Parable of the wheat and tares

 Parable of the wheat and tares

 

Matthew 13:24-30 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat. , and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then 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 to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.』

Today, many churches compare wheat and tares; the wheat refers to those who are good at living a religious life, and the tares refer to those who are not good at living a religious life. Living a good religious life is explained by not missing worship, tithing well, and serving the church well. However, this tells us that there are two hearts in the hearts of believers. This means that there are wheat (new temple) and tares (old temple) in the hearts of believers.

The grain is wheat. By the way, tares are poisonous plants that are similar to wheat but cannot be eaten. The Bible tells us to leave the wheat and weeds alone until the harvest. This means that the weeds will be burned during the harvest. The reason Jesus gave the parable of the wheat and the weeds is because it has meaning. What is said in Matthew 24-30 is explained in 13:36-43. 『Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the Tares of the field. 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. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this 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 he shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.』

Jesus comes to the world and sows good seeds (the Word of God). The Word of God is Jesus Christ. This is because Christ is the Word who became flesh and came among us. God's sowing of Jesus Christ into the world will be "the blood of death on the cross and the flesh of resurrection." Those who eat the flesh of resurrection bear fruit.

God predestined salvation in the world before the creation of the world, and the first covenant is the words of Genesis 3:15: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.』Based on this promise, God chose Noah, Abraham, and sent prophets to continue the words of the covenant. The people of Israel had heard the promise for generations, and they had come to see the promise from afar as it was to be fulfilled.

The promise that will come true is Jesus Christ. When Christ comes, the promise is fulfilled, and receiving the promise of fulfillment is faith. That faith currently believes in the death of the cross with Jesus and the resurrection with Christ. In Galatians 3:23-24, “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.” Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.』Here, faith is the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If this present faith in resurrection comes into us, we can enter into Christ and become righteous. The grains that are fruitful through the good seed (death on the cross) become the sons of heaven (resurrection).

“The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed the weeds is the devil.” The sons of the evil one are the children of Satan. When Jesus referred to Israel, he said that they were children of the devil. In John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.” He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.』When Jesus said this to Israel, it means that all humans in the world are children of the devil. Being a child of the devil means being a sinner against God.

Wheat and tares exist together in the hearts of believers. God leaves the wheat and the weeds together until the harvest. Harvest means gathering the wheat and burning the weeds with fire. (Baptism by fire) Baptism by fire means judgment. As believers receive water baptism (death to sin) and fire baptism (death to their old self), they receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and a new temple (resurrection) is established. God harvests the weeds during the judgment of fire. It is the death of an old person.

Wheat and tares do not appear as a result of a certain religious life, but it means that I can be the wheat and I can become the tares. In the hearts of believers who believe in present resurrection, there is an old temple and a new temple. The old temple is represented by the old man appearing from the flesh. However, for those who believe in present resurrection, the new temple comes down from heaven. This is also called a new person. When the new temple is built, the old temple that I previously thought of as “me” no longer has anything to do with me. That is why it is said that the ancient people are dead. In Romans 6:4, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Even when the new temple is built, the old temple exists right next to it. Even though it has nothing to do with me, it continues to confuse my sense of existence. It makes it look as if the weeds next to the wheat are the wheat. The tares in my heart are filled with greed and have a strong desire to live according to the flesh. However, the grain is the desire to live according to the Holy Spirit. These two minds coexist. Romans 8:5-8 『For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.』