With the harvest season having begun, it brings to mind Jesus’ parable about the wheat and the tares.
The Parable of the Wheat ad the Tares
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
(Matthew 13:24-30)
Jesus explained this parable to his disciples as follows:
Jesus Explains the Parable
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
(Matthew 13:36-43)
The word “tares” refers to darnel, the botanical name of which is lolium temulentum, which translates as drunken tufted grass.
Darnel is also known as “false wheat”, as it resembles wheat but is poisonous. The intoxicating effects of darnel include dizziness, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, muscle weakness, tremors, blurred vision, confusion, disorientation, coma and death.
When the devil sows his evil seed into hearts, people become as drunken, experiencing the spiritual equivalent of intoxication from strong drink.
The devil’s seed not only blinds people’s eyes, but also their hearts and minds, such that they fumble around in spiritual darkness, unable to see or understand the truth that Jesus is the Christ.
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:4)
But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. (1 John 2:11)
God’s word warns us about drunkeness. Those who are spiritually drunken are in darkness and unprepared, as they have no awareness of the approaching day of the Lord. This is why it will overtake them as a thief.
But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:48-51)
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. (1 Thessalonians 5:4-8)
Beyond the analogy of drunkeness, the difference between wheat and tares when they’re ripe is another beautiful analogy that illustrates the difference in attitude between those who have the Lord’s seed within and those within whom the devil has sown his evil seed.
As wheat ripens and is filled with fruit — the wheat kernels that are milled into flour and then made into bread, the staff of life — it bows its head. This is a beautiful picture of the humility of those within whom God’s seed remains. On the other hand, and despite being poisonous, ripe darnel stands upright and tall, unashamed that it has no worthwhile fruit and a picture of the pride that fills the hearts of those who are presently lost.
Let us be children of the light, and of the day, being sober and watching for the day of the Lord.
