Question 1

What is the main meaning of the parable of the wheat and the tares?

Accepted Answer

This parable shows that in this present world, and even within the visible church, true believers and false believers will live side by side. The good seed are the children of the kingdom, planted by Christ. The tares are the children of the wicked one, sown by the devil while people are spiritually asleep. God allows both to grow together until the end of the age. Then He will send His angels to separate them, burning the tares and gathering the wheat into His barn. It teaches patience and trust in God’s final judgment.

Question 2

Who are the wheat and who are the tares in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The wheat are described as the good seed that the man sowed in his own field. They picture those who truly belong to Christ, the children of the kingdom, who bear real spiritual fruit. The tares are weeds that look similar at first but prove harmful in the end. They stand for those shaped by the devil, the children of the wicked one, who may appear religious but do not have true faith. Both are allowed to remain in the same field until harvest, when the difference becomes clear and they are finally separated.

Question 3

Why does the master say, "Let both grow together until the harvest"?

Accepted Answer

The master refuses to pull up the tares right away because doing so might also uproot the wheat. This picture shows God’s wisdom and patience. In this age, we cannot always tell clearly who is truly changed by God and who is not, and harsh attempts to remove all hypocrites could harm true believers. So God allows good and evil to exist together for a time. The command to let both grow does not excuse sin, but it reminds us that the final and perfect sorting of hearts belongs to God at the harvest, not to us now.

Question 4

What does “while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares” teach us?

Accepted Answer

The phrase “while men slept” points to spiritual drowsiness and neglect. It suggests that when God’s people, including leaders, become careless and stop watching and praying, the enemy finds an open door. The devil works quietly and deceptively, sowing false believers and corrupt influences where good seed has been planted. At first this may not be noticed, because the weeds can look like real wheat. This warns us to stay awake in our walk with God, to be alert to what is taught and how we live, rather than assuming all is well.

Question 5

Who is the enemy in this parable, and what is he trying to do?

Accepted Answer

The enemy in the parable is the devil. He does not own the field, and he cannot stop the farmer from sowing good seed, so he tries to spoil the crop. He slips in at night and sows tares among the wheat, hoping to choke and confuse the work of God. His goal is to mix false believers with true ones, to disturb the church, and to hide his work as long as possible. This shows his hatred of Christ’s kingdom and his desire to corrupt what is good, even while pretending to be harmless or helpful.

Question 6

Why does God allow hypocrites and wicked people to remain in the church?

Accepted Answer

This passage teaches that God, for now, allows bad and good to exist together in His field. If every false person were ripped out at once, it could damage the faith, peace, or growth of true believers. Also, we often cannot see hearts clearly, and our judgments can be harsh or mistaken. God’s way is to let both grow until the harvest, when His angels will perfectly separate them. This helps keep believers from despair when they see sin in the church, and calls them to patience, steady faith, and personal holiness.

Question 7

What does this parable teach about God’s final judgment?

Accepted Answer

The harvest in the parable points to the end of the world, when God will bring everything to a close. At that time, He will command the reapers, who picture His angels, to gather the tares first, bind them, and burn them. This shows the sure punishment of the wicked. Then the wheat is gathered into the barn, picturing the safe and joyful gathering of true believers into God’s kingdom. The parable makes clear that judgment is real, that it will bring a full and final separation, and that God’s justice will not fail.

Question 8

How should believers respond when they see sin and hypocrisy in the church?

Accepted Answer

This parable helps believers not to lose heart when they see that the church is not perfectly pure. Jesus said that wheat and tares would grow together until the harvest, so we should not be shocked when we see mixed motives, failures, or even open hypocrisy. Our response should be careful and patient: holding to sound teaching, correcting what can be corrected, but avoiding harsh, sweeping judgments that damage tender believers. Instead of giving up or withdrawing, we are called to steady faith, watchfulness, and a desire to bear good fruit ourselves.

Question 9

What does this passage show about the nature of the kingdom of heaven on earth?

Accepted Answer

The kingdom of heaven, as pictured here, is not a spotless community where only perfect people are found. It is more like a farmer’s field in this age, where good seed grows, but an enemy has also planted weeds. Christ truly rules over this kingdom and sows real believers, yet He allows a mixed state until the end. So the kingdom on earth includes both sincere followers and those who only appear to belong. This keeps us from expecting a flawless church now and points us forward to the day when God will finally cleanse His people.

Matthew 13:24

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

The Parable of the Weeds

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Matthew 13:24

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

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The Parable of the Weeds

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