THE PARABLE OF THE TARES OF THE FIELD

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     Some of the most interesting studies that can be done in the Bible involve the parables of Jesus.

 

B.      In Psalm 78:2, it was prophesied that Jesus would speak in parables.

 

I will open my mouth in a parable:  I will utter dark sayings of old.

 

C.     In the Biblical text, we have over 30 parables that Jesus spoke during His earthly ministry.

1.       A parable is a story about an earthly activity that either did or could really happen.

2.       Along side the earthly story Jesus would made a spiritual application.

3.       The definition of the Greek word is “to lay along side of.” 

a.       Beside an earthly story, Jesus would lay along side of it a spiritual application.

b.      Thus, the word parable is defined by some as “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.”

 

D.     Some of Jesus’s parables are called “kingdom” parables.

1.       They begin with words like this:  “For the kingdom of heaven is liken unto…”

2.       These parables reveal to us something about the church which is the kingdom of God.

3.       “The Parable of the Tares of the Field” is a kingdom parable (Matt. 13:34).

 

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto…

 

a.       The tares are just one component of the parable, but the disciples were intrigued by them.

b.      After Jesus sent the multitudes away, “…his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field” (Matt. 13:36).

c.       We are fortunate when it comes to this parable. 

1)      We have the parable.

2)      We have the title of the parable revealed.

3)      And, we have the divine interpretation of the parable recorded for us.  (NOTE:  There is no guessing with regard to this parable of our Lord).

 

E.      There are two ways we could approach this parable. 

1.       First, we can examine the parable itself and the interpretation thereof.

2.       Second, we can look at some of the broad lessons that this parable teaches us.

 

F.      In this lesson, we will examine the broad lessons of the parable.

 

I.                    THE IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT PARABLES

 

A.     First, every parable usually has one central lesson within it.  In “The Parable of the Tares,” the one lesson is that there will be a clear distinction made between the righteous and the unrighteous at the end of the world (Matt. 13:41-43).

 

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 weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father…

B.      Parables often include incidentals that embellish the story, but do not have an interpretation within them.

1.       In verse 24, a man sowed good seed in his field.  Then Jesus says:  “But while men slept…”

a.       This is an incidental.

b.      The men and the fact that they slept are not interpreted.

c.       It merely shows us that the enemy works in secret.

2.       In verse 30, when the harvest takes place, the Lord says to the reapers:  “Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them…”

a.       Jesus notes that the tares were bound in bundles.  This was the normal method of handling the tares at harvest.

b.      The bundling of the tares, however, is incidental.  The tares, wicked people, will not be bundled and cast into the furnace of fire in the last day.

3.       The same reasoning holds true with the idea of “a furnace of fire” (Matt. 13:42). 

a.       In other places, hell is described as a lake which burns with fire and brimstone (Rev. 21:8).

b.      The furnace is used here because that is what was used for burning during the harvest.

4.       When individuals take these incidentals and try to place some important interpretation upon them, they are said to “press the parable too far.”

 

C.     When an inspired interpretation of a parable is given, we must adhere to the interpretation that is provided (Matt. 13:37-39)

 

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.

 

1.       Seven points are clearly interpreted by Jesus in these three verses.

2.       No one has a right to misrepresent the interpretation of the things that Jesus has clearly explained to us.

 

II.                 SOMETIMES PARABLES CONTAIN DIFFICULTIES

 

A.     The use of the word “kingdom” is somewhat difficult in this text.

1.       The word is found four times in the text.

a.       “The kingdom of heaven is like unto…” (Matt. 13:24).

b.      “…the good seed are the children of the kingdom…” (Matt. 13:38).

c.       “The Son of man shall send forth angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom…” (Matt. 13:41).

d.      “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:43).

2.       Is the use of the word “kingdom” in all of these verses identical?

a.       The first reference is definitely referring to the church.

b.      The second reference is also to the church.  A child of the kingdom is a Christian, that is, a member of the church.

c.       The third reference is more difficult.

1)      Jesus said that He is speaking about “the end of the world” (Matt. 13:39).

2)      At the end of the 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” (Matt. 13:41-42).

a)      At the end of the world, are only the tares within the church going to be reaped by the angels?

b)      Jesus said that “the field is the world” (Matt. 13:38).  Jesus has all authority over the earth (Matt. 28:18).

c)       This reference appears to be the world rather than just the church.

d.      The fourth reference returns to the church in its redeemed state in the last day.  Thus, it refers to the kingdom when it exists in the heavenly realm after final judgment.

 

B.      How do we apply the word tares?

1.       There are four things that we are told about them.

a.       Tares are children of the wicked one (Matt. 13:38).  In verse 41, they are described as they “that offend, and them which do iniquity.”

b.      Tares will be allowed to grow with the wheat until the harvest.  Jesus said:  “Let both grow together until the harvest…” (Matt. 13:30).

c.       At the end of the world, the angels shall gather the tares “out of his kingdom” (Matt. 13:41).

d.      At the end of the world, the tares will be cast into a furnace of fire (Matt. 13:42).

2.       Tares were weeds that grew up within the wheat.  In the early stages of growth, the tares closely resembled the wheat itself.

3.       There are three types of tares that exist in the world today.

a.       There are “good” people in the world that closely resemble Christians.

b.      There are “religious” people in the world that even call themselves Christians, but they have not been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

c.       There are individuals within the church itself who are Christians, but they are slothful, fail to use their talents, immoral, and are not really faithful to the Christ.

 

III.              JESUS DESTROYS FALSE DOCTRINES THAT EXIST

 

A.     There is a devil that exists. 

1.       He is not a mythical creature.

2.       “But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat…The enemy that sowed them is the devil…” (Matt. 13:25, 39).

3.       In verse 38, Jesus calls the devil “the wicked one.”

 

B.      Jesus destroys the concept of the Premillennial end of the world.

1.       Things Jesus does not mention:

a.       The rapture of the church

b.      A thousand-year reign of Jesus in Jerusalem.

c.       The battle of Armageddon

2.       At the end of the world, it is a simple process (Matt. 13:30).

 

…and in the time of the 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.

 

C.     There is a place of eternal punishment in fire.

1.       “…bind them in bundles to burn them…” (Matt. 13:30).

2.       “As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of the world” (Matt. 13:40).

3.       “And shall cast them into a furnace of fire:  there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 13:42).

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 13:43).

 

B.      At the end of the world when the final harvest comes, will you be

1.       Wheat?  Or, a tare?

2.       A child of the kingdom?  Or, a child of the wicked one?

3.       Do we remain in the kingdom?  Or, are we gathered out of his kingdom?

4.       Are we one of the righteous?  Or are we part of those who offend, and which do iniquity?

5.       Will we shine forth as the sun in the kingdom?  Or, we will burn and weep in the furnace of fire?

 

C.     NOTE:  The story Jesus told about the wheat, the tares, and the harvest was real.  It happened at every harvest time.  There is coming a spiritual harvest.  It is just as real as the harvests Jesus saw 2,000 years ago. 

 

D.     The text tells us that the Son of man sowed good seed into His field.  That seed according to Luke 8:11 is the Word of God.  Those who hear it, and keep it, will be gathered into the Lord’s barn in the last day.