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We are in the wonderful land of the parables, but is it really so wonderful? These are not just nice stories. Jesus is imparting some devastating teaching to his disciples and have we not seen this truth emerge when we spent time studying the parable of the sower and the seed?

We move on to Matthew Chapter 13 and verses 24 to 30 – Tares among the wheat. Jesus Christ is pointing us to the time of the final harvest. What does Jesus Christ have to say about this final event?

For some it will be exciting and thrilling – for others it will mean disastrous devastation. Here is another story with a spiritual meaning.

There are profound spiritual truths in this parable, but do remember that no parable teaches everything.

People knew about wheat and tares, but this has a profound and significant twist to it.

Jesus is describing the Kingdom of heaven – the Kingdom of God.

It is like – and Jesus gives us very simple but searching pictures.

It is given to teach – encourage – and reassure – all those who are engaged in the work of the Kingdom of God – but be prepared for complications.

It is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

At first it sounds very simple and straightforward, but when that man went away, and while everyone was sleeping, somebody woke up and sneeked out, and crept to the field, thinking that no-one was watching, and thinking that no-one could hear, and it was in the dark. No-one will know what I am up to – Sh! Sh!

But God was looking and listening.

He looks. He sees. He listens.

Do you know what this man did? He was an enemy of the man who sowed good seed – and surreptitiously he sowed weeds among the good seed – all over the field – and then, went away.

The bad seed referred to here is darnel, which is very similar to the good seed.

Darnel is poisonous, and only when the ears begin to form do you know, and you cannot use that field for food.

People did this and they continue to do this, and these people knew what Jesus was speaking about.

The enemy thought no-one was aware of what he had done.

Some time later the field began to produce what had been sown in it – it always does.

The servants of the owner asked – didn’t you sow good seed? Where did the weeds come from?

Verse 28. An enemy did this. An enemy tries to do things secretly and the seed looked authentic.

The servants are keen to clean up the mess right away, but the owner, the one who was in charge and who saw the whole picture, says “NO”.

Some people think they must act right away to sort out all the problems, and we can become propelled into premature activity.

There are things in the world, and in the church, which upset us and distress us.

This parable is set in the context of the sowing of the good seed. The sower has confidence in the seed – and the sower has expectation.

This is not an incidental activity. This has limitless and eternal significance.

Failure and disappointment and opposition must not dishearten us. The consequences of the sowing of the seed is in someone else’s hands!

Not even the full operation of evil, right to the end of the age, can prevent the Master’s full harvest.

The Master does not become disturbed by evil. We do! Sin in the life of the individual must be dealt with but sin and evil in the world is a different matter, and one day almighty God will deal with all that.

God said to Jeremiah that He would watch over His Word.

Jesus explains what is happening and why and goes on to teach precisely and specifically regarding what will happen to each group. This is a profound parable, as they all are and we will look at Jesus’ explanation next week.

"Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life" from Tom Kelley

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