The Parable of the Weeds

This morning we are continuing in our study of the kingdom parables of Matt. 13 by considering the second parable, the parable of the Weeds, or you might know it as the parable of the Wheat and the Tares. Let’s read Matt. 13:24-30 and v. 36-43 together. From this passage I want you to see two points: the extent of God’s kingdom and the extermination of the Weeds.

First, consider the Extent of God’s Kingdom. This parable starts right where the parable of the sower leaves off. In fact, I think that Jesus has this same field and same farmer in view when telling this story. The parable begins, in verse 24, by stating, “the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.” Because we know that Jesus is teaching us a spiritual truth in this, we have to ask, who is this farmer and what is this field? Thankfully, Jesus answers these questions for us in verses 37 and 38. First, we see that the farmer is Jesus himself, the Son of Man. Then, he says that the field is the world. There are three important points that I want to drive home about this field of the world.

First, recognize that this field is not the church. Some people read this parable as though Jesus is speaking uniquely about the church, and that there are true believers and false believers in the church. Beyond that, they might argue, based on what Jesus says about pulling up the weeds, that we really shouldn’t try to distinguish between true believers and false or exercise church discipline because of it. Now, it is certainly the case that there is a distinction between what theologians call the visible and invisible church. In every church there are those who outwardly appear to be Christians (they were baptized, come regularly, take communion, and serve) but who, in their heart, have never repented and never truly placed their faith in Christ. These people are part of the visible church, but they are not part of the invisible church, that church of true believers that only God knows. But, even though that is true, the New Testament is full of commands to discipline church members and cast them out should they be found living in sin. For example, Titus 3:10-11 says, “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”

Second, the field is not the nation of Israel or the USA or any other nation. Since the Christianization of the Roman Empire, Christians have been caught in the trap of thinking that one nation or another could be the true Christian nation. After Rome, we hoped in the Byzantine empire, then the Holy Roman Empire, the kingdom of Charlamagne, the Spanish Empire, the British Empire, the USA, and the restored nation of Israel. But, God’s kingdom is not geographically limited. There is no place where God’s rule cannot reach. God’s kingdom can be found on the plains of Africa, in the jungles of India, on the mountain peaks of Nepal, and in the swamps of Georgiana, AL. Along with this, it is important to point out that there is not one particular people group or culture that can be called the people of God. In Eph. 2:19, Paul says of the Gentiles who were once alienated from the covenant of God, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” It does not matter if your lineage traces back to Africa, Ireland, Germany, or Spain. If you have trusted in Jesus Christ, you are a full-fledged member of the kingdom of God.

So what is this field, then. Jesus says that this field is the world. The Greek word he uses is “Cosmos”, which means everything in all of creation.  Understand this, the rule of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, extends over all the earth. There are two truths that I want you to recognize in this. First, God is in control of the history of this world. The world is HIS field. Satan doesn’t own this field, he comes in under the cover of darkness. It is Jesus Christ who rules. Not only that, but God is in control of the final destination of every last person in this world. There is a popular view in our culture which says that God interacts with us through whatever concept of him we wish. So, for the Hindu, he is Shiva, for the Muslim, he is Allah, and for the Christian, he is Jesus. But God does not belong to us, we belong to him. We are his field, and he will judge us according to his will, not our own.

Second, recognize that God knows those who are his, and he has his elect throughout this world. In every place around this globe, there is good soil in which the seed of the Gospel will grow. At the very least, this should motivate us to go plant! But, it should also give us great comfort as we do plant, knowing that our work is fruitful work. Whether we share the Gospel in communist China or Hindu India or in Woke America, we can know that God’s Word will do its work and people will respond in faith. This should give us all the boldness we need to share the Gospel with confidence.

So, now let’s consider my second point, the Extermination of the Weeds. In the story we find that, after the farmer has sown good seed, his enemy comes in by night and plants weeds. When it comes time for the harvest, the farmer’s servants can see clearly that there are weeds in the garden, and they ask what to do. The farmer directs them to wait until the end of the harvest, and then destroy them. There are three facts I want you to notice about these weeds.

First, as they are growing, these weeds look just like wheat. There is a specific type of weed that Jesus has in mind here. It’s known as darnel, or sometimes it is called false wheat. The stalk looks just like wheat, and so, in Jesus’ day, there was no way to tell whether you should pick it out of the garden to protect the wheat, or whether you should leave it. The same is true of people. There are many people in this world who seem good. They may even seem to be Christians for a time. There are televangelists who can preach a fine sermon, but who live lavish lifestyles on the backs of the poor people they deceive. There are politicians who claim the high moral ground, or claim to be fighting for the people, who only seek power for power’s sake. There are businessmen who put the little fish on their company logo, but swindle and connive in the shadow of their public faith. 

But, in the story, and in real life, the farmer has a way of telling the difference between wheat and darnel. There is a dead giveaway when the plants begin to produce their ears. The ears of wheat grow in a clump at the top of the plant, while those of darnel grow like a ladder up the stem of the plant. You see, just as with the parable of the Sower, the farmer can tell his crop by its fruit. He tells his servants, at the time of the harvest, we are going to separate out the wheat from the darnel, and then we are going to pile all that darnel up in one great stack and have a big ole bonfire. Understand that it is the same with people. God’s people should be known by our fruits. We should be defined by the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We should be known, as John 13:35, by our love for one another. As I said last week, saving faith always results in fruit, and that fruit can be seen.

Finally, just as the farmer can easily identify and rid himself of these weeds, so too God knows who are his, and who are not. Certainly, God is longsuffering and patient, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance, as 2 Pet. 3:9 says. God is merciful, even to those who live in rebellion, even those whom the enemy has planted among the wheat. But, do not mistake God’s mercy for weakness. Do not mistake God’s patience for indecisiveness. There will be a day when God will bring this world of his to a terrible day of judgment. On that day, he will destroy the powers of evil once and for all. And, as Jesus says in verse 41, “he will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

As we close, there are two truths that I want you to understand from this. First, as believers we have to understand that, in this present age, there is no such thing as a perfect, Christian nation. There is no such thing as a perfect, Christian form of government. We live among weeds. Sometimes, they look just like us, and we can pursue the common good with them. But that good that we pursue will only be limited in its extent and effect. And, as Jesus directs, we shouldn’t try to root out the weeds so that we can have that perfect system, because in doing so, we will do damage to God’s people along the way.

Second, you need to understand that God knows your heart. You may look like a good, healthy stalk of wheat, but in your soul you know that you are really a weed. You don’t believe. You’d rather not live for Christ. You might fool every last one of us in this room, but you can’t fool God. If that is who you are, you need to recognize that God knows, and he will judge you in the end unless you turn to faith in Christ. Won’t you trust him today and be saved from the fiery furnace that is to come?