August 7, 2011- The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.    Matthew 6:33 NKJV



Jesus makes it simple

After all Jesus had been through on this particular day, you can almost hear Him release a huge sigh as He realizes even His own disciples are getting what He is teaching about the Kingdom. He turns back to the crowd and starts a second parable, this time using the simplest form of comparison in a simile.

Jesus states the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. The major elements of the parable are:

• Man sowing the seed (Jesus/Son of Man)
• Good seed (Jesus' message/New Testament)
• Field (The world)
• Enemy (Satan)
• Wheat (Believers)
• Weeds (Lost)
• Harvesters (Angels)

Jesus is explaining that during this new age established by His ministry (the Church Age), His Kingdom of believers will exist in the world with the non-believers too. This was a different concept than the Jews had established concerning the coming of the Messiah. Jews believed the Messiah would come and rule the world (kingdom) allowing them to overcome all their enemies.

Jesus states that at the end of this age (Church Age) there will ultimately be an eternal separation between the believers and the non-believers, but not until then time.

Son of Man = Son of God

In this parable, Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of Man. Is He denying His deity? Not at all. The title Som of Man is used over 80 times in the Gospels alone. By referring to Himself as the Son of Man, Jesus isn't denying His deity but rather emphasing His humanity. As part of the Trinity (God in three Persons), Jesus was actually two persons in His role. Let me explain:

In this classic diagram showing the make up of the Holy Trinity, Jesus the Son is one point of the triangle. But, Jesus is actually God as the Son AND was fully human.  Is the plurality a contradiction? Absolutely not. We see clear evidence of Jesus praying to the Father later in Matthew 26:39 and 42, yet earlier in Matthew 1:21-23, Jesus is proclaimed Emmanuel or God with us. There are many other Scriptures that reflect not only Jesus as God and Son but also as man.

Don't let this confuse you, or worse yet, let someone try to confuse you with the concept of the Trinity. God is three persons- Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus is both the Son and came to Earth as a man. If it helps, thing of it this way. The Bible clearly tells us that God is love (1 John 4:8) and has always been. That love is not only shared between the Father and the Son through the Spirit, but each part that makes up God is also love. Love is a force that requires an element of sharing. God has always been as three parts or elements, if you will, and has always been love.

The term Son of Man is also used in the Old Testament in Daniel 7:13 as the prophet has a vision of the coming Messiah.

Next Week: The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven