Matthew 13:24-30, 37-40 – The Best Tares in Town – Bible study

Matt 13:24-30, 37-40 The Best Tares in Town "I grow the best tares in town." That is not a boast that anyone who knows the Bible would want to make; yet, it is possible that many churches could. It is even possible that our church can. This passage is often referred to as the Parable of the Tares. It was one of the eight parables that Matthew recorded Jesus giving that day, but He likely gave more than that. Parables are earthly stories with heavenly meanings. Jesus did not invent parables, but He certainly was the Master of them. It appears that Matthew was actually recording the first day that Jesus taught primarily using parables. \#Matt 13:34\ tells us that Jesus did not speak to them at all that day if it was not in a parable! That was not to say Jesus had never used a parable before, but most likely that Jesus had never used EXCLUSIVELY parables before. Why speak in parables? That is what the disciples wanted to know \#10\. The answer \#11\ shocks some: Matt 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 1. To hide truth from them, "but to them it is not given." 2. To reveal truth to us, "Because it is given unto you to know." I think God may want us to learn several things from a parable but, in particular, there will always be one important spiritual truth. Let see if we can learn anything from the Parable of the Tares. I. \#24\ This parable is describing a time period. Matt 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto A. This parable is about the "kingdom of heaven." 1. In fact, all of them are. The phrase "the kingdom of heaven" is used eight times in this chapter, once for each of the eight parables given. 2. We can learn something just from the phrase. a. Kingdom implies ruler or reign. b. "of heaven" implies the Ruler is from heaven. c. So generally speaking, this phrase implies this is the reign of God. B. What is the "kingdom of heaven?" 1. First, Id say it is less a "what" and more a "when." a. The kingdom of heaven is a time period. b. The question is, "Which one?" 2. Notice a condition that will be happening during the kingdom of heaven. a. All of these parables are about the Kingdom of Heaven, but two tell us what the devil will be doing during that time: (1) Satan will be snatching up seed Matt 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. (2) and sowing tares. Matt 13:39 The enemy that sowed them (the tares) is the devil. b. That means the Kingdom of Heaven cannot be the Millennial Reign of Christ because the devil is bound in the Bottomless Pit during the Millennial Reign \#Rev 20:3\. c. Neither can the Kingdom of Heaven be eternity because the devil is cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone then \#Rev 20:10\. d. That only leaves two (that we know of): the church age or the Tribulation. e. I dont think the Tribulation Period would be compared to farming, maybe a battle zone, but not farming. 3. That means the Kingdom of Heaven is right now, today. a. This is the time period when God is ruling on earth. b. That should not surprise us, but it probably does. c. God has always been ruling on earthand everywhere else. d. The only question is where is God ruling from? (1) If you are lost or out of the will or God, it may seem He is sitting on your back ruling like a heavy-handed King. (2) If you are saved and attempting to live right by Him, it will seem more like He is in your heart, leading like a Father would lead. Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. C. So the Parable of the Tares (and all seven of the others) is about now. D. What does God want us to know about this time period? II. The Truths of the Parable of the Tares A. God is doing a great work! 1. The work is described in \#24\ then explained in \#37-38\. Matt 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. Matt 13:37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; 2. Gods good work is that Jesus, the Son of man, is planting good seed, His children, throughout the whole world. 3. Notice that the seed from the first parable to the second has changed. a. The seed in this parable is not the word or the gospel. b. It is Gods children, the saved. c. The seed in the second parable are the products of the seed in the first parable. d. God is just skipping a step to show us a bigger picture. 4. This is Gods plan and a cornerstone of the church age. a. Why? Why does God want to have Christians sown through the whole world during this time period? b. Because Christians are the salt and light of the world. Mt 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Mt 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 5. Gods plan in the Old Testament was to help the whole world through a nation, Israel. a. That plan failed (as God knew it would). Why? (1) Because nations can become corrupt. (2) Because nations have other duties. b. (A nation that does not safe guard itself will fall, and it is a full-time job for a nation to protect a nation.) 6. Gods plan for today is not to call a nation of people but to call a people and make them a nation! a. That is what the church is. b. We are a people with no single national loyalty or duty. c. Our loyalty, duty, and devotion are to Him first and foremost. B. Satan is also doing a great work. 1. Satan is a counterfeiter. If God is doing a great work, you can bet that Satan is doing one too, only his work will be a counterfeit work of the original. 2. His work is described in \#25\ and explained in \#38-39\. Matt 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. Matt 13:38 but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil. 3. Notice three things about the Devils great work. a. We have already noted that devil has a ROLE in the kingdom of heaven. (1) He snatches the good seed sown in the Parable of the Sower and sows the bad tares in the Parable of the Tares. (2) That pretty well sums up the devils actions during this time period, i.e. he stills the good and plants the bad. (3) The devil steals the good because he is a thief. (4) But when he cannot steal the good, he leaves something behind to destroy what is left behind. b. Notice what SEED the devil plants. Matt 13:38 but the tares are the children of the wicked one; (1) It is people! (2) In the Parable of the Tares, the seed being planted is not truth or lies like in the Parable of the Sower. (3) No. The sower is the Son of man (Jesus), and He plants Christians while the enemy is the devil, and he plants sinners. (4) Now, this is not just any kind of sinner. (a) The devil doesnt just plant lost people. i. He doesnt have to plant lost people. ii. They are already there! iii Lost people are everywhere, greatly outnumbering the saved. (b) What kind of sinner is the devil planting? i. It is the tare, the counterfeit saint. ii. A tare looks like wheat until the time of the harvest. aa. Its sprout, shaft, size, and shade make the tare a knock off for the wheat. bb. The only thing the tare cant do is put on wheat! iii. A tare is a counterfeit, a fake wheat. iv. In this parable, it would be a fake child of the kingdom, a fake Christian. c. But what is the devils PURPOSE in leaving the tare? (1) The devil is leaving fake Christians in an attempt to destroy the things that he cannot steal. (2) Maybe that surprises you. Maybe it doesnt. (3) But I dont think that was the primary truth that Jesus wanted to make in this parable. C. The devil plants his tares everywhere Jesus plants his wheat. 1. Yep. Thats it. Thats what I think is the one truth that Jesus wanted to emphasizeat least the truth He wants me to emphasize today. a. The field in this parable is not the church. b. The field is the whole world. c. Anywhere and everywhere God sows His seed (the children of the kingdom) the devil will sow his seed (children of the wicked one)! 2. I would like to think that this church is immune to such attacks by the devil, but we all know it is not. a. How do we know? (1) Do they look different? talk different? smell different? (2) Not necessarily. The better quality a garden, the better quality a tare must take on not to expose itself. (3) I believe our home-grown tares are of such good quality that most would never suspect they are tares at all. b. Our church likely produces the best tares in town! (1) The best in Bible knowledge. (2) The best in faithfulness. (3) The best in service. (4) The best in dress. (5) The best in character. c. In fact, our tares may be the ones Jesus spoke of: Matt 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? d. But having the best tares in town will not change what they are. They are still tares! D. The removal of the fakes is not our concern. Matt 13:28 The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. 1. The servants of the master were quite concerned about the tares. a. Their first instinct was the same as most of us, "Lets remove them;" but Jesus said, "Leave them alone. Ill deal with them later." b. Like the person who finds a nail in their tire and yields to the temptation to pull it out learns, taking things out that dont belong can do more damage than leaving them alone. c. There is a time and a place for everything, and sometimes the time and the place is at the end not in the middle. 2. To the parable is teaching us that the removal of the counterfeits is not our concern, but it doesnt say that we are not to be concerned for the tares or to attempt to win them! a. Some of the hardest people to win are people who think they are wheat but are really tares. b. They get angry so easily. c. How can you get angry at someeone who wants to make certain you are going to heaven? d. How can we know? TARES DON’T PRODUCE WHEAT. I pray you are saved, but would you please look past your words into your life and make sure you are not the tare?