INTRODUCTION
Ps 31:2 from the Psalm of lament in Ps 31. The people of God at times find themselves torn between God and the enemy who has the upper hand and all hope of deliverance seems lost. “How long?” goes the agonizing cries which may come from having an abusive spouse, unreasonable boss, rebellious children, jealous colleagues etc. When will all these people be removed from our lives?
In this parable, the Kingdom of heaven is equivalent to the Kingdom of God. Jesus issued the same call as John the Baptist that the people may repent and follow him. But the people who surrounded him were hoping that he will restore the Davidic Kingdom. They wanted him to wrest control from the Romans and fulfill their wish list for the Messiah. But there were no political speeches, no sea of angry protesters. What they saw were that the blind saw, the deaf heard, the lame walked and even the dead were raised. Astonishing as these were, Jesus’ actions astounded them still further. He told his followers not to resist the enemy, in fact he told them that those who will enter the kingdom need to make a choice between:
1. To listen, act accordingly and stand firm
2. Ignore his Words and prepare to collapse when the storms of life come hitting home.
Most of the Jews refuse to repent. In Matt 11, Jesus pronounce future judgment on the Scribes and Pharisees who taught wrong, harden the hearts of the listeners and kept them from entering the Kingdom of God. So Jesus began to speak in parables. Those who refuse Jesus’ words, ‘what little they have will be taken away’, meaning that their ability to understand will diminish. But more and more secrets of the Kingdom will be revealed to the teachable hearts.
Reflection Question: Which group do you belong to? Are you growing and becoming fruitful in the word of God or are you stagnating?
UNPACKING THE PARABLE
Many commentators focus on either one of these interpretations for the tares:
1. The Tares referring to the Universal World: Why are there so many wicked people in the world? Will the faithful be rewarded? The parable confirms that there will always be a mixture of good and evil people till the end of time. We will have to put up with evil people till Jesus comes again.
2. The Tares referring to the Church: It is hard to distinguish between the wheat and the tares and so we should not try to isolate them or discipline them until the final judgment of the Lord. The emphasis is on Jesus’ role in the Kingdom of heaven.
In the parable, you will notice how the sower becomes the master of the household and then ends up the Lord of the final judgment. This is a story about the Son of God and how he has done something to bring about the Kingdom of God. In fact, the parable describes him as doing only 1 thing i.e. to sow good seed while the devil comes at night to sow tares which bears a close resemblance to wheat at the beginning. But when the ears begin to appear, the Master of the household has a ready answer for the workers poised for harvest. It is at this time that the tares can be identified: the heads of the ripened wheat will be bending over whereas the heads of the tares will be standing upright and prominent. It is then the workers will lop off the light headed tares and collect the wheat. The strategy is to save as much crop as possible so he would let the enemy enjoy temporary victory. His patience will pay off at the final harvest. The tares appear to refer to the Jews who had misunderstood his mission. The crop refers to the faithful believers of Jesus: past, present and future. The leading character in the parable is the wise, loving, long-suffering, humble master who comes to create a community of true believers. Though Satan will frustrate his plans and short-circuit his mission by sowing seeds of unbelief in the hearts of the Jewish leaders and the people.
Jesus did not react and play into the hands of the enemy. With his redemptive power, he allows his seeds to grow and bear fruit waiting for the time of the harvest. So disciples of the Kingdom will have to bear with persecution in the whole world. Many times believers ask, “Why doesn’t God get rid of the enemy? Is God turning away from his children?” God will avenge the thousands of believers who have been persecuted and killed on the last day. While waiting, rejection, hardship, persecution will come upon believers. She shared about a man who lost his life while trying to evacuate the believers from his village from religious extremists. He didn’t make it although he saved many others. Why does the Lord leave him to struggle in such difficult conditions? Matt 5:10-12 reminds us that “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” He set the example, often anticipated his own death, bearing with insults and persecution and death that the community of heaven might be born, the Kingdom of Heaven might break into the world. Notice how the good seed is in the singular to show us that that one good seed is His own life. He was the first and only good seed that could produce plenty of wheat and bring about a great harvest. But this seed must first die before it can bring life. John 12:24 says, “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ” We are the wheat that Jesus multiplied through his death. Through his death, he released the good DNA that his powerful life may be transmitted to us, enabling us to bear fruit and remain faithful in the face of persecution and adversity.
CONCLUSION
What lessons can we learn living in a place that enjoys religious freedom?
1. We are beneficiaries and heirs of the life in Christ because of the suffering and endurance of past saints. We have within us the legacies left behind by these faithful ones and we are now the new sowers in the Kingdom of heaven. Therefore we need to go and make disciples in accordance with Jesus’ instructions in Matt 28:18-20 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This command is given not only to the 12 disciples but everyone who has been redeemed by the Son of God.
Reflection Question: Who are those who have suffered and endured in their faith so that you can become an heir of the life of God? How can you emulate his/her life? How can you be a faithful sower of the Kingdom of heaven today?
2. Refrain from judging others. Be patient and leave the final judgment to the Lord. Forgive those who offend us seventy times seven. Our responsibility is to share the attitude of the Lord, to be gracious, showing them the power of God’s redemptive love so that we can truly be a people after God’s heart.
Reflection Question: Can we identify someone whom we secretly identify as a tare? The Lord invites you to exercise his grace to refrain from judging him/her.
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