Wheat and Tares- Lawlessness and Stumbling Blocks
Yeshua teaches about the Kingdom of heaven with the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares. Matthew 13:24
The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain then the tares became evident also. 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? “And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ “But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. ‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest and in the time of the harvest I will to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.” – NASB
Yeshua explains the parable of the wheat and the tares. Matthew 13:37 – 43
…The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 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; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. “So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. “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, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnash of teeth. “Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. – NASB
Unpacking the parable of the wheat and the tares.
Yeshua gave us the understanding for the parable so based upon that understanding that He gave to the 12, let’s unpack the parable.
Yeshua sowed His followers into the world, the sons of the Kingdom of GOD. Those sons were probably sown (or discipled or brought into the kingdom) by Himself while He walked on earth and by other disciples because it says while His men were sleeping, the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away. The enemy (Satan) planted or sowed his followers among the sons of the kingdom. Satan’s followers seemed to be indistinguishable until it’s fruit bearing time (“when the wheat sprouted and bore grain then the tares became evident”). Something I read stated that the most common tare found in the grain fields in the Holy Land is bearded darnel, “a poisonous grass, almost indistinguishable from wheat while the two are growing into blade but when they come into grain, they can be separated without difficulty.”
Now we have kingdom citizens growing alongside the enemies of the kingdom. So how did the fruit produced by the Kingdom citizen and the followers of Satan differ? The NASB is a literal translation and it describes the enemies of the Kingdom as those that are stumbling blocks to the Kingdom citizens and those that do not keep GOD’s law but look like kingdom citizens. Yeshua’s men recognized the newly sprouting sons of the enemy for what they were. They had that discernment.
The men asked Him if they should remove the tares and His answer indicated that to do so might uproot the Kingdom sons, so even though the field is the “world”, the sons of the Kingdom and the enemy’s sons were planted and growing very closely together with their roots possibly intwined. I have read that we should be cautious about thinking this is the church but where else would the two have their roots so entwined that to take out the sons of the enemy might uproot the the sons of the kingdom?? Where else would the growth of the Kingdom sons be so much affected by those growing with them? At the end of the age when His angels are sent to gather the enemy’s sons, they gather them out of His kingdom. Doesn’t that indicate they are in the church or closely associated with His kingdom citizens?
In Matthew chapter 7, Yeshua talks about every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit…so then, you will know them by their fruits. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your Name, and in Your Name cast out demons, and in Your Name perform many miracles?’ And I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; LEAVE ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS’.
This goes right along with this parable of the wheat and tares. In both cases, those who practice lawlessness do not enter the Kingdom of Heaven, The sons of the enemy will be evident by the fruit or grain produced. At the end of the age, Yeshua will send His angels to gather the enemy’s sons from the kingdom. They gather all stumbling blocks and they that commit lawlessness. Again, notice the connection to what He said in chapter 7 and those that commit lawlessness. The stumbling blocks and those that commit lawlessness will be thrown into the furnace of fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth! The Kingdom sons will then shine forth in the kingdom1
How can any of Yeshua’s people teach that we are not under any law?? And one definition for stumbling block is someone that causes another to lose faith in Yeshua. This should make some of our so-called Biblical scholars to shudder.
Do not follow someone that their fruit indicates they create stumbling blocks for believers and do not follow someone that commits, practices, or teaches lawless living! Look carefully, be cautious, be a wheat, not a tare.. Fellowship with like-minded. Do not entwine your roots with those that create stumbling blocks for others or who practice lawlessness, teaching that we have no rules or laws to live by in the Kingdom. Dig around in the teachings of Yeshua and you will find over and over that keeping his commandments, obedience, is taught. Living by His words, doing the will of The Father.
