Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 #1

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 #1
The second parable of nine Jesus delivers on this day is the Parable of the Tares. “Tares” were likely a wheat-like weed called “darnel” that looked identical to wheat until the head came on the grain. Evil men would attempt to destroy a man’s crop either to enhance the price of their own crop or from a motive of cruelty. In the parable the master would not allow the servants to go and gather up the tares because of the likelihood of pulling up the wheat as well. Instead, his plan was to divide wheat from tare at the time of the harvest when differentiating between the plants would be obvious. Now here is the key: the kingdom of heaven is like this story.Jesus’ interpretation of the parable shows us how different the kingdom would be when compared to typical Jewish thought as well as the typical understanding of the kingdom today. Most people then and today think of a coming kingdom in which all the enemies will be destroyed and Christians will live an enemy-free life on earth. Not so, Jesus says. In the kingdom, both good and bad alike will grow together and the servants of the Lord will not be allowed to go and root up those who are the “sons of the evil one.” When Jesus says, “The field is the world,” He is talking about the realm of the kingdom, or the jurisdiction of the kingdom. Not all in the world are kingdom citizens, but all are within the realm of the kingdom, that is, within the realm of God’s rule from heaven.

So, what is the lesson? Simply this: Christians are restricted by the Lord from physically fighting against the enemies of the Lord or from “defending” Christianity by the use of weapons. When the Roman Empire instituted a persecution against Christians, the Lord said that the saints overcame them by “the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives even unto death” (Rev. 12:11).
Just consider how many times “Christianity” has gone out and fought their enemies. The Crusades are an excellent example. Such is not the will of the Lord. We are to “fight” with the word of God and with the sacrifice of our lives. With this, the Lord will be victorious.
Berry Kercheville