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Monday, June 9, 2014

Jesus' Parable of the Tares - Presented and Explained


Matthew 13:36 "Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”


Introduction: The point of today's post is to consider Jesus' parable of the tares. The inspired text of Matthew indicates that the disciples gave this name to the parable in Matthew 13:36. What is amazing about this parable is that like the parable of the sower at the beginning of Matthew 13, the parable of the tares is also explained point-by-point by Jesus. With that in mind, I simply just want to present the text of the "parable of the tares" as we have it in the NASB text of Matthew 13:24-30, followed by Jesus' divine commentary on the parable in Matthew 13:36-43.


Presentation of the parable of the tares - Matthew 13:24-30


Matthew 13:24-30 "Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 26 But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27 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?’ 28 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?’ 29 But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”


Jesus' explanation of the parable of the tares


Matthew 13:36-43 "Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37 And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 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; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 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, 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear."