Explain the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

Now, Contending for the Faith. In this regular feature, Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call. Here’s this week’s question: “Dear Dave and Tom, Could you explain the parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew chapter 13? I’m confused as to whether or not it has to do with judging someone who professes to be a Christian but believes and does things contrary to the Bible.”

Tom: Well, Dave, I think the best way to start here is by reading the verses in Matthew:13:24Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
See All...: “Another parable he put forth unto them saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field, but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. And when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? And whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay, lest while ye gather up the tares ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of the 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.”

Dave: Quite a picture, Tom. Certainly a picture of the church in these days. Talks about the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God. There’s a mixture, definitely. You go to most churches, I would say, you’re going to find some people who really know Christ, and they’re kind of going along with it—there’s a lot of error there, and a lot of people who don’t. But in some churches, it might be mostly true believers, and some who are not. They could be on the Board of Directors. I’m thinking of a man—Sir John Marks Templeton—he was on the board of the American Bible Society for many years. He was on the board of Princeton Theological Seminary for many years. The man is not a Christian by the longest stretch you could put on it. But he had a leadership position. There are others in leadership positions…

So Christ is telling us, first of all, there’s going to be a mixture here. And Jude says, “Certain men have crept in unawares….” So you don’t even know who some of them are. It’s very difficult to tell what a person is really thinking in their heart.

Tom: Now, is that the issue? Is that the key issue? What they’re thinking? Because, Dave, you and I—you longer, but, you know, with me, 26 years now, we’ve been addressing issues like this in the church—the Seduction of Christianity. I mean, were we going against what the Lord is saying here in this parable?

Dave: No, no, because when we do that, if you preach the gospel, you call upon people to repent, you are calling upon the individual to examine themselves. Paul said it to the Corinthians: “Examine yourselves whether you’re really in the faith.” I think what Christ is saying here, you don’t just start going down and examining people yourself and throwing them out. “Now, we’re going to purge this place! We’re going to throw people out.” I don’t think you can do that.

And then Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11, “When you come to break bread, to take the bread and the cup in remembrance of Christ, examine yourself whether you are really in the faith.” Examine your own heart. And so, we can call people to examine themselves. When we preach the truth, we call them to come to that, but I think Christ is saying it would be a very dangerous thing if you tried to make a wholesale purging of various churches—“I’m going to go in there and I’m going to cast people out!”

Tom: But, Dave, my question was if we’re talking about the heart, we can’t know the heart. Only God knows the heart. But if somebody’s preaching heresy, if somebody stands up and is promoting something that’s obviously—whether it be through books, whether it be through their preaching, or whatever—shouldn’t these things be addressed?

Dave: Of course, and if they’re living in immorality, as well, and so you find that in 1 Corinthians. Paul says, “Put out from among yourselves that wicked person.” A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

So, this is a difficult parable to understand fully, because it seems to contradict, on the one hand, some of the other passages. Paul says, “Put that guy out!” Well, he was so immoral, there was no question about it. And you mentioned someone that’s teaching clearly false doctrine. We don’t tolerate that. They should be put out. “Mark them that cause division among you, contrary…

Tom: Seems it has to do with truth, not with just…

Dave: Right. …contrary to the doctrine you’ve received, and avoid them. Have no fellowship with them.” Those who are living in open sin, Paul says, you don’t even eat with them. You want the world to know that this is not Christianity. So we can’t be involved in that. So we have an ecumenical movement that denies that today. And we just want to get along with everybody. Well, we want to get along with everybody, but the getting along with someone, if I really love them, I want to tell them the truth. I want to rescue them from hell.

So, certainly what Christ said is true. The church is a mixture today. Unbelievers and believers, and I think that would be the case with even the best churches. Who can be sure?

Paul says, “We have no confidence in the flesh.” Somebody says they’re a Christian? Okay, let them demonstrate it, says James.

But it’s an indication, Tom—just claiming you belong to Christ or just going to church is not going to get you to heaven. You have to really know Him, belong to Him.

Tom: Dave, I think about the last part—these are somber words: “Gather ye together first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” This is why we do examine ourselves to see if we’re in the faith. You know, it’s not that you’re going to lose your salvation. We’re not talking about that. But somebody who has professed to be a Christian, gone along with things, but never really came to know the true and living God, that’s the tares I believe He’s talking about.

Dave: We try to speak the Word, so that they will recognize that and be rescued. We’re not throwing people out, ripping them up, unless it is very clear and essential.