Matthew 13: 24-30

 

『Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which 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 blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. 』 Today, many churches compare the wheat with the tares and say: "The grain is those who are good at faith, and the tares are not good at faith." They explain that doing a good faith life is not going to worship, paying tithing, and serving the church well. Whose view is it? Is it God or people?

The grain is wheat. By the way, the tares are similar to wheat but can not eat. God said, "Let the wheat and tares remain until harvest." He will burn the tares at harvest. The reason Jesus gave the parable of the wheat and the tares is meaningful.

The Bible explains the content of Matthew (13: 24--30) in Matthew (13: 36-43).『Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;  The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;  The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.  As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.  The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 』

Jesus comes to this world and sows the good seed (the word of God). God's Word is Jesus Christ. "The word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" is Christ. It will be blood and flesh by dying on the cross, as God scattered Jesus Christ into the world. God had predestined salvation in the world before creation, and the first covenant is the words of Genesis 3:15.『 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 』

On the basis of this promise, God chose Noah, Abraham, and sent a prophet to continue the word of the covenant. The Israelites had heard of the promise from generation to generation, and they looked far away at the promises to come. The future promise is Jesus Christ. When Christ comes, the promise is fulfilled, and the receiving promise of fulfillment is faith. The Bible says in Galatians (3: 23-24).『 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 』 Here, faith is Jesus Christ. When this faith comes into us, we can enter into Christ and become righteous. The good seed is said to be sons of heaven. The grain that has been produced by good seed becomes the sons of heaven.

『 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 』 The sons of the wicked are the sons of Satan. When Jesus represented Israel, he said that the Israelites were the children of the devil. The Bible says in John (8:44).『 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 』 Jesus told Israel, but all humans in the world are children of the devil.

The reason why the world became a devil was because Eve ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil by Satan's temptations, and thus became a child of the devil. Satan's temptation is to be like God. Grain and tares are in the world together. It can be in the church as well. God gives the grain and tares together in the church until the harvest. The harvest is the end of the world. There is judgment at the end of the world. At the judgment, the angels gather out the tares. Criterion of gathering out is that all things that offend, and them which do iniquity.

The tares are " all things that offend, and them which do iniquity." To offend is making to be stumble. The Bible says in Luke (17: 1-3).『 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 』

The offense is closely related to the forgiveness of the brothers; the Bible explains the forgiveness of brothers by comparing them with those who incurred ten thousand talents and one hundred denarius. You have been forgiven for ten thousand talents, why can't you forgive because of the hundred denarius of debt? Those who do not love brothers do not love God.

Explain that those who do iniquity are in Matthew 7: 21-23.『Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 』

Those who do iniquity are those who do not do the will of their heavenly Father. The Father's will is to die on the cross in union with Christ. Many people think that it is the Father's will to think that they have done something. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21) Although people try to represent themselves, God tells them to deny themselves.