The Wheat and the Darnel

In this story, the pale red printing is from Mat. 13:24-30, and the dark red printing is from Mat. 13:37-43. 

The Wheat and the Darnel

Here is the parable of the wheat and tares as the masses heard it:

Another parable He set before them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man sowing good seed in his field.

But while the men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away.

But when the stalk had sprouted and produced fruit, then the tares also appeared.

So the servants of the master of the house approached and said to him, 'Sir, was it not good seed you sowed in your field? From where then does it have tares?'

"He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Do you wish then that we should go and gather them up?'

"But he said, 'No, lest gathering up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.

Leave both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares, and bind them into bundles to burn them, but gather together the wheat into my barn. Mat. 13:24-30.

See also Mat. 13:37-43.

Here is the same parable as it was explained to the disciples:

The man - in the parable is the Son of Man - Christ, our Redeemer. 
his field - is the world.  Bible scholars tend to limit this to the worldwide Church but Christ did not limit it like that.  He said that His field is the world.
good seed - are the sons of the kingdom.  People who live righteous lives.
the tares - are the sons of the evil one.  People who live unrighteous lives, or, as Christ said, those who work iniquity. 13:41. 

the enemy - is the devil

the harvest - is the end of the age
the servants - are the angels

Some Bible translations use the word darnel in place of tares.  Darnel is a species of rye-grass, the seeds of which are a strong soporific poison. It bears the closest resemblance to wheat till the ear appears, and only then the difference is discovered. It grows plentifully in Syria and Palestine. Easton Bible Dictionary.

The Good Seed

One idea expressed is that at nighttime (spiritual drowsiness) when preachers and other Christians were sleeping God's enemy came and sowed tares (evil thoughts and lifestyles) into the hearts of the good people.  However, in opposition to that idea, Christ said, the tares - are the sons of the evil one (evil people in the ranks of the Church).  Guzik writes, the seed represents the word and in the previous parable this was true, but in this parable Christ said, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom.

After the wheat had started to grow the tares also grew among the wheat. Some Christians noticed this and they said to their master Do you wish then that we should go and get those evil people out of our church?  He said, 'No, lest gathering up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.

“A zeal for the extirpation (extirpate implies extinction of ... an idea or doctrine by destruction or removal of its means of propagation, (Webster) of heretics and wicked men,” said a pious Papist, “not regulated by these words of our blessed Savior, allows no time for the one (the not so spiritual brother or sister) to grow strong in goodness, or to the other to forsake their evil courses. They are of a spirit very opposite to his (Christ's), who care not if they root up the wheat, provided they can but gather up the tares.” The zeal which leads persons to persecute others for religious opinions is not less a seed of the devil than a bad opinion itself is. Clarke.

This is happening continually to people, in the church community, who dare to express ideas or beliefs different than the "statement of faith" their church holds.  Some church members are much too eager to condemn and oust "those unbelievers".

False doctrines are against God - he alone is the judge and punisher of them - man has no right to interfere in this matter. They who burnt Vanini for atheism usurped the seat of judgment, and thus proved themselves to be not less a diabolical seed than the person they thus, without God’s leave, hurried into eternity. Clarke.

A short note on the very interesting story of Vanini. ... in 1619, Italian freethinker Lucilio Vanini was adorned with a placard reading ‘Ateiste et blasphemateur du nom de Dieu’ (Atheist and blasphemer of the name of God) and taken to Toulouse’s Place du Salin where he had his blasphemous tongue cut out, then was strangled and burned at the stake.  

The so-called Christians in the so-called "Christian church" were much more eager to insist on what they thought was doctrinally right than they were on showing Christian love to a fellow human being.  This man, according to his own writings, denied that he was an atheist.

To Thy Ownself Be True

Fortunately, for us, the church is no longer in control of civil laws or of what a person believes.  Because of what I have written in my blogs I have been "condemned to hell" numerous times already.  Not because what I write disagrees with what the Bible teaches but because it disagrees with their church's creed.

As applied to the kingdom community, this parable teaches us that it is not our job to sort the tares from the wheat. That is only done at the time of harvest. Among God’s people, there may be some who are not genuine Christians, but it is God’s job to sort out false professors. Guzik.

Throughout our studies of the life of Christ, we have seen, time and again, that Christ emphasised a person's manner of life above religious rules or beliefs.  He did not say, You will know whether or not they are Christians by how well they adhere to the church's "statement of faith".  He said, By their fruits, you shall know them.  

The New Testament makes it very clear that the end of this age will happen at the return of Christ.  That is the time of harvest when The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who work iniquity.    He did not say, All those who have not joined themselves to the Christian church.

Then the righteous (by their lifestyle you shall know them) will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.