Parable of the Tares
In the thirteenth chapter of Matthew, verses 37 through 43, Jesus Himself explains the parable of the wheat and the tares. Therefore, as we read and discuss this passage, we will rely on His explanation rather than reading it first and then providing an interpretation.
Matthew 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
In verse 37, Jesus explains that the sower of the good seed is the Son of Man, or Christ Himself. The good seeds symbolize the children of the kingdom, that is, believers who are born of God and followers of Christ. The field represents the world, so, these believers are sown into the world by Christ.
Matthew 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
Later, Jesus explains that the enemy who sowed tares among the wheat is the devil, who did it covertly, under the cover of darkness, while men slept. In other words, he secretly planted tares among the wheat, among the believers in Christ.
Why would the devil do such a thing? It seems obvious that he intended to ruin the crop and harm his enemy, Christ, who had planted it, and to hinder His work on the earth.
What is a tare?
A tare is a type of weedy ryegrass that looks similar to wheat but has darker kernels when mature. This plant, known as darnel, is poisonous to both humans and animals. Jesus later explains that the tares represent the children of the wicked one, the devil.
You Must Be Born Again
What is Jesus saying here? He is explaining that the devil plants wicked, non-genuine, fake Christians among the true believers in Christ. These impostors resemble believers and behave similarly, but as they mature, their dark nature becomes evident, revealing that they are not born of God.
Jesus told Nicodemus that one must be born again to see the kingdom of God. This parable indicates to us that there are individuals within church congregations who dwell among believers but are not themselves born from above. They have not experienced regeneration or become new creatures in Christ through the new birth.
The Wheat and the Tares
Matthew 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
After the wheat budded and began to grow, the servants working the field, the angels, who would eventually harvest the crop, recognized that tares were growing among the wheat. They realized that among the believers in Christ, some were not genuine but were instead children of the devil.
Matthew 13:27 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?
Let Both Grow Together
Matthew 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?>
Matthew 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
No, don’t gather the tares, or you might accidentally uproot the wheat. Now, again, the wheat and the tares symbolize human beings. When it becomes evident that someone pretending to be a believer is actually a tare, a child of the wicked one, a hypocrite, it can be disheartening for other believers. Their faith may be challenged, some might leave the church, and others could even abandon their faith altogether because of the exposure of one or two false believers.
Some might say, "Oh, those church people are all a bunch of hypocrites," but the truth, as illustrated in the parable of the tares, is more nuanced. While there are indeed some hypocrites, some pretenders, there are also many genuine believers who sincerely follow Christ and strive to live according to His teachings, as best they know how.
Matthew 13:30 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.
Thus, the separation of the tares from the wheat will occur at the time of harvest, which, as Jesus explains in verse 39, is at the end of the world.
Jesus’ Explanation of the Parable
Matthew 13:36 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.
Matthew 13:37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
Matthew 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
Matthew 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
Matthew 13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
Matthew 13:41 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;
More Insight about the Tare
Jesus' explanation sheds more light on what a tare is. The angels will gather out of the kingdom all things that offend. The word "offend" here comes from a Greek term meaning to entrap or cause one to stumble. According to Strong’s Concordance, it refers to any person or thing that leads someone into error or sin.
Thus, we can more clearly observe the behavior of tares. They entrap or lead people into wrong or sinful conduct. They themselves live on the fence and enjoy drawing others into their lifestyle of error.
Matthew 13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
This is describing hellfire, the eternal punishment of the wicked. One minister once said in a sermon that escaping hell is not a valid reason for seeking salvation. However, many who have died momentarily and were resuscitated, and claim to have experienced hell would disagree. They argue that it’s one of the most compelling reasons to repent and turn to Christ.
Parable of the Tares Meaning
Matthew 13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Do we have ears to hear what the Lord is saying in this parable? He is saying, don’t be a tare, don’t be a fake Christian, don’t be one who is planted in the church by the wicked one to draw true believers away into an immoral lifestyle.
How to be Born Again
Tares are people in the church who have not truly been saved. The Apostle Paul tells us how to be saved, or born of God, in the book of Romans in chapter 10.
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
As is evident here, It’s a matter of believing the gospel, that Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead for our justification, or to cleanse us from sin and make us right with God.
And it says that if we believe that with our heart and we confess with our mouth that we make Jesus the Lord of our life, we shall be saved, or delivered from our sinful condition. We will be born from above and made a new creature in Christ.
So, the only sensible option is to make Jesus our Lord and be a true believer. We need to make a quality commitment to live our life for Christ, to serve Him, to be pleasing to Him, and to fellowship with others who have the same precious faith.
Make a Decision for Christ
Make a genuine decision to live for the Lord, and not by your own strength, but by His strength, by asking Him to come into your life and you can receive the Holy Spirit into your heart to give strength. He was sent to us to guide us into all the truth.
If we’re going to be in church, if we’re going to put ourselves forth as believers in Christ, then we need to be the real thing. And the ultimate outcome is far better than it will be for the pretender.