I hope you benefited from last week’s lesson on the Parable of the Sower and the Seed. We, as Jesus’ disciples are to be sowing the seed as we journey through life, regardless of the type of soil we may encounter.
This week, in Matthew 13:24-30 we find the Parable of the Tares, also known as the Parable of the Wheat and Tares. This parable, like all of the parables, is filled with spiritual significance and truth. It focuses on the type of seed that is sown. This illustrates the idea that good and evil will coexist in the world until the final judgement, where God will separate the righteous (wheat) from the wicked (tares). It is thought that the tares referenced in this parable is darnel, a type of poisonous weed that looks similar to wheat when it is young. This signifies that it can be difficult to discern true believers from those who only appear to be so.
As mentioned last week, each parable is presented to teach at least one main point. However, there are some interesting sub points that are important, as well. We see in the explanation in verses 36-43, where there are two different sowers (Christ and satan), two different seed sown (good seed and bad seed) with two different results (believers and nonbelievers).
We will strive to examine the basic idea of this parable and to show how, even though this narrative is thousands of years old, the principles are timeless. God has not changed. Jesus is the same today and His Word is unchangeable. People are the same, although our lifestyles are very different. We can take these teaching and learn from them. Jesus prepared us for the conflicts and discouragement that comes from having believers and nonbelievers living side-by-side.
We will look into this parable more closely on Sunday, but there is one message I would like to highlight. This parable calls attention to the fact that the wheat and tares are difficult to tell apart and it is perilous to try to uproot the tares without possibly damaging the wheat. Jesus knows His good seed. He warned that many profess faith but do not know Him (Matt. 7:22). Thus, each person should examine his own relationship with Christ (2 Cor. 13:5). The scriptures repeatedly remind us we are to seek for understanding daily and listen attentively to the Word spoken to us, so we don’t follow the wrong instructions. We need to be like those noble Bereans who search the scriptures daily, “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things we so.” (Acts 17:10-11).
My prayer is that we can all come together to hear what Jesus taught His disciples and how we can apply it to our daily lives, as well. As Jesus said, “He who has ears, let him hear.”
In Christ,
Steve
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