In private, Jesus explained the parable of the tares.
When his friends, the disciples, were confused, Jesus explained the meaning of something that was hard for them to understand. In this portion of Matthew’s Kingdom parables, Jesus’ disciples receive a special treat. Jesus left the crowds and gave them a personal Bible study. The Lord wanted his close friends to understand important doctrines. So, there were many times it was necessary for him to go over the lessons again so they would understand the deeper meaning of what he had taught the crowds.
They were going to be the ones carrying the message of the Gospel to the world. He wanted them well-equipped with understanding. And he wants the same for us.
When he spoke, Jesus often attracted large crowds. And also common when he spoke, was the fact that many listeners, if not most, didn’t understand what he meant. The message of the Gospel is so simple a child can understand it. But the deep things of God are attainable only by those who are persistent in their studies. But remarkably, wise scholars and those with doctorates in theology become so proud of their own education, that they often miss the simple truths of God’s Word. Let’s take a look at another instance in which Jesus explained what he taught the crowds during the time of his ministry.
And as we do, let’s learn to apply the principles of understanding so we can become better students and teachers of God’s Word. You may not stand in front of students or crowds but whenever you comment on the Word of God, you are a teacher. Study diligently and teach the Word truthfully.
Let’s take a look at Jesus’ words as he explained the meaning and how they relate to the end of the age.
Matthew 13:36 Jesus explained the tares in the field
“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.”
The meaning in the original text gives us this understanding. Jesus sent the crowds away. Then he went away from where those crowds were departing. And in a further effort to escape them, he went into a house. This effort to get into a private setting is something we see a lot from the Lord. We should follow that pattern. Sometimes we need to get away from crowds, our phones, and media, and find a quiet spot.
When they were alone, the disciples took the opportunity to ask him about the parable of the tares. They were specifically asking him, “Can you make it more clear what you meant?” We find the same quest for understanding in this verse, Matthew 18:31.
The disciples were astute enough to notice that this was an important parable. And they recognized the end-of-life or end-of-the-age importance.
Every individual should understand the importance this parable has for their own lives.
Matthew 13:37 Jesus explained where the good seed came from.
“And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.”
Jesus began his explanation with where the good seeds came from. It wasn’t just any farmer on any obscure plot of ground. It was the Lord, the Son of Man, that is represented in the story. So the vile act of aggression was against God. The church is affected, of course, but it’s essentially part of the war against God that led to this defiling of the field.
See a comparable verse regarding the Son of man in Matthew 8:20.
And we should remember that this is one of several parables that all relate to the kingdom of heaven. They all point to the Church age, but more importantly, to the conditions of the church and the world at the end of that age. In these stories, we find answers to the questions about why we see evil in the churches and in the world. We might ask, “If the Son of Man is a light to everyone in the world, why is there so much darkness?” See here in John 1:9. We have our answers to the questions in the Lord’s explanation.
Matthew 13:38 Jesus explained that the tares were from the evil one.
“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.”
The field is the world or the system of mankind. The original word carries the meaning of an organized system or arrangement. So we’re not talking about the circle of the globe but the order of human society. Within this order of humanity, the Lord scattered the seeds of the “sons of the kingdom.” Now, remember, this is an analogy. We shouldn’t assume that Jesus literally took the souls of saved individuals and scattered them within the unsaved population. That’s bad doctrine and misses the responsibility that God gives to each individual.
It’s a simple story that helps us understand the big picture.
Then, into that “world” where the good seed was scattered, Jesus said the tares were also mixed in. The tares were the offspring of the evil one. The word translated “sons” refers to descendants, so male and female are implied. We can guess who the evil one is but that explanation will come next.
Matthew 13:39 Jesus explained the harvest at the end of the age.
“And the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.”
We see in this verse that God has a real, and personal enemy. It’s not a vague expression of evil, And it’s not a delicate balance of good and evil as taught in some Eastern religions. It’s a real enemy, and he goes by many names. The devil is a real foe who confronted Jesus when he went into the desert to prepare for the start of his ministry Matthew 4:1.
In the first telling of the parable, the servants asked their master if they should pull up the tares right away. The master said no, that would have to wait. The waiting ends when the age of the Church ends. At that end, the entire plan of God culminates with judgment. God’s plan for the Church, Israel, the unbelieving Gentiles, etc. will face the end-time harvest.
The reapers are angels
We can let our imaginations run wild as to what this reaping by the angels will look like. But the Bible doesn’t tell us. Many of us are well aware of the “grim reaper” images. But the Bible is clear that angelic forces are real and they will be involved during the clean-up project at the end of the age. There are many passages that help us see the picture of their activities, such as Matthew 25:31. And we see in the Book of Daniel some of the angels as they are taking part in the reaping of the final age. There we find the description of the thousands of God’s ministers who serve the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7:9-10 and Daniel 12:1-2.
Matthew 13:40 Jesus explained the fate of the tares.
“So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.”
This is the point in the parable in which the squeamish or the skeptical will want to turn away.
Jesus says, that just as the tares in the story are burned, there will be burning at the end of the age. But really, everyone should sit up in their chairs and pay attention. This is not a matter of debate or doctrinal dispute. This is Jesus, the Lord, who is making this point. He was about to face his own horrific torture and death in the near future. He went through that torture in order to help people avoid what he is explaining to the disciples.
We can complain all we want and say such things as, “My god wouldn’t do such a thing.” But we need to pay attention to the words and warning of the Lord here.
Just like the story, so it will be at the end of humanity’s toil. Further details are provided in the next two verses.
Matthew 13:41 His angels will remove the stumbling stones.
“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.”
The Son of Man, is one of the more popular titles for Jesus, that the Gospel writer used. Though he is the only begotten Son of God, he is also a descendant of humanity. So he is both the Son of Man and Son of God. The Apostle Paul described Jesus as the second Adam. Jesus succeeded where the first Adam failed.
The Son of Man, Jesus, will send forth his angels. This army of God’s angels is waiting on the call. In the last days, they will be sent from heaven to remove the stumbling stones. These stones are made of sinful human flesh that purposely stand in the way of God’s purposes. It’s interesting to see the two phrases that are used to describe these people.
They are “stumbling stones” and “those who commit lawlessness.“
These sons of the evil one find themselves placed in the way of the children of the kingdom. This points directly to the intention of Satan. He isn’t just trying to have followers. Satan wants followers who will get in the way and try to cause God’s people to fall. He wants to destroy the faith of every Christian. As Christians, we are targets of the enemy’s work. The sooner we understand that, the sooner we will become more serious about strengthening our faith.
The ones who commit lawlessness, are the ones who follow the lawless one at the end of the age. That refers to the Antichrist. He will be a human but indwelled by Satan in the last days. He will lead the final rebellion against the plan of God.
Matthew 13:42 The gnashing of the teeth.
“And will throw them into the furnace of fire. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The gnashing or gritting of the teeth is a familiar term. It describes what a person does in reaction to severe pain. What causes the pain? They are tossed into the furnace of fire.
Weeds or tares don’t gnash their teeth. Weeds don’t have teeth. All clear-thinking persons need to ask this sobering question. If Hell isn’t real, why did Jesus tell this parable and then explain it with such graphic clarity?
The weeds are allegorical, they represent people who do have teeth and will gnash them in response to the pain. I don’t like this part of the story any more than anyone else does. I am appalled by many Christians who seem to rejoice at this and similar portions of scripture. This is not something anyone should take pleasure in. Certainly, God does not. He implores everyone to reconsider their actions in life.
Eternal gnashing of teeth
I don’t fully grasp the reality of this aspect of punishment. But I do know that the Bible teaches there will be different degrees of punishment for those who don’t choose to follow God during their lifetime. I guess that can serve as a measure of comfort for those who want to take their chances in the afterlife. But I can guarantee there won’t be any parties in Hell as so many people like to joke.
There will be fire and gnashing of teeth. How severe the gnashing and burning will be up to the person and how they respond to God’s offer of eternal life. Think of that. Everyone is offered eternal life or gnashing. It’s because of the tares in the fields (the stumbling stones) that have caused so many to choose gnashing of the teeth instead of eternal life.
Matthew 13:43 The glorious future of God’s children.
“Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”
The righteous are not good people any more than anyone else. It’s a matter of the choices they make and how they respond to the promptings of God during their lives. No person is any better than the next. It’s what we do with what God has given us. We know that in a person’s occupation, one can choose to excel or just do enough to avoid getting fired. And in the world of sports, we learn that an athlete can strive to exceed the efforts of his teammates and opponents in order to gain a higher degree of success.
In life, we make our own choices based on how hard we want to try. In spiritual matters, it’s the same but exponentially far more important. The character of each person is seen in the lives they live out. See Matthew 5:45.
The fruit of our lives is seen by the actions, choices, and paths we choose to take. We will have no one to blame but ourselves if the gnash our teeth at the end of the path.
A glorious destiny awaits those who sacrifice now for what lies in the future. We will shine like stars, Jesus explains, just as the prophet Daniel wrote, Daniel 12:3.
Interested to know where the Antichrist will come from?
Based on the research done by the early disciples in 150 to 250 AD.
Let me know what you think.