Verses 24–30:
“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?” He said to them, “An enemy has done this.” The servants said to him, “Do you want us then to go and gather them up?” But he said, “No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers: First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”
Saint John Chrysostom explains that although the theme of Christ’s parables is the Kingdom of Heaven, there nevertheless exist certain distinctions among them. In this particular parable, the Lord speaks about the dangers of false teachings, as well as about the tactics employed by the devil, which we continue to witness even today. Chrysostom explains as follows: “What is the difference between this parable and the previous one, the Parable of the Sower? There the Saviour spoke about people who did not listen to Him attentively; after departing, they rejected even the seed itself. In this parable, however, Jesus has in mind heretical communities. Lest the disciples should be troubled by this, Christ, after explaining to them why He speaks in parables, also foretells the coming of heretics. The first parable showed that His word was not accepted; by the second parable it is made known that, together with the word, there are also received those who harm the word itself. Such is the devil’s snare: he always adds error to the truth itself, adorning it with various outward resemblances to the truth so as more easily to deceive the unsuspecting. That is why the Lord calls what the enemy sowed ‘tares’ and not some other kind of seed; for tares bear a certain outward resemblance to wheat. Furthermore, the Lord explains the manner in which the devil conceived his evil: ‘while men slept.’ Jesus threatens no small danger not only to those entrusted with guarding the field, but also to those under them. By these words Jesus shows that error comes after truth, as real experience itself testifies. Indeed, after the prophets come false prophets; after the apostles, false apostles; and after Christ—the Antichrist. Even the devil himself, until he sees where he may gain entry or over whom he may act deceitfully, does not begin anything; he does not even know how to approach his work. Thus now also, having observed that the crop yields a hundredfold, sixtyfold, and thirtyfold, the devil chooses a new path for himself. Since he could neither steal what had taken root, nor choke it, nor burn it, he devises another kind of deception—namely, to sow his own seed. But you may ask me: in what way are those who sleep different from those who are like the wayside? In that there the devil immediately stole what had been sown and did not allow it even to take root; whereas here greater cunning was required for the deception. By indicating this, Christ teaches us to remain constantly vigilant. You may, says Jesus, have escaped the first dangers, yet new ones still lie ahead. Just as destruction there comes through the wayside, the rock, and the thorns, so here it comes through sleep. One must remain continually watchful. That is why the Lord said: ‘He who endures to the end shall be saved’ (Matt. 10:22). Something similar occurred at the very beginning of Christianity. Many leaders of the Church, by introducing crafty men into her midst—hidden leaders of heresies—thus opened an easy path for the devil’s snares. After sowing such tares, the devil no longer needed to labour greatly. But how, you may ask, is it possible to remain without sleep? Without natural sleep—it is not possible; but without voluntary spiritual sleep, it is indeed possible. Therefore Paul also said: ‘Watch, stand fast in the faith’ (1 Cor. 16:13). Furthermore, Jesus shows that the work of Satan is not only harmful but also superfluous, for he sows only after the field has already been cultivated and all the labour completed. So too do heretics act, who out of vanity merely pour forth their poison. And not only in these words, but also in those that follow, the Lord continues to describe precisely the behaviour of heretics: ‘But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.’ Such also is the behaviour of heretics. At first they conceal themselves; but once they gain boldness and full freedom for their speech, then they pour out their poison. Why does the Lord speak of the servants who reported what had happened? So that He might have occasion to say that heretics ought not to be killed. He calls the devil an enemy of men because he harms mankind. He desires our destruction, although this desire springs not from hatred of us, but from hatred of God. From this it is clear that God loves us more than we love ourselves. Consider also from another perspective the greatness of satanic malice. He did not sow earlier because he had nothing to destroy. But once everything had already been sown, then he too sows, in order to corrupt the husbandman’s great labour. Such immense hostility towards God does the devil display in all things! Observe also the zeal of the servants: they are prepared immediately to uproot the weeds, although they do not act entirely prudently. This demonstrates their concern for what was sown; their attention is directed not towards punishing the one who sowed the tares, but solely towards ensuring that what the master sowed should not perish. The former was unnecessary; thus they devise a way only to eradicate the disease. Yet, having chosen the method, they do not dare to carry it out themselves, but await the judgment of the master, asking him: ‘Do you wish it?’ And what does the master answer them? He forbids them, saying: ‘No, lest while gathering the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.’ By these words the Lord Jesus forbids wars, bloodshed, and murder. Even heretics should not be killed, otherwise this would provide occasion for irreconcilable wars throughout the world. Thus Jesus restrains them from carrying out their intention for two reasons: first, lest they harm the wheat; second, because all those who are incurably infected will of themselves be subjected to punishment. Therefore, if you wish them to be punished, and for this to occur without injury to the wheat, then await the appointed time. What did the Lord mean when He said: ‘lest you uproot the wheat together with them’? Either that by taking up arms and killing heretics, you would inevitably also kill many saints together with them; or that many among those tares may yet change and become wheat. From this, says Jesus, it follows that if you uproot them before the proper time, depriving of life those who might still change and be corrected, you will destroy that which could have become wheat. Therefore the Lord does not forbid that heretics be restrained, that their mouths be shut, that their audacity be checked, and their assemblies and conspiracies prevented; what Jesus forbids is their killing and extermination. And notice how gentle the Lord is: He does not merely pronounce His judgment, nor simply command, but at the same time reveals the reasons for it. And what will happen if the tares remain until the end? ‘I will say to the reapers: First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them…’ If it should happen that a heretic dies without any fruit, then inevitable punishment will assuredly overtake him. ‘I will say to the reapers: first gather the tares.’ Why first? So that He might not give the disciples cause for anxiety that the wheat too would be uprooted together with the tares.”
Euthymius Zigabenus explains that the servants of the Master are zealous believers who at times cannot reconcile themselves to such a situation: “The Master is Christ Himself as Lord of the world; the servants who speak with Him represent the orthodox faithful who possess godly zeal and who often wonder with indignation why God permits these tares to appear.”
And it is precisely Saint Luke of Crimea who, in his interpretation, offers an answer to the dilemma that so often arises in our minds, especially in moments of faintheartedness and discouragement—namely, why the Lord endures all that is happening in the world. Here is how the holy physician Luke Voyno-Yasenetsky writes concerning this matter: “You know that the farmer treats seed differently from the way the Lord acted: he considers it necessary to cultivate the field and to uproot the tares that hinder the wheat from growing, for weeds draw nourishment from the soil—nourishment that ought to feed only the wheat. The Lord does not act in this way: He does not uproot the tares, but allows them to grow together with the wheat until the Last Judgment. Then He will send His Angels to cultivate His field and command them to uproot the tares, bind them, and cast them into eternal fire. This parable of Christ gives an answer to the difficult question: why does the Lord tolerate what is done in the world? Why does He not destroy sinners immediately? Why even now, when our people in overwhelming majority have forgotten God or have even renounced Him and rejected the Gospel of Christ, does the Lord endure all this? This is a difficult question that troubles all of us, for our people have indeed deserved destruction, yet the Lord still endures, allowing the wheat to grow together with the tares. The Lord is long-suffering; He spares the blasphemers, He spares the vessels of wrath, all those godless people who have deserved punishment. Christ spares them and will continue to spare them until the very Last Judgment. He does not wish to destroy the entire people because of the sins of many among them. He endures and allows the tares to grow together with the wheat. Nevertheless, the time of Judgment will come, and the terrible wrath of God will descend upon all vessels of wrath. In this parable the Lord describes the universal Judgment, when the Kingdom of God shall come. Jesus reveals how the harvest for the Day of Judgment is being prepared and ripened, how the time draws near when the tares shall be burned in eternal fire, while the righteous shall shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father.”
Saint Chromatius of Aquileia also points to an interpretation of this parable that applies personally to each one of us: “The Lord shows that the devil sows tares among people who are asleep—that is, among those carelessly immersed in their unbelief… who fall asleep to divine instruction. Concerning them the Apostle says: ‘Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night’ (1 Thess. 5:6–7). It was precisely this kind of sleep—of unbelief and the absence of good works—that weighed down the foolish virgins of whom we read in the Gospel, who failed to pour oil into their lamps and were thus unable to meet the Bridegroom. Therefore the devil, that enemy of the human race, strives above all things continually to sow tares among the wheat. Yet those people who have driven away from themselves the sleep of unbelief and who remain ever watchful before the Lord with a believing mind cannot be overcome by any nocturnal sower.”
Adapted for the contemporary reader based on the interpretations of the Holy Fathers by: Stanoje Stanković
