The parable of the wheat and tares; John 16:1; Mat 13:24-30; 36-43.

Title: The parable of the wheat and tares; John 16:1; MAT 13:24-30; 36-43.

 

 

We realized from our study of the parable of the sower that during the time of the Church Age and during the time of the Tribulation there will always be evangelism and the doctrines of the word of God will always be taught. And during this particular period three things will be true: a. there will be unbelievers, people who reject the gospel; b. there will be believers who will be minus doctrine and who never get with the Christian life; c. there will be believers who learn a little bit but who do not utilise doctrine; d. there will be believers who produce — successful believers.

 

This prepares us for the parable of the tares.

 

However, the stumbling blocks are allowed to exist in all generations throughout the CA because to judge them in time could damage the believer by association, MAT 13:24-30, 36-43.

 

Matt 13:24 He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

 

Explanation:

Matt 13:36 Then He left the multitudes, and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."

 

Going into the house again [He left the house in verse 1] metaphorical for His return to the Father to sit at His right hand until his enemies be made a footstool - the son enters the house and remains forever; John 8:35.

 

John 8:35

And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.

 

Matt 13:37 And He answered and said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man [JC is the sower],

 

Matt 13:25 "But while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away.

 

Explanation:

Matt 13:38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;

 

The tares refer to unbelievers, but if every unbeliever never spoke or did anything they wouldn’t have the stumbling block impact desired by satan.

 

Therefore the tares are the unbeliever enveloped in the cosmos and antagonistic towards Jesus Christ, grace, and His Church.

 

Sleeping can refer to two things which are closely associated. Those who were to be guardians of the word of God fell asleep at the switch and history shows clearly that this has been true. The sleeping can also refer to the night time and therefore darkness which speaks of satan’s deceptiveness as the angel of darkness portrays himself as an angel of light.

 

Satan sows false doctrine in darkness [deceptively] and the guardians of the doctrine were not wise enough to see it, but rather taught it from their own pulpits.

 

The deception of false doctrine is further revealed by the fact that when young, wheat and tares are almost identical in appearance. A counterfeit’s value is its closeness to the original.

 

"The tare abounds all over the East, and is a great nuisance to the farmer. It resembles the American "cheat (chess)," but the "head" does not droop like cheat, nor does it branch out like oats. The grain, also, is smaller, and is arranged along the upper part of the stalk, which stands perfectly erect. The "taste" is bitter, and when eaten separately, or even when diffused in ordinary bread, it causes dizziness, and often acts as a violent emetic [vomit]. Barn-door fowls also become dizzy from eating it. In short, it is a strong soporific [sleep inducing] poison, and must be carefully winnowed, and picked out of the wheat grain by grain, before grinding, or the flour is not healthy. Even the farmers, who in this country generally "weed" their fields, do not attempt to separate the one from the other. They would not only mistake good grain for them, but very commonly the roots of the two are so intertwined that it is impossible to separate them without plucking up both. Both, therefore, must be left to "grow together" until the time of harvest." - (Thomson) "The Land and the Book," vol. ii. pp. 111, 112.

 

Tare: nuisance, bitter, makes dizzy, causes vomiting, sleep inducing, poison, and must be carefully separated from wheat.

 

2 Tim 2:15-16

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness,

 

I love how it states that even a little tare in the wheat flour will produce a bitter taste. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. You can’t serve two masters. Make your decision - follow Christ or follow the cosmos.

 

Matt 13:26 "But when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.

 

Matt 13:27 "And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'

 

Matt 13:28 "And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' And the slaves  said to him, 'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?'

 

Matt 13:29 "But he said, 'No; lest while you are gathering up the tares, you may root up the wheat with them.

 

Matt 13:30 'Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn."' "

 

Explanation:

Matt 13:39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.

 

Matt 13:40 "Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.

 

Matt 13:41 "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,

 

Matt 13:42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

Matt 13:43 "Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

 

Areas for stumbling blocks:

Concentration of stumbling blocks: Soul, marriagefamilyhome,
local church, businesslaborwealth, entertainment,
social life, school.

 

Now don’t go crazy looking around for the stumbling blocks. Remember these are traps and no one sees a trap coming so it’s impossible anyway. The purpose of this study is for you to recognize them when they do occur and then apply your sound doctrine to them accordingly.                             

 

Wherever there are people, and that includes yourself, there is the potential for stumbling blocks. So that means they are everywhere, however, if we combine people with desire then we find a greater concentration of them.

 

Where there are groups of people who have the potential for conflicting desires, there is generally a concentration of stumbling blocks.

 

This is especially true in a mix of believer and unbeliever or believer and apostate believer where each involved has an invested desire that might conflict with sound doctrine. It is also true when there are other dualities, like male and female or authority and subordinate.  

Stumbling blocks also occur where there are dualities: male and female, authority and subordinate, teacher and student, good and evil, etc.

 

Marriage and the family make for a home full of desire. There are the desires of the husband, wife, parents, children [teenagers], as well as their desire for the physical home, the wealth of the home, the possessions of the home, and its location.

 

Any desire that is in conflict with the plan of God is going to be a source of conflict within the believer and with others and none of these desires are going to matter or be remembered for all of eternity and so they simply become a waste of time and energy.

 

The family is a complex social machine with its component souls and the desires from each one; a rectangular box filled with OSN’s. The family is a perfect place for stumbling blocks and yet it is the foundation of the client nation.

 

Is it any wonder that we are commanded:

Phil 2:2

make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

 

This wonderful command eliminates conflict and therefore stumbling blocks providing that the mind, the love, the spirit and the purpose are all of Christ. Never compromise sound doctrine.

 

The local church has one man in authority, who teaches a monologue, and teaches sound doctrine from the scriptures and not humanistic opinions or emotional. So we have one authority, one system of doctrine emphasizing the CA mystery doctrine, and a certain number of souls in the congregation who are not to have 60 different desires but one desire, one love, one spirit, and one purpose.

 

God’s system for the local assembly makes the existence of stumbling blocks almost impossible, that is if the members of the congregation want to make Paul’s joy complete in Phil 2:2.

 

The tongue is the greatest cause of stumbling blocks. “Do you think pastor has a problem with you? Oh never mind, I don’t know.” You’ve just planted a seed of division over something you couldn’t possibly know. “Do you think so and so drinks too much, is sleeping with someone, drives to Washington for the legal pot, cheats on his taxes, is having an affair, … Oh never mind, I don’t know.” Too late now, and of course you don’t have to say anything but use body language. “Do you think person A doesn’t like person B? Do you think they have a problem? Oh never mind, I’m not sure if that’s right.” Doesn’t matter now, you’ve committed a sin of the tongue that has planted a seed of division in another person’s soul.

 

James 3:1 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.

 

James 3:2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect [mature] man, able to bridle the whole body as well.

 

James 3:3 Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they may obey us, we direct their entire body as well.

 

James 3:4 Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder, wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.

 

James 3:5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

 

James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.

 

James 3:7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by the human race.

 

James 3:8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

 

James 3:9 With it we bless our Lord and Father; and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;

 

James 3:10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.

 

James 3:11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?

 

James 3:12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Neither can salt water produce fresh.

 

Avoiding sins of the tongue will lead to happiness and years added to your life, PSA 34:12-13.

 

Ps 34:12-13

Who is the man who desires life,

And loves length of days that he may see good?

Keep your tongue from evil,

And your lips from speaking deceit.

 

James 4:11 Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother, or judges his brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge of it.

 

James terms the doctrine as the law since he is writing to Hebrews in Jerusalem but he in no way means the Mosaic Law since in this letter he terms it the law of liberty (JAM 1:25; 2:12). You can substitute “doctrine” for “law” in this passage.

 

Say you notice me walk by someone and not make eye contact, not say hello, and someone had planted in your soul that that person and I have a problem. Often churches become like reality TV shows.

 

1 Cor 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ.

 

1 Cor 3:2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,

 

1 Cor 3:3 For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly [carnal - controlled by OSN], and are you not walking like mere men?

 

 “jealousy” - zhloj[zelos] = jealousy, envy, zeal after what someone else has. [origin of the word zealous]

“strife” -  evrij[eris] = contention, strife, wrangling, conflict resulting from rivalry.

 

These are mental attitude sins that refer to person #3 in the parable of the sower. They have some doctrine, which Paul describes as milk since that is all that babies can metabolize, but not solid food, the more advanced doctrines, and so there is no application of the mechanics of the FRD, PSD, or OC and therefore they have mental attitude sins and wrong priorities.

 

Nothing wrong with being a child type of believer, but there is when you’ve been under doctrinal teaching as long as these Corinthians have been.