture is brought to them, saying that their sins are forgiven; or they see Christ hanging on the cross in a vision; or they dream that their sins are pardoned, and they suppose they are Christians. But they are deceived. None of these things are any conclusive evidence of piety. All these may exist, and still there be no true love to God or Christ, and no real hatred of sin and change of heart. An enemy may do it to deceive them, and to bring dishonour on religion.
Sowed tares. By tares is probably meant a degenerate kind of wheat, or the darnel-grass growing in Palestine. In its growth and form it has a strong resemblance to genuine wheat; but it either produces no grain, or that of a very inferior and hurtful kind. Probably it comes near to what we mean by chess. It was extremely difficult to separate it from the genuine wheat, on account of its similarity while growing. “The tare abounds all over the East, and is a great nuisance to the farmer. It resembles the American cheat [chess], but the head does not droop like cheat, nor does it branch out like oats. The grain, also, is smaller, and is arranged along the upper part of the stalk, which stands perfectly erect. The taste is bitter, and when eaten separately, or even when diffused in ordinary bread, it causes dizziness, and often acts as a violent emetic. Barn-door fowls also become dizzy from eating it. In short, it is a strong soporific poison, and must be carefully winnowed, and picked out of the wheat grain by grain, before grinding, or the flour is not healthy. Even the farmers, who in this country generally weed their fields, do not attempt to separate the one from the other. They would not only mistake good grain for them, but very commonly the roots of the two are so intertwined that it is impossible to separate them without plucking up both. Both, therefore, must be left to grow together until the time of harvest.”—(Thomson) The Land and the Book, vol. ii. p. 111, 112. Thus tares aptly represented hypocrites in the church. Strongly resembling Christians in their experience, and, in some respects, their lives, it is impossible to distinguish them from genuine Christians, nor can they be separated until it is done by the Great Searcher of hearts at the day of judgment. An enemy—the devil—hath done it. And nowhere has he shown profounder cunning, or done more to adulterate the purity of the gospel.
And went his way. There is something very expressive in this. He knew the soil; he knew how the seed would take root and grow. He had only to sow the seed and let it alone. So Satan knows the soil in which he sows his doctrine. He knows that in the human heart it will take deep and rapid root. It needs but little culture. Grace needs constant attendance and care. Error, and sin, and hypocrisy are the native products of the human heart, and, when left alone, start up with deadly luxuriancy.
26. Then appeared the tares also. That is, then the tares were first discovered. They had grown with the wheat, but were so much like it as not to be noticed till the wheat began to ripen. So true piety and false hopes are not known by professions, by “blades,” and leaves, and flowers, but by the fruit.
29. Ye root up also the wheat. They so much resembled the true wheat that even then it would be difficult to separate them. By gathering them, they would tread down the wheat, loosen and disturb the earth, and greatly injure the crop. In the harvest it could be done without injury.
30. Let both grow together. They would not spoil the true wheat, and in time of harvest it would be easy to separate them. Our Saviour teaches us here—1st. That hypocrites and deceived persons must be expected in the church. 2d. That this is the work of the enemy of man. They are not the work of Christianity any more than traitors are of patriotism, or counterfeiters are of the proper effect of legislating about money. They belong to the world, and hypocrisy is only one form of sin. The Christian religion never made a hypocrite, nor is there a hypocrite on the earth whose principles and practice it does not condemn. 3d. That all hope of removing them entirely would be vain. 4th. That an attempt to remove them altogether would injure real Christianity, by causing excitements, discord, and hard feelings even among Christians. 5th. That Christ will himself separate them at the proper time. There is no doubt that it is the duty of the church to keep itself pure, and to cut off gross and manifest offenders, 1 Co. 5:4, 5; but the Saviour refers here to those who may be suspected of hypocrisy, but against whom it cannot be proved; to those who so successfully imitate Christians as to make it difficult or impossible for man to distinguish them.
Barnes, A. (1884–1885). Notes on the New Testament: Matthew & Mark (R. Frew, Ed.; pp. 144–145). Blackie & Son. (Public Domain)
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