Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ “ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ “ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”
(NIV, Matthew 13:24-30)
Then [Jesus] left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
(NIV, Matthew 13:36-43)
There is a weed named darnel that closely resembles wheat in the early stages of growth. There was no way to determine which was wheat and which was darnel until both had matured and it was time for the harvest. Then the poisonous darnel had to be laboriously separated from the wheat (Barclay, Commentary on Matthew 13:24-30).
Just as both wheat and weeds grow together in a field, there are both good people and evil people in the world. Some people do God's work in the world and some people do Satan's work.
Just as it is difficult to distinguish the darnel from the wheat, we cannot accurately determine who is truly good and who is truly evil. With our limited human understanding, an evil person may appear to be good, and a good person may appear to be evil.
Just as the owner of the field prohibited his servants from pulling up the weeds, it is not our privilege to judge other people. That is God's privilege alone.
Just as the harvesters separate the weeds from the wheat in the end, God will determine who is truly good and who is truly evil at the final judgment.
In this parable, Jesus warns us against substituting our judgment for God's judgment. Our inability to see into another person's heart as well as our fears, jealousies and prejudices prevent us from making accurate judgments about other people. Only God knows all the facts about a person. Even evil people have an opportunity to repent until the time of death. We must be tolerant of other people and leave the task of judgment to God.
Related verses: Matthew 7:1-5, 13:47-50, Romans 14:10-14, 1 Corinthians 4:3-5, James 4:11-12.
History of publications!
The Parable of the Sower
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure and The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
source text
source text http://www.christianbiblereference.org/jparable.htm
source foto
Wrong. Jesus tells us to judge righteous judgment. He also tells us to turn people from their wicked ways. How can we turn if we dont convict. It is not the person judging but Jesus through them since no thought is their own. The wheat and the tares means this, instead of pulling up everyone from off the earth for judgment, time must be given so the harvest for Jesus' people may come into full fruition. Think of it like this, there are three plants growing out of the same spot in the ground in baby form. Two weeds, one wheat. If you pulled them out then, there would be no wheat for the harvest. So.... time.....
Matthew 7:1-3
7 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
And no idolater, fornicator, or drunkard will make it into heaven. Judge the sin not the sinner. Otherwise, how else would you personally turn a sinner to the straight way?
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
And when someone says im still smoking weed and drinking on the daily... what then? or if they keep hatred in their heart... what then? Gotta convict people to turn them.... or more precisely show them how Jesus convicted sin then let them convict themselves.
show them how Jesus convicted sin then let them convict themselves
We are not to judge according to our standards, but rather according to the standards of God, using the Bible as the basics coupled with discernment in order to see things the way God sees.
John 3:16-20
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. {reproved: or, discovered}
Right you are!