MEDITATIONS FROM THE PARABLES OF JESUS

THE WHEAT AND THE TARES

Read Matthew 13:24-30,36-43

Jesus explains this parable for us. He sows the good seed. The field is the world. The good seed are the children of the kingdom of God; but the tares are the children of the devil, the evil one. Jesus, through His faithful servants, sows the pure seed of the Gospel in this world and thus produces true believers who trust in Christ for salvation and are members of His eternal kingdom. These are the good seed, or the wheat. But in the same field where the Gospel is proclaimed and produces Christians, the devil and his false prophets sow error and false doctrine which produce false Christians. These may appear to be genuine Christians; but they do not have saving faith in Jesus Christ, and their fruits or works are unacceptable to the Lord God. In this world the true believers and false believers continue to dwell side by side until the day of Judgment. Then God's holy angels will separate the true believers from the false. Those whose faith did not spring up from the good seed of the Gospel will be cast into hell! But those whose faith comes from the pure Gospel--who trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins and for eternal salvation, who as a fruit of that faith also produce fruit acceptable in God's sight for Jesus' sake--will be taken to heaven where they will live with Christ in righteousness and purity forever!

This is a warning to us that wherever the Gospel is sown and true believers are, the devil will also sow his lies and false doctrine to lead people into a false confidence and hope based on their own works and righteousness or upon some other lie or deception of the evil one. Let us hold fast to Jesus Christ and His saving Word lest we also be misled by the working of the evil one!

Defend Thy truth, O God, and stay this evil generation; and from the error of its way keep Thine own congregation. The wicked everywhere abound and would Thy little flock confound; but Thou art our Salvation. Amen. (TLH, Hymn #260, Verse 6)

Meditations from the Parables of Jesus Index