This is what He said.
Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.
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?'
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?'"
But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 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."'" (Matthew 13:24-30, NKJV).
The phrase, "while men slept," got my attention. The founding apostles and fathers of the Church were on watch for the "ravenous wolves" to spring up in the new Church as it was forming (See Matt. 7:15 & Col. 2:8). But as history bares out, Satan had the apostles all killed off early on, except John who was exiled to a remote island. In this sense, these men "slept" (See Matt. 9:24). They being removed by the enemy, made room for Satan to come in and sow the tares whose teachings are still mixed in with the true doctrines of the early apostles to this day. "But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared." The seeds of the false were planted early on.
I did a study years ago on tares. In America they are called "wild oats." In the wheat country of the northwest, where I grew up, they are called the Bearded Darnel. The Darnel in itself is not poisonous. It could be eaten and cause one no harm. The problem is that it plays host to a fungus called the Ergot Smut fungus, which is deadly to both men and beast.
This is the problem with those who are hypocrites that find safe haven in God's field. A little leavening will spoil the whole lump. But in God's wisdom He forbids his servants from uprooting them before the harvest, least the wheat be ruined in the process.
The way the farmer deals with the wild oats, is to run them through a thrasher that first removes the chaff from the wheat and at the same time runs it over a sieve which allows the smaller Darnel to fall through and be cast off with the chaff. The deadly fungus goes away with it. Thus you see the need of trials in our lives to remove the chaff and to cast off the poisonous influences of the enemy.
Once the wheat is collected, it is ready to be ground into a fine powder that we know as flour. Losing its own identity and taking on that of the Lord's for it is then we become one with Bread of Life.
Jesus prayed:
. . .that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one. (John 17:21-22, NKJV).
Make us so, Lord. Blessings to you all, in Christ.
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