Wheat and tares, why cant they be separated?

I live right by some wheat fields - the parable of the tares was made clear to me by observing the fields.

Messiah is teaching us about the righteous and the wicked, and how the 2 will be separated at the end of the age.

You wait until it’s time to harvest the wheat to separate the weeds and everything else that doesn’t belong.

If you look at a wheat field(the world), you’ll see 2 categories of things growing: what belongs(wheat - God’s children)) and what doesn’t belong(weeds - the wicked)

They grow right alongside each other until the farmer(Messiah) sends his workers(angels) to harvest them. Then he separates them, and discards the weeds(the wicked) and burns them and keeps the wheat(the righteous).

If the farmer went and tried to remove the weeds, it would mess the wheat up. That’s why he waits until harvest, and separates them.

The wheat and tares parable is in line with the parable of the fishing net, gathering all together and then separating them - Matthew 13:47-50

W2L said:

Surely God can remove Godless people from the planet without removing the Godly, so why cant he separate the wheat and tares? Can the answer help us understand this parable? Or am i entering twilight zone theology?


Matthew 13:24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who 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 grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

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removing the tares is an act of judgment and that judgment is not upon us now. There are many ungodly who become godly so this tells us tares may change into wheat (revealing they were wheat the whole time) but if judgment is too early they will be uprooted because they look like a tare. This is a message to not be a tare but to be wheat before the harvest time comes.

W2L said:

Surely God can remove Godless people from the planet without removing the Godly, so why cant he separate the wheat and tares? Can the answer help us understand this parable? Or am i entering twilight zone theology?


Matthew 13:24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who 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 grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

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There was a grassy weed in Israel called darnel or cockle in English. When it sprouts it looks like wheat til it grows taller. It is toxic and can not be fed to livestock, but may have been used as fuel for fires before there was electricity or natural gas. The farm owner did not pull them up lest the wheat be pulled up too as their roots were intertwined.

This following is a fabricated example. A father does not believe. He is gluttonous, smokes cigarettes, is dishonest and irreverent. His daughter is twelve and believes in Jesus. She is studious and athletic. She likes some Bible verses. She is honest. Her father goes to work at a factory and supports his daughter. He provides clothes, food and shelter. He assembles cars. People need his work. His daughter needs dad to provide. God does not take out the sinner as he has a worldly function. On the day of judgement the good will be kept and the bad will perish.

Wheat and tares. The Wheat (believers) were planted by God. The tares (unbelievers) were deceived by Satan, so that they could not believe the truth of the good news of Jesus the Savior. (A argument could be made here that the tares are false teachers in the church, I think).
First, I’ll side-step the main point quickly. The wicked are often given long lives, because God is so patient and loving and wants to give them as much time as possible to repent and turn to him. However the saints are sometimes even taken early to spare them trouble!

The main point: The farmer says that the wheat may be uprooted (loose their trust in God), if He steps in on occasion and supernaturally takes a tare away to judgement.
Imagine a world where some of the people you know who are very sinful (or you think are pretty righteous) suddenly, and with great terror, are seen being taken out of this life by an angel of judgement. Imagine the thoughts, questions, self doubts, etc that might arise. But still, the believers are left here, because they have a mission to complete. If some of the most striking and common and visible displays of God’s actions are the judgements of unrepentant (and never to repent) sinners, this might really shake up the faith of some believers and uproot them, and it could also skew the unbelieving world’s view of a God of love and grace.
This is only my opinion of these verses, and that’s how I see them.

St. Paul is very straightforward in the matter (2 Corinthians 2:14-16a ~ CEV):

I am grateful that God always makes it possible for Christ to lead us to victory. God also helps us spread the knowledge about Christ everywhere, and this knowledge is like the smell of perfume. In fact, God thinks of us as a perfume that brings Christ to everyone. For people who are being saved, this perfume has a sweet smell and leads them to a better life. But for people who are lost, it has a bad smell and leads them to a horrible death.

Maria Billingsley said:

Wheat and tares can not be separated while we are all in the flesh. When we are in the Kingdom of God, in our holy bodies, in the New Jerusalem. we will have passed judgment day which will involve the separation of the wheat and the tares.

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Not all saints will be granted entrance into God's kingdom (i.e. the ten VIRGINS. All were VIRGINS but only five were WISE [having paid the price of purchasing the wisdom necessary to gain entrance. While the five FOOLISH virgins were shut out.

"Surely God can remove Godless people from the planet without removing the Godly," No.. He cant. Well what did Adam and Eve do? And Satan while tempting Jesus..said "all this is mine.. was given/handed to me. and I can give it to anyone I want." And Christ or GOD through Christ said "Satan is the god of this world". And as they took Christ He said "if this was my kingdom my servants would come and fight"

This world right now is in Satans hands. And God would have to SIN to take evil people out. Christ.. said.. "I will come as a thief in the night". Now we know Christ is no thief. But a thief comes to take something.. and when Christ comes He does take something.. something that is HIS!

Then to separate.. its SO much easier when both are gown. Can hurt the one..but still will be easy to get. Been there.. have to let it grow together.. or else both are killed.

Grip Docility said:

The tares are those that speak the Anathema Gospels, that are not the One True Gospel, Christ uses Paul to reveal.

The tares have hope. I had been a tare in my younger days. Life and the Wheat, but mostly the Holy Spirit, led me to Christ... in full.

I ditched all of my religious ways and fell before Jesus surrendered.

The poison doctrine is all around us, but we aren’t to hold people apart from mercy, because of Jesus’ mercy to us. The most painful thing a tare gets from the wheat is a reminder that Jesus is sufficient.

To say tares aren’t saved is an impossible endeavor, because the Holy Spirit works at the Holy Spirits pace.

We can’t give up on tares, nor weed them out or kick them to the curb. All we can do is remind one another of how great our merciful Lord, Jesus is and dress in the full armor of God Against such things.

That’s my opinion.

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Indeed, 2 Peter 3:9.

W2L said:

I believe its good that unbelievers are given time to repent. I just dont see how uprooting an unbeliever can also uproot a believer.

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Posts #6 and #24. The roots of the two are so intertwined that if you try to pull up one you stand a great risk of pulling up both. The intertwining is representative of interpersonal relationships, and how people can grow fond of even false brethren and heretics, to the point where they will be offended with God if He executes judgment against them. It was this way in Israel's time during the wilderness (see the rebellion of Korah), and this way during New Testament times as well.

20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against you, because you suffer that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, yet she repented not.
22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation unless they repent of their deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. (Revelation 2:20-23).

People in this church were clearly attached to this woman, which is why so much care was being taken by the Lord. He had given multiple warnings that death would come upon her if she continued to teach His people to sin. These warnings and delays were not just for her sake. They were for the entire congregation's. They needed to be prepared for her death to come, lest some rebel against Him for being too harsh in His judgment.

You see the same thing in 1st Corinthians:

5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened.

This man's sins, blatant sins not named among the Gentiles, were being overlooked, and apparently because he was the son of a prominent man in the congregation. What if he had been simply offed by God the way Ananias and Sapphira were? Read through the account in Numbers 16. That's what happens when God snuffs a sinner with a lot of family members and/or connections among the people of God. Many more people end up having to die because they take offense with God for doing so, and harden their hearts against Him. Satan seduces them into thinking He is evil for taking people out.

The "servants" in this parable, btw, are the angels of God who execute such judgments.

Hidden In Him said:

Posts #6 and #24. The roots of the two are so intertwined that if you try to pull up one you stand a great risk of pulling up both. The intertwining is representative of interpersonal relationships, and how people can grow fond of even false brethren and heretics, to the point where they will be offended with God if He executes judgment against them. It was this way in Israel's time during the wilderness (see the rebellion of Korah), and this way during New Testament times as well.

20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against you, because you suffer that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, yet she repented not.
22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation unless they repent of their deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. (Revelation 2:20-23).

People in this church were clearly attached to this woman, which is why so much care was being taken by the Lord. He had given multiple warnings that death would come upon her if she continued to teach His people to sin. These warnings and delays were not just for her sake. They were for the entire congregation's. They needed to be prepared for her death to come, lest some rebel against Him for being too harsh in His judgment.

You see the same thing in 1st Corinthians:

5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened.

This man's sins, blatant sins not named among the Gentiles, were being overlooked, and apparently because he was the son of a prominent man in the congregation. What if he had been simply offed by God the way Ananias and Sapphira were? Read through the account in Numbers 16. That's what happens when God snuffs a sinner with a lot of family members and/or connections among the people of God. Many more people end up having to die because they take offense with God for doing so, and harden their hearts against Him. Satan seduces them into thinking He is evil for taking people out.

The "servants" in this parable, btw, are the angels of God who execute such judgments.

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That man mentioned in 1st Corinthians actually receives mercy in second Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 2:1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. 2 For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3 I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. 4 For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

Forgiveness for the Offender

5 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. 6 The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 9 Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Ministers of the New Covenant

12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13 I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia. 14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

Grip Docility said:

That man mentioned in 1st Corinthians actually receives mercy in second Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 2:1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. 2 For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3 I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. 4 For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

Forgiveness for the Offender

5 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. 6 The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 9 Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Ministers of the New Covenant

12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13 I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia. 14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

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Yes, I know.

He was given opportunity to repent, and in his case he was wise enough to take it, LoL.

W2L said:

Surely God can remove Godless people from the planet without removing the Godly, so why cant he separate the wheat and tares? Can the answer help us understand this parable? Or am i entering twilight zone theology?

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It is helpful to look at all of the "Kingdom" parables as a collection. Jesus keeps describing an invisible, already-but-not-yet reality, a new way of living in the world that no one has experienced. It has a lot of different dimensions to it so he constantly compares it to other things and situations to sketch in the outlines of what the Kingdom is like.

In this particular Kingdom parable, Jesus is not posing sticky, moral puzzle (i.e. "Why does God choose to do things this way instead of another?"). Instead, he is addressing a common Jewish misconception of the time and provides a particular glimpse of what "the Kingdom of heaven is like".

Back story: First century Jews were expecting a messiah based on prophecy (Daniel, Micah, Psalms, etc.). There had been several false messiahs already (see Acts 5:36-37). Religious zealots like Barabbas were itching to kick out the Romans and begin the expected eternal rule of the Son of David over all nations as an earthly, political kingdom.

Jesus tells this parable to quash that idea. As he told Pilate (John 18:36), Jesus' kingdom does not run based on the political principles of power, violence and oppression that the kingdoms of the world employ. Even King Solomon (the king of peace) was oppressive (1 Kings 12:1-4). Jesus's kingdom (the sons of the kingdom i.e. people who follow the King) are going to live among the sons of the evil one (e.g the serpent, the cosmic battle since Genesis 3). Jesus is saying in essence: "don't expect a decisive political solution from a military ruler. God's kingdom grows and he is going to let the normal way of "growing" play out until the total harvest is ready...THEN the end will come. Verse 30 gives the punchline: "Let both grow together until the harvest."

For more study, I recommend K. R. Snodgrass's comprehensive (and thick), Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus, a very thorough survey of the parable texts, cultural settings, related Jewish literature/history and overarching gospel accounts.

W2L said:

Surely God can remove Godless people from the planet without removing the Godly, so why cant he separate the wheat and tares?

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Of course he can.
But Christ died for sinners, Romans 5:8; i.e everybody, Romans 3:23. Jesus told his disciples to take his Gospel into the world, Matthew 28:19-20 and that it would be preached everywhere before he returned.
God wants people to hear the Good News, repent and come to know his Son, 2 Peter 3:9, so he's giving everyone that chance.

The point of the parable, I feel, is that if man tries to judge between wheat and tares, we may get it wrong. We look at things like good works and form an opinion about a person's beliefs based on that. Only the Lord sees who is saved, and he is the judge - leave judgement to him.

There are two ways to look at the wheat and the tares. The simple and simplistic way is to assume the wheat represent the "good" people who seek to serve Christ, while the tares are the "baddies", those intent on destroying Christians and the church.

But the reality is that we all contain elements of both, and it is part of our job to cultivate wheat in our own lives, while trying to weed out the tares. I don't know about you, but there are times when I feel like I'm doing the Lord's will (producing wheat), and I know very well there are times when I don't do God's will (producing tares).

God gives us time to work this out. Even St. Paul admitted in Romans 7:15-20 (NIV)

15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.a]">[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

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He had the desire to do good (produce wheat) but often did not do so (produced tares).

It's not as simple as the good people versus the bad people. We're all a mixture of wheat and tares.