The Wheat And The Tares - Frank Brancato 12/11/05

we certainly want to welcome each and every one that's come

to be with us this morning and we have A very good crowd here

and we're thankful for the presence of all that are with

us. And I'm honored to be your

speaker today. I want to invite your attention

to the Book of Matthew, the 13th chapter and we want to begin

reading there in verse number 24, will read this short passage

and then we'll read one more to suffice for our introduction

this morning. Matthew, the 13th chapter

beginning there, in verse 24, And another Parable, put he

forth unto them saying the Kingdom of Heaven is likened

unto a man, which sowed good seed in his field.

But while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares among the

wheat and went his way and when the blade was sprung up and

brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

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. He said unto them an enemy hath.

Done this the servants said unto him, wilt thou, then that we go

and gather them up but he said, nay lest while ye gather up.

The tares ye root up. Also the wheat with them, let

them 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. Go now to beginning in verse 37

of the same chapter he answered and said this is the explanation

of this Parable he answered and said unto them.

He that soweth the good seed is the son of man.

The field is the world. The good seed are the children

of the Kingdom but the tares are the children of the wicked one.

The enemy that sowed them is the devil.

The Harvest is, the end of the world, and the reapers are the

angels, as therefore, the tares are gathered and burned.

And in the fire. So shall it be in the end of

this world? 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 and shall cast them

into the furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and

gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine

forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their father, who hath ears

to hear Let Him hear correctly, read reads.

Those verses that we wanted to read for our study.

As we will examine in great detail in just a few moments,

the parable of the wheat and the tares.

Once again this morning, we have the wonderful privilege of

sitting as it were at the feet of the master teacher.

I have long felt that if a person wants to learn how to

preach the gospel, one of the very best things that he could

ever do is sit at the feet of the greatest teacher that ever

lived, and that being none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

What a wonderful privilege, indeed.

It is to listen to what Jesus taught so long ago.

So many times our Lord used, various, word, pictures, or

Parables, to try to reach into the hearts of his people, and

make them see the many-sided duties and glories of his great

Kingdom. As someone wants well said, the

Lord made it all come down to the reach of humble doors.

You see? It's not something that was for

the elite at that time. And it's not something that's

for the elite in our day and age either.

It is not for the select few here and there, but it is

something for the common masses. I love to see how Jesus preached

on so many occasions because as a wonderful example that he is

as he stands before us. In preaching, God's word, Jesus

just said it like it is what a wonderful example.

It is. For those of us whose tried to

And, and proclaim the truths that are found in God's word in

a public forum. What?

Greater example can we look to other than Jesus Christ?

And we can just say it, like it is.

Well, as we begin this morning, we find that our Lord proceeds

as he had on. So many occasions by simply

saying this in essence, I have something that I want to talk to

you about well on this occasion, he tells them about a Galilean

farmer and this gal In Farmer, he goes out and he secures the

land, you know, going back to earlier on in the thirteenth

chapter of the Book of Matthew. We find that there's some

similarities in the parable of the sower and here in the

parable of the wheat and the tares, we're going to find how

those similarities all work together.

And that there is no contradiction of terms in any

way, shape, or form, but going back to the parable of the

sower, Jesus already told them how imperative it is to.

To clear the field and prepare the field for the see.

So when he gets to this Parable, he doesn't talk about that

anymore. What he does is he declares to

them that a farmer goes out and he has prepared the land.

I think it's important for us to understand that whatever stones

or rocks or Thorns or trash or weeds or whatever was in that

field prior to the time that this Galilean farmer goes out

and starts working diligently and plow It and ridding.

It of all those things we can assume from the language that

Jesus has declared that everything this man did was

right, everything that this man did was just right for the seed

to be planted in that soil. He made no mistakes.

If there was a stone, he removed it.

If there was a weed, he toured out.

If there was a time when the ground was hard and packed down

like hardpan, he worked it and he killed it, he prepared the

field. Regardless of how long it took

him to do. So for the seed that was going

to be planted in that field. you know, and understanding this

This fella planned, right? He purposed.

Right. And he worked right.

Everything is now prepared and one day he goes out and he

commits the seed to the ground, you know, one man said, one

time. If there's ever a time when one

must feel close to God or at least in business with God, it

is bound to be when he lays the seed inside the furrow and

covers it with soil, realizing there's nothing further than he

can do. Man has done his part and man

can do nothing further. Now it's up to God and nature

that God had set into practice or set into motion.

Now it is God's turn what Jesus tells about this man that goes

and plant seed and then after he's done, he goes home and

Jesus says he sleeps, you know what I thought of.

When I read that, I thought of what Solomon of old said, when

he says about sleeping, the sleep that is sweet.

You know what that is? You know what the sleep that is

sweet? Is it's the sleep of The

Working, Man. It is the sleep of the laboring,

man. You know, there are many that

are in this congregation that have gone out and made a living

your entire life with your hands, you know what that's

like, have you ever gone out and worked about 12 straight hours

when you're Done. And the sun has come down and

you're exhausted your back. Aches, your shoulders hurt, your

hands are weak. And they hurt to every fiber of

your body is aching out of fatigue.

So what do you do? Well, it's not a bad thing

because you have in the back of your mind, the great feeling

than a job. Well done has just occurred.

So what do you do? Regardless of how tired you are?

You go into as it were your bedroom, you passed out in your

bed and you sleep, the sleep, That is sweet.

Anybody that's ever worked with their hands knows just exactly

what I'm talking about. What a beautiful picture.

Jesus says a man plants, he sews, he goes home and he sleeps

all that is beautiful, because a job as well done.

But, you know, Jesus pictures that not all is beautiful.

Because when this man went home and slept there was someone who

did not sleep our Lord says that night while men, slept, while

this man slept something happened.

That was not good that night. Someone under the cover of

Darkness, goes out into this Mansfield and take some noxious

seeds weed seeds or tears. And he went out there and just

simply broadcasted those things throughout all that prepared

field, you know, I always thought that when Jesus was

picturing this, it was talking about really just a spiritual

application, which is what he's talking.

About but I thought, who in the world would ever go into

somebody's field for no reason and cast noxious seed down Among

The Good Seed, but I understand historically that this was.

There were cases when people would do that, an enemy would do

that. Oh, Jesus always called on the

memory of his hearers and he always called on the memory of

them, so that they would understand that.

What he said was true, this actually happened in Certain

cases in certain places Jesus says that while this man slept

somebody didn't sleep, Somebody went into his field.

Now that's important to know. He didn't go into his own field.

He went into his field, this man that is at home sleeping after

he's done everything. That was necessary for him to do

for his wheat crop. He went in there and planted

seeds that were weeds. Well, you know, as the parable

of the sower, the Lord does not leave the interpretation to us.

Some of the things that Jesus taught were so common and easy

to understand, it didn't require any further explanation on his

part, but some Parables did require a further explanation.

The parable of the sower was one and also the parable of the

wheat and the tares, I am so thankful.

Jesus use those verses of scripture that we can read to

know just exactly what he meant. So that I don't mess it up and

put my own slant on it or misinterpret or misapply.

The lesson he wanted us to understand.

So as we said before, the Lord just said it like it is here is

his explanation. First of all, he says that there

is a sower that's our as defined In this passage of scripture.

Jesus said is the son of Of man or none other than the Lord

Jesus Christ. He said the seed are the

children of the righteous one. When the wait a minute.

How many times have we referred to the seed?

In the parable of the sower, as the word of God?

How can that be? Is there a contradiction of

terms here? What did Jesus mean in the

parable of the sower, when he said the seed is the word of

God? And then now he says that the

seed are the children of the righteous one.

Those that have had the seed planted become the seed of or

the children of the righteous woman.

What we have to understand is simply there's one, isn't it?

Tension of the other another words we have the outgrowth of

the seed in the lives of men. Also, people ought not to think

of you and I, as Christians separate and apart from the word

of God. Because the Bible says that the

word is living, and the word is growing in Us, in James chapter

James 1 · chapter mention

1 and verse 18, James says of his own will begat he us with

the word of Truth and First Peter chapter one in verses 22

and 23. It says seeing you have purified

your souls in obeying the truth, see that you love one another,

with a pure heart, fervently being born again, not of

corruptible seed, but of Incorruptible by the word of

God, which liveth and abideth forever.

There's no contradiction of terms here, it's quite simple.

The children of the righteous one is a product of the good.

See secondly, though. Jeez our thirdly Jesus says

there is the field. You know there's been much

contemplation and religious debate over what the field is.

But you know, we need to understand that we don't want to

let a commentator explain away the plain clear teaching that

Jesus gave. What does Jesus say the field

is? He said the field is the world.

We need to get that because if we misunderstand that, then we

will misunderstand or misapply the context of his teaching in

the entire Parable. He says, remembering he says it,

like it is, the field is the world, Many religious divisions

have ensued over. Its meaning of these five words.

Some say the field is the church and therefore Jesus was saying

this, the field is the church. So there's going to be good

seeds and there's going to be bad seeds.

Let them dwell together for a time in this life.

Do absolutely nothing about it, except them all even the bad

seeds and do nothing whatsoever. And when time comes or the day

of the Harvest at the end of time, then the Lord by his

Reapers being, the angels, will take care of this business at a

later date. That's not what Jesus said.

Jesus said. The field is the world.

It's the world. Remember when Jesus said in

Matthew chapter 28 and verses 18 and 19, he said all power is

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

given unto me in heaven and in Earth, he said go ye, therefore

and teach All Nations. Then in Mark, 16, 15.

And 16 he says, go into all the world and preach the gospel to

Every Creature. He that believeth and is

baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be

damned. One more verse of scripture that

we find after Jesus was crucified after he rose from the

dead, and was in the process of spending, 40 days with his

disciples said in Luke 24, and verses, 46 and 47.

He said the shit behoove Christ to suffer and to rise from the

dead. The third day, and that

repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name,

among all nations. What is he saying?

He is saying the field. Is the world one more thing

though? What about in the parable of the

sower? When we find that the field is

the heart of man, if he said the field is the heart of man in the

parable of the sower. Now, he's talking about the

field being the world. Once again, no contradiction.

This is what he's saying. You go preach the gospel.

You take this gospel and you take it to the lost.

I want you to preach it to Every Creature, I want you to go out

into To the world and do. So he says this in the parable

of the sower, the seed is the word of God.

We find that the seed is going to be planted in the hearts of

men, he says, that's what you're going to.

So that's what you're going to do.

Where's the hearts? There in the world.

An extension of the other and certainly no contradiction.

You know, there's something else that I'm so glad that Jesus

describes. And I think today, if you leave

here, I want you to understand. When you leave here, that

there's something that goes on. In the world, I want you to

understand that you that are living the Christian Life and

when you try diligently, your serve God in your life when you

try to do the work of the church and you Try to do.

What is right? I'm going to tell you something.

There is such a being out there that Jesus says, is the enemy

there is there's an enemy. And I think what you and I need

to understand, is we need to understand who he is and we need

to know when some of these things happened around us as we

try to work and strive for the cause of Christ, we need to

understand it is the enemy. It's the devil.

Jesus said there is such a being like that, what Jesus pictures

it like this. He says, this man, this farmer

servants. They go out into the field.

Now, notice nobody knows anything about these bad seeds

until the crops come out of the ground.

When the crops come out of the ground.

Now, all of a sudden here are the Servants of this Farmer and

the servants come to their Master, their boss and they say

this, they say, didn't you sow good seed, you know, when Jesus

said good seed all, he sent them out.

He said a mouthful. You know why?

Because if he said, there's good seed, there must also be bad,

see more on that. Just a moment here.

Come these servants, they come in and they say Didn't you sow

good seed in your field? If you're sowed good seed.

Why is it that there's tears in it?

Wherefore art, thou tears. You know what Jesus said?

Jesus said an enemy hath done this an enemy did it notice?

Jesus is saying that there is good seed and there's also bad

seed and the two don't go together and the Lord

immediately says and enemy. He has done this.

I like the way that he puts it because the devil is the enemy.

You know what? Jesus does not say though.

Does this sound familiar though? With some folks in the world

they don't want to call it like it is.

Sometimes Brethren don't even want to call it.

Like it is, they don't want to say it, just like it is.

It's the enemy. It's the devil.

It's the arch deceiver. Listen, this is what Jesus did

not say. He didn't say this is a product

of somebody's unfortunate environmental circumstances.

He doesn't say these poor fellows are suffering from some

kind of temporary. Stumbling in the upward progress

of man. Oh no, he said the enemy did it

an enemy came into a field. That was not his and an enemy

did this. He's the arch deceiver and we

need to understand who he is. Sometimes we need to just call

things the way that they are. You know, the Bible insist that

there is one that is set for your destruction, the greatest

possession that you have and you will ever have all the days of

your life, while you are living. And afterwards, is your soul.

There is no greater possession. I don't care if you're a

zillionaire, it makes no difference what you will have

what you will acquire in your life.

All of the good fortune that will come your way.

Way, there is nothing in your life that is of more value than

your soul. And I'm going to tell you

something, you know why the devil wants it.

The Bible talks about gehenna hell that's the death of the

Lake of Fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels

that was not prepared for man. Originally that was prepared for

the devil and his angels. That's where the devil is going

to go for all eternity into the Lake of Fire.

And he wants to get our soul away from us and get it in to

that Lake of Fire. You know.

Like they say, not trying to oversimplify but misery loves

company. The devil is warring against

your soul every day that you live, notice though, as we

mentioned, just a moment ago, the devil does not go into the

field. That is his own.

He doesn't go to a vacant lot or a barren field.

Oh no. You know why?

Because there's nothing there dangerous to him.

You know why the devil doesn't bother with people that are lost

that are not trying to do, right?

Because he already has it. That's why.

But the devil Works in fields that are not his own.

Whenever you decide I'm going to be better than I've ever been.

You're going to be opposed by the devil whenever you say I'm

going to grow. I'm going to be a better

Christian than I've ever been in the past.

I'm going to set a better example.

I'm going to tell you something else.

The devil is going to oppose that he works in fields that are

not his. The devil came to work.

When God's people went to work, the Devil is a mastermind that

is schooled in the art. Of human nature and his game is

opposition by imitation. Opposition by imitation just

look in the religious world opposition by imitation, but

there's something else too. You know why we stand against

things that are wrong? That sometimes people say, well,

it's just a little thing. It's just a little diversion.

You see these seeds appeared to be okay at the very beginning,

but when they came up, they were weed seeds, they were weed.

And these were things that were wrong for this farmer to have in

his field. Sometimes things look like,

they're just, okay at the beginning, but then we find out

later on much later on what they really are.

The devil's souls in something that appears to be good on the

surface, but it's not until these things begin to move

toward fruition, that they even become aware that there's a

problem. And the Lord is simply saying

when we get busy, so, does the devil.

Let me just say it this way to, I think this is very important.

Let me encourage this congregation in this way.

I'm going to tell you something, the congregation here is trying

to work. Together is trying to grow

together in unity. I'm going to tell you something,

the devil doesn't like that and the devil is going to try to be

divisive in the hearts of man. Secondly, when souls are saved

and they come to the Glorious gospel of peace when they obey

that gospel and they're baptized for the remission of sins.

Those people become seeds in the field that Jesus is talking

about the devil wants them. I'm back.

The devil is going to try to create things that would be

Temptations for them to lay down their sword as it were, and stop

laboring for the cause of Christ.

You know, I've said this so many times and you all know this, but

sometimes the most difficult time in a Christians life is

right after they obeyed the gospel.

You know, why? Because he just lost one and he

wants them back. Let me just say this, don't get

discouraged. When the work progresses in a

favorable fashion or in a positive way.

And then we see discouragement. Don't be discourage know what it

is. It's the devil and Jesus said

he's going to continue to labor in fields that are not his own

one man said it like this. This is great.

He said, as brighter gets the sunshine, the deeper grow the

shadows. In other words, Satan begins to

operate when you and I begin to work.

Will next, Jesus talks about route.

Being out the tears, you know, these servants, after they

presented the problem to the master, they have a solution.

Now, this is nothing abnormal about this, I'd probably say the

same thing, there are weeds in the field, it's growing up next

to the wheat. So they have an idea, I've got

it, I've got it, boss, I'll go and I'll just rip them out.

I'll take care of that, not understanding what Jesus is

going to explain to them. Not understanding his purpose or

not understand. Ding what will happen by way of

the outcome of doing their solution.

They're proposing, this no spiritually speaking.

They're proposing violence If there is ever going to be a

victory religiously in this life, it'll be a moral one.

It certainly won't be a physical one.

You know, I know that people have quote-unquote religious

wars in the land in the world, I understand that they're being

religious wars and so on where people have lost their lives.

That is not the battle that the Christian is fighting.

We are fighting a spiritual battle.

We are not fighting a physical one.

They said though, what we can do is we'll just go in the field.

No problem. And we'll grab the wheel.

Grab those weeds and will Just rip them out.

But the Lord says no, do you remember in the ninth chapter of

the Book of Luke when James and John wanted to come and fire to

come down from heaven? To consume those Samaritans,

would you remember that? Jesus rebuked them and said you

know, not manner of spirit? ER of he said the son of man is

not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them Christians.

Don't participate in an activity.

That's physically fighting another There is no way that we

can do two things at the same time like that, you can't go

kill somebody and say them. Jesus said you go into all the

world. You make disciples of every

nation you go out and teach them all things whatsoever.

I have commanded you to do. That is what your charge is,

that is what your mission is. That is what I'm requiring you

to do, how can you do that? And then physically fight

against them. You can't do evil to someone and

save them at the same time. That's what Jesus was picturing.

And I'm going to tell you something though, we can stand

and use this book right here and we can preach just as hard as we

possibly can against those things that are not right?

We can teach people and teach God's people against the things

that are wrong in the world. We can surely do that, but

notice there's going to come a time.

When the Lord is going to take care of this.

Jesus said though let them grow together until the Harvest.

The Lord is simply saying we will not use Force.

We're going to do it my way but you know there's another reason

why we don't root out the tears in this life and I know that

from a farming standpoint biologically speaking this is

completely impossible, but spiritually speaking, it is very

possible and that is another reason why we don't route up the

Tears is because the tears can become wheat.

The tears can change, the, I know that when Jesus pictured,

this Galilee and Farmer's land, I know, he was not saying that

in actuality, these tears can turn themselves, into we simply

because of their Association and I think that's what Jesus is

picturing here today in the world.

A tear does not become wheat, just because it is alongside a

Christian, a one that is a child of the devil does not Become a

Child of Light simply because he is existing next to somebody

that is righteous. And I think that's what the

point is here. The way that they change is by

way of a new birth or a rebirth and we know that happens at

baptism. So a terror can become wheat.

Let me illustrate it this way rather briefly, What if you and

I were living in New Testament times remember in acts when the

church was established and we're going on and we're trying to do

just exactly what the Lord has told us to do.

And we're preaching the gospel to Every Creature.

Like the Lord said, You know, there was somebody that was a

poser of the Gospel. His entire existence was to

oppose the gospel at that time. We know who he is.

What if we would have said let's get solved.

Let's get him out of here. Let's root up the tears.

He's in opposition of the Gospel.

Let's go. Take care of it.

Look what happened? The church would not have the

great Apostle Paul, the one who from divine inspiration wrote

over two-thirds of the New Testament.

We wouldn't have perhaps one of the greatest preachers that ever

lived being Paul himself. We wouldn't have that today if

we would have it to be our way. Jesus said, let them grow

together until the Harvest, but during that time, the tears can

become wheat. But also, Jesus says to stay out

of my field in that way because he said lest while ye gather up

the tares ye root up also the wheat.

So don't tear the tears out because in doing so you can

destroy the wheat. But notice when he says, let

both grow together until the Harvest, I think it's important

that we understand the Lord is saying that evil and good will

exist together, but listen, he is not saying as I mentioned

earlier on Our study, he is not saying that evil and good are to

exist together in the Lord's church.

He says that evil and good are going to exist together in the

world. That's what he says there.

You know, I've heard people say well that's why we can't ever

participate in any kind of church discipline.

See when we misunderstand, what the field is, we can get the

whole thing backwards. That's not what he said though.

And make no mistake. I know sometimes it seems as

though that you and I are living in a world where we seem like

we're all alone. Sometimes we may feel as though

that we are living in a time that is just filled with evil

and filled with wicked things and people that have turned

their back on the good name of Jesus Christ.

I know that. But Jesus said so long ago, Evil

and Good Will exist together. In other words, things are going

to get get better and better at the same time, they'll get worse

and worse. We're going to have to get

stronger you and I we're going to have to get better.

We are going to have to expect more than we have ever expected

of ourselves. As the Lord's people, we've got

to bring the very best that we have to give.

That's what we have to do. That's the answer.

The answer is, don't get down over the evil around us.

Let's just get better. Let's get stronger.

Let's fight that Old Devil because on that final day, the

Lord was say, Gather ye together first, the tares and bind them

in bundles, to burn them. You know, sometimes people say,

don't know, talk about Hill, you know, that.

And I guess that a large percentage of the seminaries in

the religious world. Today, are our teaching now,

that there is no, hell, something like 70 or 80 percent

are teaching from their curriculum.

That they're There is no hell. Hell is real.

Because that's what Jesus said. The Reapers bind them, cast them

into the furnace. They'll be wailing and gnashing

of teeth. Think about that, hell is a real

place. Evil will not prevail.

One old-time preacher describe this scene like this many years

ago. Listen.

Descending down into caves of hopeless depth.

I saw most miserable beings walk burning continually yet

unconsumed forever wasting yet, enduring still some wandered

Loan in the desert flame and some encounter fiercely met with

curses loud and blasphemies that made the cheek of Darkness pale.

And to their Everlasting. Anguish still the Thunders from

above responding Lee. Spoke these words which through

the caverns of Perdition forlornly echoing fell on every

ear. You knew your duty But you did

it. Not. but finally, you know, as

they say there's light at the end of the tunnel, Some of the

most beautiful words ever. Uttered are uttered by Jesus.

Next He said then shall the righteous shine forth.

I love that. You know what that tells me?

That tells me that Christians that have been oppressed.

I'm talking about people that have been put down and

criticized. I'm talking about people that

have suffered and been martyred for their faith.

I'm talking about every Christian that has ever tried to

do that, which is right and had the world oppose them in every

way. You know what's so beautiful

about that we win. When it's all said and done.

We with we are going to triumph over all of that evil then shall

the righteous shine forth, the light so long struggling.

Finally eventually will come to fullness this Is God's people.

One of the greatest blessings of all is living the Christian life

is to know that we have a choice.

We don't have to go to that place of eternal torment.

We can go to heaven and we can shine forth when the Lord makes

up his jewels as Malachi said, shall shine forth. we can go to

a place and sing the song of Moses and the Lamb by and by and

dwell with Jesus, Evermore. Don't be discouraged in your

Christian Life. Don't quit your service and give

up because of the evil in the world, he rise up against it.

You make it to the end and we are promised by Jesus the

righteous shall shine forth. We thank you for listening to

our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

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