Why Allow The Tares Among The Wheat?

I absolutely love reading the parables. They are short illustrative stories that teach a moral lesson. Large crowds of people would gather to listen as Jesus taught these parables. Many people didn’t understand them, and the disciples asked Him why He taught them in parables. He answered by quoting Isaiah 6:9-10 Peoples hearts had grown dull, and their ears hard of hearing (spiritually) The purpose was to wake them up with a seeking curiosity. However many just walked away. It was a small group of disciples that would seek Him out afterwards asking the meaning of what He had just taught. Their hearts were longing for the truth, and Jesus was faithful to give it to them.

The parable of the wheat and the tares is an amazing spiritual lesson that all believers need to understand. If we were to look at a field with both of these growing, it would be a bit difficult to decipher which was which unless you got close and walked among them. Then you would be able to recognize the counterfeit weed from the real plant.

A tare is also called a darnel…wheats evil twin! It has a simple stem, flat leaves, and terminal spikes that stand tall. Wheat is the opposite. They have a large open and feathery stigma to easily trap airborne pollen grains, and they bow down. I can immediately recognize the prideful stance versus the humble bow.

In the parable the servant asks the owner of the field how the tares got there in the first place if he had planted good seed? And shouldn’t we go gather them up? Wouldn’t it make sense to pull out the weeds? How did Jesus answer? “No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let them both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn…but gather the wheat into my barn.”

The multitudes then left, and the disciples immediately asked Jesus to explain this parable to them. There is always the hungry remnant of believers that seek the truth. They are not satisfied with just hearing a parable or an interesting story without gaining the spiritual understanding, and Jesus always rewards those who diligently seek Him!

He gives the spiritual truth in verses 37-43. The field is the world that we are living in. The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels! It is the Son of Man who sends out the angels. Those that have offended are the tares. Offended means to be a tumbling block, an obstacle, something that causes sin. Remember Jesus saying that those who would offend the little ones would be better off with a millstone around their neck and be thrown into the sea!

The stumbling blocks cause iniquity, wickedness, and transgression of the law! If you are paying attention right now you are seeing many tares among the wheat. They are counterfeits in high places of authority, and especially within the church. They are standing behind pulpits identifying themselves as pastors, but in reality they are ravenous wolves. Their clothing and their title mean nothing when in reality they are offending God’s children. Quoting and maligning the word of God to justify the murder of babies in the womb, or approve of mutilating young bodies for a woke culture that revels in depravity.

Don’t be fooled by the counterfeit tares, nor be discouraged that they are growing among the wheat. God’s plan is for an abundant harvest. He is not deceived, nor is He dismayed. He longs for His children to continually seek the truth, even while we are surrounded by tares.

“Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”