24 “He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.” ’ ” (Matthew 13:24–26 ESV)
Matthew 13:1-50 contains seven parables concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. These include the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:3-23), the Parable of the Weeds (13:24-30), the Parable of the Mustard Seed (13:31-32), the Parable of the Leaven (13:33), the Parable of the Hidden Treasure (13:44), the Parable of the Pearl of Great Value (13:13:45-46), and the Parable of the Net (13:47-50).
Agriculture was an economic mainstay in first century Israel. It remains so in the 21st century. Therefore, a parable drawn from sowing and reaping would be easy to understand. Jesus used the illustration previously in the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:3-23). He used it again in the Parable of the Weeds (13:24-30).
“Wealthy landowners controlled most of the rural land throughout the Roman Empire; their estates were worked either by free peasants or by slaves, whose options in life were roughly the same (except that slaves could also be beaten or sold). Many of Jesus’ hearers (13:34) may have been rural farmers on larger estates, who would have readily identified with the difficulty of the situation he described,” explains commentator Craig Keener.
Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.” As noted, this was a common metaphor. God’s rule and reign in the life of believers in Christ is compared to a farmer sowing seed in his field. Note that the man initiates the sowing, the seed sown is good seed and the sowing is done in his field. Nothing inappropriate has been done.
That is until Jesus introduced another character in the story. “But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.” The owner of the field sowed the seed by hired workers known as his men. At the end of the day’s planting and while the workers were sleeping. The man’s enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and then went away. The workers were unaware of the enemy’s actions and Jesus gave no reason as to why this was done, but such an act could be economically devastating for the owner. As the man initiated the sowing of good seed, so also the enemy initiated the sowing of weeds.
Jesus then said, “So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.”
“The most basic staple of the Palestinian diet (and the ancient diet in general) was bread; thus wheat was critical. But a poisonous weed, a kind of ryegrass known as darnel (usually translated “tares”) looked like wheat in the early stages and could only be distinguished from it when the ear appeared,” continues Keener.
We will continue our study of the Parable of the Weeds when next we meet. Until then, have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
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