Ask Me Help Desk - Matthew 13

Matthew 13

Hallo, Jakester,

I think we are both interpreting Jesus' parable in a similar way by using different words.

Your explanation corresponds, of course, to what Matthew is saying, while mine only pretends to explain the parable in a simpler way.

In Jesus’ parable the farmer is supposed to be the Son of Man; the fields correspond to our World. The wheat is the sons of the Kingdom of God, i.e. those who deserve to go there because of their good deeds or because they have sincerely repented from their sins.

Satan, of course, is the enemy who plants the weeds in the middle of the wheat to destroy it. Therefore, the weeds are Satan’s sons. Who are Satan’s sons? Those who through their bad deeds fit that description!

The Harvest correlates with the end of time, or Judgment Day, when the Harvesters (the Angels) will come to reap the crop. It will be then when the Harvesters will separate the weeds and throw them to the fire while the wheat will shine in the Kingdom of God...
Who will then be represented by the weeds? Those who have fallen under the influence of Satan because of their behavior and bad deeds down here. And it will be they who will weep and gnash and clench their teeth.

And the final meaning of the parable is that we shall have to wait until the Judgment Day for the harvesters to separate the wheat from the weeds.

Why separating the wheat from the weeds before harvest is so difficult? Because the sprouts look alike, and it would be possible to severely damage the good plants.
Probably, Jesus’ intention when pointing out to this possibility was that the “weeds” (Satan’s sons) were to be found (and still are so much so) muddle up in the same churches and congregations together with the “wheat” (the sons of the Kingdom), which means spread all over the world.

This is precisely why we have to await until the “harvesting time” to avoid damaging the wheat while doing away with the weeds.

Now then, I think you will agree that it is up to us to decide whether we want to serve in the ranges of the wheat crops owing to our good deeds or prefer, instead, start practicing the gnashing and grinding of teeth in Satan’s militia as a consequence of our bad deeds.

Our GOD is the GOD of love but at the harvest time, he collects the weeds and ties them in bundles to be burned. Then HE gathers the wheat and brings it into his barn (verse 30).

What I tried to emphasize in my previous post was that the only way to benefit of GOD’s love for us is by corresponding to it with our deeds. That’s all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gromitt82

Why separating the wheat from the weeds before harvest is so difficult? Because the sprouts look alike, and it would be possible to severely damage the good plants.
Probably, Jesus' intention when pointing out to this possibility was that the “weeds” (Satan's sons) were to be found (and still are so much so) muddle up in the same churches and congregations together with the “wheat” (the sons of the Kingdom), which means spread all over the world.

It's not probable at all; Christ tells us that your take on the parable in Mathew 13 is on target.

The parable of the wheat and tars in Mathew 13 clearly relates the good farmer and his field with the kingdom of heaven. Christ himself gives the explanation: "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man. And the field is the world. And the good seed are the children of the kingdom. And the cockle are the children of the wicked one. And the enemy that sowed them, is the devil. But the harvest is the end of the world. And the reapers are the angels. Even as cockle therefore is gathered up, and burnt with fire: so shall it be at the end of the world. The Son of man shall send his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all scandals, and them that work iniquity. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the just shine as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 13: 38-43)

The Kingdom of God is the Holy Roman Catholic Church, the bride of Christ. Consequently, Catholics hold that only in the Church is the proper sustenance given to the seeds of grace planted by God's graces. That's not to say that the wheat of faith can't grow outside this field, however it does so with great effort. Therefore, we hold that the fullness of faith can only be found within the Church.

"The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seed in his field. But while men were asleep, his enemy came and oversowed cockle among the wheat and went his way. And when the blade was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared also the cockle. And the servants of the good man of the house coming said to him. Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? Whence then hath it cockle? And he said to them: An enemy hath done this. And the servants said to him: Wilt thou that we go and gather it up? And he said: No, lest perhaps gathering up the cockle, you root up the wheat also together with it. Suffer both to grow until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather up first the cockle, and bind it into bundles to burn, but the wheat gather ye into my barn." Matt 13:24-30

Cockle, some times rendered as tares, i.e. weed: a weed, as the darnel Lolium temulentum, or rye grass, L. perenne. (Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.)

I've come to learn that both the seed and the grass of the cockle look very much like wheat. The act of sowing over a wheat field with cockle was the preverbal dirty trick in antiquity, saved only for your most hated neighbor. If you think about it, you must really hate your neighbor to take the time to harvest the seed of a plant that dosen't provide sustenance and then take the time to sow it over somebody else's field. Now the good man must tend a field that containing both weed and sustaining wheat, and then expend additional labor to separate the two, if in fact he can. If the wheat is crowded out by the weed, you might lose the entire field.

This parable is comparing the Kingdom of God (the Church) with the man who sowed good seed. But, while the men slept an enemy sowed weeds in with the wheat, allowing nature to take its course. Only after the both wheat and cockle started to bear fruit could the difference be discerned. The servants wanted to get rid of the cockle, but the master knew that the good wheat would be up-rooted at that same time. So, the good man instructed the servants to gather both at harvest and then separate them.

The reference of men sleeping was a warning that those who are entrusted to keep the fields should remain diligent. The tares which look much like the wheat symbolizes a false faith sown by the antichrist and, like that of the cockle which vies for the same nutrients in the soil, the faithful maybe crowded out. Thus staying diligent and awake the Church "shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved". (Matt 10:22)

Rightly, the servants of Christ are concerned that the weed may at sometime overtake the just, doing incurable harm. However, in wanting to remove the cockle before it ripens endangers the wheat. The effort to remove the cockle will uproot the wheat. So, we must suffer the unholy to grow alongside the holy. In the end the weeds will be carried off and burned and the faithful will receive their reward in heaven in the separation of the wheat from the tares.

JoeT

Joe,
Very well said.
How many who live among us who look or seem like good people but are not.
Living and growing along with the truly good they (the tares) can very much influence how the good crop performs and grows and does at time choke out the good in several ways such as by stealing the nutrients of the field.
Peace and kindness,
Fred

JoeT,

Your explanation is of course much clearer and longer than mine!
Still, I think that we both say the same, don't we?

Quote:

Originally Posted by gromitt82

JoeT,

Your explanation is of course much clearer and longer than mine!
Still, I think that we both say the same, don't we?

Yes, sir!

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeT777

Yes, sir!

Thank you very much!