Smoodock's Blog

In the Parable of the Weeds, ‘tares’ in the KJV,Jesus offers a different perspective of the Kingdom of Heaven, while using similar terminology. The idea is similar to that of the Parable of the Sower, but the terms take on a new identity. In this new parable the sower is a landowner with servants, the seed, becomes good seed, implying there is also what would be considered bad seed. Instead of the heart in the Parable of the Sower, the field represents the “world” in the Parable of the Weeds. Both parables tell us something about the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 13:11, 19, 24), but the story they tell is from a different perspective. Moreover, understanding isn’t something one achieves through labor or much study but understanding is something that is “given” from above (Matthew 13:11-12). In other words, the Lord opens up the meaning of the Gospel to folks who are willing for him to do so, but those who are content with the status quo will not have the scriptures open to them. They will remain unchanged, and view it all through the lens of their corrupt worldview.

Once again, we come to see from the text that Jesus taught another parable, but it is silent as to whom Jesus was speaking. We are told that Jesus taught the people many things through the use of parables (Matthew 13:3), but this parable comes immediately following Jesus private explanation of the Parable of the Sower to his disciples (Matthew 13:10; cp. Mark 4:10, 33-34). So, did Jesus simply continue with his explanation of the parables, which he spoke unto the people that day, or did Jesus offer another parable to his disciples, privately, using a different perspective? The text isn’t clear, but I believe Jesus taught all these parables to the people and later offered his explanation to his disciples.

In this second parable, Jesus explains that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field (Matthew 13:24), and keep in mind that the mention of good seed implies the existence of bad or evil seed, as well. At first, one might assume that because the “seed” in the Parable of the Sower was the word of God, that bad or evil seed might be false doctrine, but this isn’t the case here. Jesus is speaking from a different perspective than in his previous parable.

Notice, that while men “slept,” the act was done! An enemy came and sowed tares or weeds in the landowner’s field (Matthew 13:25). A clandestine act has been committed, but the men in the parable are unaware of an evil plan in the making. However, when the seed sprouted and began to show its fruit, the men realized something wrong had taken place (Matthew 13:26), for a “tree” (or any plant) is known by its fruit (Matthew 12:33; cp. Luke 6:44).

Immediately, the servants went to their master and told him what they had found. There were both good and bad/evil plants growing in his field. How could this have occurred, if he had sown only good seed (Matthew 13:27; cp. verse-24; 7:17-18; 12:33-34)? In such a context, it would be expected that only “good plants” would have sprouted.

The landowner explained that an enemy had done the evil, but when his servants offered to remove the weeds, the landowner told them to wait until the harvest, because in rooting up the weeds at this point, one might uproot some of the tender plants the landowner valued (Matthew 13:28-29). Therefore, the “weeds” were permitted to continue with the good plants until the harvest season. At that time the servants would first gather up the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning, and the wheat would be gathered last and stored in the safety of the landowner’s barn (Matthew 13:30). This is the literal sense of the parable, and the explanation of its terms will wait until a later study, when Jesus offers his disciples his explanation of its terms (Matthew 13:36-43).         [EB1]