Understanding Wheat and Tares

Few professing Christians study to show themselves approved and therefore are easily deceived by false teaching, whether that teaching is done mistakenly by immature ministers or deliberately by false and carnal ministers. One of the many topics that is wrongly taught is the parable of the wheat and tares.

The Immature ministers and false ministers with deceitful and/or carnal motives have improperly trained church members about the parable of the wheat and tares resulting in many professing Christians misinterpreting what Scripture teaches about wheat and tares. The error begins by stating that in this parable the field is the Church. From there false teaching springs forth which is devastating to the holiness, purity and maturity of the Church. Many doors are opened for explaining away, hiding or even justifying carnal and immoral behavior in ministers and church members.

The truth is that the field represents the world. In the world are both righteous sons of God and wicked sons of the evil one. The Church on the other hand is to be made up of disciples who have denied self, been crucified with Christ, and have forsaken all to follow Him in the unity of faith with other true and like minded disciples. Together they are fulfilling God's will on earth and making themselves ready for the marriage of the Lamb. Always know and remember that there is a tremendous difference in wheat and tares making up the population of the world and wheat and tares making up the body of Christ. Many professing Christians, including some ministers, do not know the difference. Those ministers are not equipping the saints properly! The parable is about wheat and tares growing side by side in the world; it is not about wheat and tares growing side by side in the Church.

Jesus Christ is looking for a Church in His image; He is looking for a Church that has Christ formed within. He is looking for a Church that is mature, holy as He is holy and unified in faith. He is not looking for a Church that is divided, immature, and fleshly in her conduct. He is not looking for a Church made up of wheat and tares. He is looking for a Church made up of obedient disciples who are going out into the world and ministering the gospel to the lost in the world. He is looking for disciples who are used of Him to witness truth that will turn the lost into good wheat. He is looking for a Church that is so much in His image and so filled with His power that when the lost visit with them they are transformed by the Spirit and presence of Christ. They come in lost and leave as wheat; they come in worldly and heavy laden and leave born again and Spirit filled and singing the praises of God.

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

(Matthew 13) 24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

The Parable Explained

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! [emphasis added]