Author Topic: Tares  (Read 4454 times)

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Richard Myers

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Tares
« on: April 29, 2016, 12:39:05 PM »
"Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which 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 blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn." Matthew  13:24-30.

An important truth for God's people. But, what about for us who are working the soil? What have tares to do with us?  :)

What is a tare (weed)? It is something growing that is not wanted in your garden. If you are growing strawberries and a kale plant comes up, it is a weed.   :)

This time of year, farmers are busy killing weeds.....and so am I.  We have discussed the blessing of pulling weeds when they are very small. Pulling them up getting root and all.  :)  If we don't then they will come back to haunt us.  The longer we put it off, the more difficult the weeding becomes. There is a spiritual lesson there for us.

In this topic I want to move beyond the weeds in the garden proper. I want to talk about the weeds that are not creating a problem for a particular plant you are growing. Is it a concern? If not, maybe it ought to be. Why?

I can best explain by talking about the edge of my property where there is a tree line with bushes growing between the trees. It is nice, a good screen between neighbors. But, we have a problem. There are these weeds growing there. They do not bother my kale, collards, tomatoes, or melons. So, just leave them  alone? No. These weeds are poison oak. And, they produce seeds like most plants. They have berries. The berries get moved around and the poison oak garden gets enlarged every year. If you have ever tried to deal with it, you know you don't won't a larger garden of it.  :)  Most farmers understand the issue. They deal with it as soon as they can. That is why Roundup has been such a money maker for Monsanto.

I was looking at the weeds which had grown up in my Euryops. If I don't get them soon, I will certainly pay for it. Each stem has hundreds of little seeds swaying in the wind.   I was thinking this morning as I was clipping off their heads, how many plants will grow in my Euryops if I don't get them all!!

So, the parable Jesus gave us is instructive. It is not good to leave anything that is going to grow and produce a like harvest of weeds or sin. Sooner or later we shall pay a price. In the parable we are warned to let the tares grow once they get into the field, but better to keep them out. We do that by getting to the existing weeds before they go to seed. I am running out of time. Those poison oak plants will have mature berries before long.  :(

And, how about the little sins that so easily beset us?
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

colporteur

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Re: Tares
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2016, 03:01:52 PM »

The point I get from this ,Richard, is that the weeds need to go and the longer I neglect them the worse the problem to the point of being out of control. The wheat and the tares are not to grow together in our heart's garden.

In a general sense ( in the church) we are told however to let them grow together. Surely there is a context to that verse because the verse has sometimes been used to let sin run riot even among leadership. I believe that when we do that we misapply the text. A pew warmer is a tare. However, his damage to the field may be minimal relatively speaking. However, when we have tares that are sowing more tares broadcast, to simply let them sow away is not a good thing. While we may let the tares grow in the church there must be qualifications for duty and influence.

I have heard that the tares look just like the wheat. Not sure that is true otherwise how would the disciples know there were tares in the field early on ? While all the plants may look alike to a novice that was not true of the faithful.  I think the tares, at least many of them, were visible and even obvious to those versed in growing the crops. Is it really a visibility problem then or one where the roots of the tares were spread out and wrapped around the roots of some of the wheat ? To pull a tare would uproot a plant growing near them who was emotionally rooted to the tare ?   Even then it seems to me that analysis is necessary so as to have the least amount of damage by the devil, the king tare sower. There are times when a tare must be uprooted because he is so noxious so as to smother and kill the wheat around them. In other words,  a pastor, an elder, etc.. 
It's easier to slow a fast horse down than to get a dead one going.

Richard Myers

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Re: Tares
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2016, 05:52:01 PM »
Yes, cp. I agree. The parable is very good, it explains why Judas was left to work his evil in the church.

We have what we call tests of fellowship. When they are violated and there is no repentance after being worked with, then the member is to be removed from the church by a vote of the church membership. This is not the lesson in the parable of the wheat and tares. It is very pointed.

Jesus uses His example to explain not that the difference is not seen, for it was understood in the parable there were tares coming up with the wheat. Jesus understands that as in the case with Judas, others may not be able to discern the difference. Or, even knowing the difference, when the young tares are pulled up, the young wheat can be uprooted. So precious is the wheat, God does not want to cause it to be lost by removing the tares.  They can be removed when all may see clearly they are weeds.

The lesson: We are erring humans capable of misjudging who is and who is not converted. God forbid an erring human would cause the loss of one who is growing in Christ, though they may not appear as wheat. And, even if one is right about the lack of consecration, others in the church may not be able to see they are not converted. If Jesus were to have pushed Judas out of the ministry, some of the disciples would not have understood and might have left also. God's ways are way beyond ours. His wisdom is perfect always. Our ways may seem right, but when we trust in them, the end thereof are the ways of death.

In a Laodicean church, we need to better understand what it means to be a Christian. And, then there would be more care in preparation for baptism. There is no reason for ordained ministers to be planting tares. This is the reason why we have so many perplexities in the church. ( see 6BC 1075.7)       
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.