Other Parables
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of error spring up abundantly and bear their noxious fruit, sometimes
crowding out and destroying the precious plants about them. The soil
that should have produced goodly grain for the nourishment of man,
runs to waste, and the seeds of sin are carried from that to other fields.
The growth of the tares among the wheat would draw special at-
tention to it. The grain would be subjected to severe criticism. Indeed,
the whole field might be set down as worthless by some superficial
observer, or by one who delighted to discover evil. The sower might
be condemned by him, as one who had mingled the bad seed with the
good for his own wicked purpose. Just so the erring and hypocritical
ones who profess to follow Jesus bring reproach upon the cause of
Christianity, and cause the world to doubt concerning the truths of
Christ. As the presence of the tares among the wheat counteracted
to a great degree the work of the sower, so sin among the people of
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God, frustrates, in a measure, the plan of Jesus to save fallen man from
the power of Satan and render the barren ground of the human heart
fruitful of good works.
The tares so closely resembled the wheat that the laborers might
easily be deceived when the blades were green, and root out the good
plants. But when the field was white for the harvest, then the worthless
weeds bore no resemblance to the wheat that bowed under the weight
of its full, ripe heads. Then the tares were ruthlessly plucked up and
destroyed, while the precious grain was gathered into barns. Sinners
who make false pretensions of piety mingle together for a time with
the true followers of Christ, and this external semblance of Christianity
is calculated to deceive many. But in the harvest of the world there will
be no likeness between good and evil. The wicked will be gathered
from the righteous, to trouble them no more forever.
After Jesus had sent the multitude away, and had retired with his
disciples into the house, they asked him to explain the parable that he
had given them, and he answered, “He that soweth the good seed is
the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed are the children
of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the
enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world;
and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered
and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son
of Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his
kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall