The Parable of the Weeds

The Parable of the Weeds (also called Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds or Chaff or Tares) is a parable of Jesus which is recounted only once, in the Gospel of Matthew. It is recorded in two parts: Matthew 13:24-30 tells of the parable while Matthew 13:36-40 provides the explanation.

This parable has tantalizing similarities to the existence of prime numbers amid composite numbers among integers, in mathematics. Composite numbers are akin to the later-sown weeds, and it is difficult at first glance to ascertain whether many large numbers are prime or composite. See also Math and the Bible.

Jesus tells of a sower who sowed wheat in his field; his enemy came afterwards and sowed weeds (or tares in some older translations). The sower's reapers asked if he wanted them to remove the weeds; the sower replied no out of concern that the wheat may also be destroyed. Instead, he instructed his reapers to allow both wheat and weeds to grow together, then at the harvest both would be harvested, and then separated (the weeds for burning, the wheat for storage).

Jesus then (after other verses not part of the parable) provides the interpretation: the sower is the Son of Man (Jesus Himself) while the enemy is Satan. The field represents the world, the wheat is those who are "children of the Kingdom" (i.e. those who have trusted in Christ as Savior) while the weeds are the "children of the evil one" (i.e. those who have rejected Christ). The harvest is the end of the age and the reapers are the angels. Those who have trusted in Christ (the wheat) will be taken to Heaven, while those who reject Him will be burned in Hell.

This parable has been misused on both sides:

• On one hand, some have argued that "the field" is "the church", and therefore Christians should not speak out against others who hold to heretical doctrines (using other misinterpreted passages such as "don't judge" or "causing another brother to stumble"), even though Jesus Himself clearly interpreted "the field" as "the world". This would also go against Matthew 18, I Corinthians 5, and other passages which clearly state that heretical doctrine (as opposed to differing interpretations on difficult Bible passages) are to be opposed.
• On the other hand, historical events and movements, such as The Crusades, The Spanish Inquisition, and Dominionism, clearly show that attempting to force Christian morals on an increasingly unbelieving secular world have no effect, and often make Christian witness increasingly difficult if not impossible.