The Wheat and the Weeds

Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. While people were asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, then went away. Later, when the plants grew and the grain appeared, the weeds appeared as well.

The servants came to the master and asked how weeds had appeared in a field where good seed had been sown. He told them an enemy had done it. They asked whether they should go and pull up the weeds, but he said no, because they might uproot the wheat too.

The master said to let both grow together until harvest. At harvest time, the reapers would first gather the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, and then gather the wheat into the barn. Later, Jesus went into the house, and his disciples asked him to explain the parable.

Jesus said the sower of the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world. The good seed means the children of the kingdom, and the weeds mean the children of the evil one. The enemy is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

Jesus said that at the end of the age, the Son of Man will send out his angels. They will gather out of his kingdom everything that causes stumbling and those who do evil. As weeds are burned, so there will be judgement. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Jesus ended with a call to hear carefully.