Jesus spoke of wheat and tares in the parable recorded in Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43 to illustrate the coexistence of true believers and false professors within the world until the final judgment.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.”
(Matthew 13:24–25)
In this parable:
The Sower represents Christ.
The Field is the world.
The Good Seed symbolizes true believers, the sons of the kingdom.
The Tares (weeds) represent false believers, the sons of the wicked one.
The Enemy is the devil, who sows counterfeit believers to hinder God’s work.
When both wheat and tares grow together, they appear similar at first, making immediate separation difficult. The servants ask if they should pull up the tares, but the master replies:
“Let both 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 in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
(Matthew 13:30)
Jesus explains that the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. The tares will be burned in judgment, while the wheat will enter God’s kingdom (Matthew 13:40–43).
This parable teaches several important truths:
The Presence of Counterfeits – The enemy works to plant false converts and deceive.
Patience Until Judgment – God allows both to coexist until the appointed time to avoid harming the genuine.
The Certainty of Separation – A final judgment will distinguish the true from the false, leading to eternal reward or punishment.
This parable warns against premature judgment by humans and calls believers to faithfulness, knowing that God will ultimately purify His kingdom.
