Matt. 13:24-30
There is another parable told by the Lord Jesus:
“A man... sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares (weeds) among the wheat, and went his way. When the blade was sprung up... then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder (owner) came and said unto him,
“Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in the field? from whence then hath it tares?” He said unto them,
‘An enemy hath done this.’ The servants said unto him,
“Wilt thou 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 unto my reapers,
“Gather ye together first the tares in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn” (storehouse).
Tares are a sort of wild grain which grows in most lands, but not good for food for either people or animals. When the young plants first come up, they cannot be told from grain; later they have a small head, with small seeds, but they are bitter, even poisonous. The tares cannot be pulled out of the field without uproong the wheat, and are left until harvest time. So surely it was a wicked person who would sow tares in a grain field!
The men with Jesus asked Him what hiis story meant, and He told them that He was the Sower of “the good seed”, that the “field” where it was sown, was the world, and the enemy who sowed “the tares” was the devil, Satan (Matt. 13:36-43).
Jesus said those who would believe His words about the Kingdom to be set up, were “the children of the kingdom”, or “wheat”; among them Satan would have his followers who would pretend to believe God, they would be like “tares”. Jesus said His servants were not to pull up “the tares”, they might injure “the wheat”; they were not to destroy or condemn, all were to be left until the “harvest”.
Jesus had told the people about His kingdom on earth, when all must be true and right, so before that time could begin, there will be “a harvest” when what is of Satan will be destroyed, but “the wheat” will be safe in the “storehouse”, with Him.
Yet during all the time, the Lord Himself always knows who are His people. He said, “I know them” (John 10:27). He said many words like these,
“Whosoever believeth on Him (The Son of God) should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.
He wants His people to know that they are His. After He had gone back to Heaven, He had one of these same men, John, write very plain words, that those who believed in Him should know that they had everlasting life by Him: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” 1 John 5:9-13.
Note for older ones: The words, “the end of the world” in Matt. 13:39, mean the end of a certain time, or age the time since Christ began speaking of His Kingdom is the “growing’’, or waiting time; then will be the “harvest” or judgment time: (not the end of earth); afterward the time of the righteous Kingdom set up on earth.
ML 05/02/1943