The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
Pastor Tan Thai · Oct 1, 2023
This sermon presents the parable of the wheat and the tares from Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, illustrating the contrast between the children of the kingdom of heaven and the children of the devil. The sermon explains that God's kingdom exists in the world, where the righteous and the wicked live together until the end of the age. The message emphasizes God's patience and the anticipation of final justice when Christ will separate the righteous from the wicked.
The sermon opens with Jesus's parable of a man who sowed good seed in his field, but an enemy secretly sowed tares among the wheat. When both grow up together, the servants want to pull up the tares immediately, but the owner prevents them to avoid damaging the wheat. This parable presents a vivid picture of the intermingling of good and evil, justice and waiting, within the context of God's kingdom existing in this world.
Jesus explains the parable's meaning in detail to his disciples: the sower of good seed is the Son of Man (Jesus himself), the field is the world, the good seed represents the children of the kingdom of heaven, the tares are the children of the devil, and the devil is the enemy who sows the tares. This message connects with the doctrine of the Second Coming and the end of the age, when at the time of harvest, angels will separate the wicked from the kingdom of the Son of Man and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. In contrast, the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
The sermon applies this message to the present life of the congregation by emphasizing that God's kingdom does not come in an observable manner but exists within those who believe, as Jesus taught in Luke 17:20-21. Believers are called to repent and receive the Gospel, because God loves the world so much that he gave his only Son so that the world might be saved, not condemned. The message also reminds that God is patient, unwilling for anyone to perish but desiring that all come to repentance, and therefore waits until the final harvest.
The sermon also addresses the issue of internal church discipline in the context of this waiting period. According to 1 Corinthians 5:9-13, believers should not associate with those who call themselves brothers but continue in sin, though they are not expected to separate entirely from the world. This reflects a balance between the congregation's forbearance and the local church's responsibility in maintaining holiness. The final message encourages believers to trust in the success of God's kingdom and the certainty of final justice.