Lesson#27

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #27
THE PARABLE OF THE TARES AND THE WHEAT (MAT 13:24-30, 36-43)

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALM 1

• THE PARABLE OF THE TARES AND THE WHEAT (MAT 13:24-30, 36-43)
• THIS IS THE SECOND PARABLE OF MAT 13 THAT GIVES US A GOOD PICTURE OF HOW GOD’S KINGDOM WORKS IN OUR PRESENT DAY.
• THIS PARABLE WAS SPOKEN TO THE MIXED MULTITUDE OF BELIEVERS AND UNBELIEVERS.
• IN THIS PARABLE, WE HAVE 2 SOWERS, 2 KINDS OF SEED, AND 2 KINDS OF HARVEST.
• READ MAT 13:24-30, 36-43
• WHO IS THE MAN WHO SOWED GOOD SEED? (24)
• JESUS CHRIST IS THE SOWER.
• THE OWNER OF A FIELD HAS THE RIGHT TO PLANT WHATEVER HE WANTS IN THAT FIELD.
• CHRIST IS THE CREATOR. (COL 1:12-16) WHO OWNS THE WORLD (THE FIELD). THEREFORE, HE HAS THE RIGHT TO DO WHATEVER HE WANTS TO DO WITH THIS WORLD.
• JESUS INTERPRETS THE PARABLE FOR US AND TELLS US THAT HE IS THE SOWER. (37)
• THE TITLE “SON OF MAN” IS A MESSIANIC TITLE THAT JESUS USED FOR HIMSELF.
• WHAT IS THE GOOD SEED?
• THE SEED IN THE PREVIOUS PARABLE, THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER AND THE SEED, REPRESENTED THE WORD OF GOD. HOWEVER, IN THIS PARABLE WE DISCOVER THERE IS MORE THAN ONE KIND OF SEED. THIS PARABLE, THEN, MAKES A DISTINCTION AND CALLS THIS FIRST SEED, “GOOD”.
• THE GOOD SEED IN THIS PARABLE PRODUCES A GOOD PLANT (THE WHEAT) WHILE A BAD SEED PRODUCES A BAD PLANT. (THE TARES).
• BECAUSE THE FIRST SEED IN THIS PARABLE IS CALLED “GOOD”, AND IT PRODUCES WHEAT, WE CAN NATURALLY ASSUME THAT THE WHEAT IS ALSO “GOOD”.
• WHAT DOES THE WHEAT REPRESENT? (26)
• THE WHEAT REPRESENTS TRUE BELIEVERS IN CHRIST THAT ARE GROWING, MATURING, AND PRODUCING FRUIT IN THE CORNER OF THE WORLD WHERE CHRIST HAS PLANTED US.
• THEREFORE, IN THIS PARABLE, THE GOOD SEED AND THE WHEAT REPRESENT THE TRUE BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST, THE CHILDREN OF GOD.
• JESUS TELLS US IN VERSE 38 THAT THE GOOD SEED REPRESENTS THE TRUE CHILDREN OF GOD.
• TRUE BELIEVERS COME FROM HEARING THE WORD OF GOD AND ACTING ON IT TO OBTAIN SALVATION.
• WHAT IS THE FIELD?
• JESUS TELLS US THAT THE FIELD IS THE WORLD IN VERSE 38.
• THERE ARE SOME THEOLOGIANS WHO TEACH THAT THE FIELD IS THE CHURCH. THAT IDEA DOES FIT THE PARABLE, BUT IT IS BETTER IF WE STAY WITH JESUS’ INTERPRETATION.
• WHO IS THE ENEMY THAT ALSO SOWS? (25)
• THE ENEMY IS SATAN. JESUS CALLS HIM, “THE WICKED ONE”, IN VERSE 38.
• NOTICE THAT THE ENEMY DOES THE SAME THING AS GOD. BOTH SOW SEED.
• SATAN DOES NOTHING ORIGINAL BUT ALWAYS IMITATES GOD.
• WHAT IS THE WHEAT PLANT THAT SPRINGS UP IN VERSE 26?
• THIS REPRESENTS THOSE WHO AT ONE POINT IN THEIR LIFE BECOME BORN AGAIN WHEN THEY RECEIVE CHRIST INTO THEIR HEARTS.
• WHAT DO THE “TARES” REPRESENT (26)?
• BEFORE WE DISCOVER WHAT THEY REPRESENT, WE MUST FIRST DISCOVER WHAT ARE TARES?
• A TARE IS A BEARDED WEED THAT LOOKS LIKE WHEAT UNTIL THE TIME OF HARVEST.
• A TARE IS NOT A MARKETABLE PRODUCT. IT IS, THEREFORE, WORTHLESS.
• IN FACT, A TARE IS A POISONOUS PLANT.
• DURING THE TIME OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, THERE WAS A COMMON PRACTICE THAT IF A PERSON WAS SEEKING REVENGE AGAINST ANOTHER PERSON, HE WOULD SOW TARES IN HIS ENEMY’S FIELD AT NIGHT. IT WOULD TAKE A GREAT DEAL OF LABOR TO SEPARATE OUT THE WHEAT FROM THE TARES AS WELL AS YEARS TO RID A FIELD OF THIS KIND OF POLLUTION.
• ROME EVENTUALLY PASSED A LAW MAKING THIS PRACTICE A GRAVE CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
• TARES REPRESENT UNBELIEVERS.
• JESUS CALLS THEM “CHILDREN OF THE WICKED ONE” (38).
• THIS PHRASE TELLS US THAT THE FATHER OF UNBELIEVERS IS SATAN.
• READ JOH 8:44
• SATAN’S OPPOSITION BY IMITATION PRODUCES PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE CHRISTIANS, BUT ARE NOT TRUE BELIEVERS.
• WHO ARE THE SERVANTS OF THE HOUSEHOLDER (27)?
• THE SERVANTS OF THE HOUSEHOLDER ARE THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST AT THAT TIME WHO WANTED TO CALL FIRE DOWN FROM HEAVEN ON THOSE WHO WERE SINFUL. (LUK 9:54)
• NOTICE THE TWO QUESTIONS IN MAT 13:27.
• =1= DID YOU NOT SOW GOOD SEED IN THE FIELD?
• =2= FROM WHERE DID THE TARES COME?
• THE ANSWER TO THE FIRST QUESTION IS, YES. CHRIST OBVIOUSLY SOWED GOOD SEED IN THE FIELD.
• THE ANSWER TO THE SECOND QUESTION IS ONLY A PARTIAL ANSWER. WE ARE TOLD THAT THE TARES COME FROM SATAN, BUT THE PARABLE DOES NOT TELL US WHY.
• DISCUSSION: WHY DOES GOD ALLOW EVIL TO EXIST IN THE WORLD?

• WHAT DOES THE HARVEST REPRESENT (30)?
• ALL THROUGH SCRIPTURE, A HARVEST REPRESENTS JUDGMENT BY GOD. (JER 51:33 JOE 3:13-14)
• THE FINAL HARVEST TO WHICH JESUS REFERS IN THE PARABLE OCCURS AT THE END OF THE AGE. (MAT 13:39 ACT 17:31)
• READ REV 14:14-20
• THIS PASSAGE REFERS TO THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON AS A GREAT HARVEST.
• WHO ARE THE REAPERS?
• A REAPER IS ONE WHO CUTS AND GATHERS TOGETHER THE GRAIN AT THE TIME OF HARVEST.
• JESUS TELLS US IN VERSE 39 OF THE PARABLE THAT THE REAPERS ARE THE ANGELS WHO GATHER TOGETHER THE SOULS OF MEN FOR THE HARVEST.
• REV 14:14-20 CONFIRMS THE ROLE OF THE ANGELS.
• THE PARABLE INDICATES THAT MAN DOES NOT HAVE THE WISDOM TO SEPARATE BELIEVERS (WHEAT) FROM UNBELIEVERS (TARES). HOWEVER, ANGELS SEEM TO HAVE THE INSIGHT TO DISCERN THE DIFFERENCE.
• WHAT DOES THE BARN REPRESENT?
• READ JOH 14:1-3
• THE BARN REPRESENTS THAT PLACE IN ETERNITY WHERE JESUS HAS GONE TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR US.
• WHAT IS MEANT BY BURNING THE TARES?
• IN A HARVEST OF GRAIN, THE TARES WERE LEFT IN THE FIELD, THEN BOUND IN BUNDLES WHERE THEY WERE BURNED.
• THE BUNDLING TOGETHER OF THE TARES IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE APPARENT AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. THERE IS LESS AND LESS GREY AREA IN THE WORLD AS EVIL BECOMES MORE AND MORE APPARENT. PEOPLE ARE LESS ABLE TO SIT ON THE FENCE.
• REV 20:11-15
• THIS PASSAGE TELLS US ABOUT THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT OF UNBELIEVERS AT THE END OF THE 1,000 YEARS OF CHRIST’S RULE ON EARTH.
• THE RESULTS OF THIS JUDGMENT IS THE LAKE OF FIRE.
• THEREFORE, THE BURNING OF THE TARES REPRESENTS THE LAKE OF FIRE WHERE UNBELIEVERS SPEND ETERNITY.
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
• IN THIS WORLD, THERE IS THE TRUE AND THE COUNTERFEIT, THE GOOD AND THE EVIL. THESE SEEDS PRODUCE EITHER THE BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST OR THE UNBELIEVERS ALLIED WITH SATAN. THIS DUALITY WILL BE THE CHARACTERISTIC OF LIFE ON EARTH UNTIL THE FINAL JUDGMENT WHEN THEY ARE SEPARATED. BELIEVERS WILL BE SEPARATED TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE AND UNBELIEVERS WILL BE SEPARATED TO INHERIT ETERNAL DAMNATION IN THE LAKE OF FIRE.

• SUMMARY:
• THE PARABLE IS SIMILAR TO THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER AND THE SEED IN THAT BOTH PARABLES INDICATE A MIXED CHARACTER IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH.
• THIS PARABLE PRESENTS THE PROBLEM OF EVIL IN THE WORLD. THE INTERMINGLING OF GOOD AND EVIL IS ALWAYS WITH US IN ALL LEVELS OF SOCIETY AS WELL AS WITHIN OURSELVES.
• NO MATTER HOW HARD WE TRY TO SEPARATE THE GOOD FROM THE EVIL IN SOCIETY, WE FIND THAT THE REAL AND THE COUNTERFEIT ARE INTERMINGLED AND SOMETIMES INDISTINGUISHABLE.
• APPLICATION:
• TO APPLY THIS PARABLE TO OUR OWN LIVES, WE MUST FIRST DECIDE WITHIN OURSELVES IF WE ARE WHEAT (BELIEVERS) OR IF WE ARE TARES (UNBELIEVERS).
• IF YOU ARE AN UNBELIEVER, YOU CAN BECOME A BELIEVER BY BELIEVING IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS FOR YOUR PERSONAL SINS, AND IN HIS RESURRECTION. (READ ROM 10:9-10)
• YOU CAN PRAY AND ASK GOD TO FORGIVE YOU OF YOUR SINS AND INVITE JESUS INTO YOUR LIFE AND HEART.
• YOU CAN ASK ANOTHER BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST TO PRAY WITH YOU, OR YOU CAN HAVE A PASTOR PRAY WITH YOU.
• REMEMBER WHEN JESUS TOLD PETER THAT HE WOULD BE SIFTED AS WHEAT BY SATAN, AND THAT IN THE SIFTING, THE CHAFF OR TARES WOULD DISAPPEAR. (LUK 22:31)
• WE ALL HAVE SOME TARES WITHIN US THAT GOD WANTS TO WEED OUT. WE ALL STILL STRUGGLE WITH THE SIN NATURE (ROM 7:15)
• DISCUSSION: WHAT IS THE PROCESS BY WHICH GOD WEEDS OUT THE TARES IN US?
• READ JAM 1:2-4

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD TREE AND THE BIRDS (MAT 13:31-32)
THIS IS A SELF STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE TARES AND THE WHEAT (MAT 13:26-30, 36-43):
• ARE YOU A WHEAT OR A TARE?
• HOW DO YOU KNOW?
• IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHICH YOU ARE, YOU NEED TO CONTACT ME OR YOUR PASTOR.

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD TREE AND THE BIRDS (MAT 13:31-32)
• READ MAT 13:31-32
• THIS IS A DIFFICULT PARABLE AND OFTEN MISINTERPRETED. KEEP AN OPEN MIND, NOT RELYING ON WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD IN THE PAST.
• WHAT DOES THE GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED REPRESENT?
• WHAT DOES THE TREE REPRESENT?
• WHAT DOES THE FIELD REPRESENT?
• WHO IS THE MAN WHO PLANTED IT?
• WHAT DO THE BIRDS REPRESENT?
• REMEMBER THE MEANING OF THE BIRDS (FOWLS) IN 13:4. LET’S BE CONSISTENT!
• WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT THE BIRDS COME AND NEST IN THE TREE?
• WHAT THEN, IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THIS PARABLE?

• MEMORY VERSE: PROVERBS 8:13