Knowing The Word in Matthew 13:24-30

The Parable of the Weeds [first of three public parables of kingdom growth]

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. [These weeds are most likely darnel, which is a poisonous plant almost indistinguishable from wheat until the ears form. It was against Roman law to sow darnel as an act of revenge, suggesting this was a real situation in Jesus’ day.] 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first [the rapture? 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and Matthew 24:40-41] and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” [Patience is required because of the permanent division that will be made by Jesus. This is an example of why Christianity is not to be spread by force and why we cannot create an ideal Christian society.]