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