Matthew 13:24-30 (NKJV)
Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 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?’ 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?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 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.” ’ ”
This parable introduces the idea of diabolical opposition. There are two types of seeds sown, good and bad. The bad seed is sown by an enemy under cover of darkness. The parables were easy enough to understand on their surface but the deeper meanings were hidden from the multitude. Even the disciples were mystified and asked Jesus to explain this one in private later. Here is how Jesus identifies the players starting in verse 37:
- Man who sowed good seed = Christ
- Field = world
- Seed = believers
- Tares = children of devil
- Enemy = Satan
- Reapers = angels
- Harvest = end of age
The point of this parable is not that you can't tell the difference between the wheat and the tares as has been suggested by some commentators. Notice that the servants of the owner could tell immediately that there were tares mixed in with the crop. The point is that the Kingdom will grow and be intimately infiltrated by children of the devil. And Jesus is longsuffering and allows the children of the devil to remain out of concern for the well-being of the sons of the Kingdom. At the end of the age, for some reason not explained in the story, the wheat (or matured believers) are no longer in danger of being damaged when the tares are separated.
Then Jesus gives the ultimate fate of the two groups:
Matthew 13:40-43
Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 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, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Jesus does not mince words, nor does he shy away from the truth. The children of the devil are cast into the fire. But they will not be consumed because there will be continual wailing and gnashing of teeth. Hell is real and it is terrible.
But heaven is just as real and sweet and glorious. The sons of the Kingdom will be righteous and will shine in their glorified bodies.
How can people hear this unless we tell them...the whole truth?