The Triumph of the Kingdom

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

October 26, 2003

 

Do you ever find yourself perplexed over the way the world about us appears to be more and more opposed to Christianity? Rare is it that any favorable light is shown in public circles on the very truths that offer hope to this perishing world. The gospel that gives life and light to sin-plagued hearts is scorned. Believers, young and old, trying to live faithfully as kingdom citizens, meet with ridicule and opposition. And so we find ourselves perplexed. That which offers true, lasting hope is constantly opposed by the world.

 

In such times of perplexity you might wonder if the King is truly sovereign, and if His reign is being thwarted. You're not alone with such thoughts because the disciples faced the very same perplexities.

 

The greatest days of Israel's glory are recorded in the historical portions of the Old Testament. Saul, David, and Solomon witnessed increasing advances in the kingdom's power and expansiveness. While establishing the foundation of the kingdom, the kings had responsibility to uproot, conquer, and remove Israel's enemies from their midst. Amorites, Ammonites, and Philistines felt the blows of the conquering kings of Israel's kingdom.

 

It was this sort of picture that the disciples had in mind as they listened to Christ's announcement of the kingdom's arrival. Christ was their King, and His kingdom would display the glory of His reign, just like that of David and Solomon. So in their minds this meant that He would soon expel the enemies of His kingdom.

 

As we investigate another "parable of the kingdom," we discover that Christ did not utter them without special purpose. He used parabolic pictures, likening the kingdom to the familiar scenes of life so that they might grasp the nature of His kingdom. Years of misunderstanding were being uprooted by the comparisons that Christ gave in the parables.

 

The disciples fully expected Jesus to do something about His enemies. When would He mount an army and drive out every threat to His reign? But what they had in mind was totally unlike Christ's kingdom. They thought of a physical kingdom; Christ taught them that His kingdom is spiritual. They thought in political terms; Christ taught them that His kingdom was in their midst - internal - yet with dimensions transcending the scope of earthly existence. Unless they could begin to grasp the nature of the kingdom then they would become obstacles to the kingdom and fail to enjoy kingdom benefits.

 

I labor to set forth this context because the parable under consideration is often misinterpreted and consequently misapplied. We have a responsibility to "handle accurately the word of truth." One notable evangelist in the SBC regularly preaches on this parable, misinterpreting and misapplying it, and consequently, bringing confusion into many people's understanding of the gospel and salvation. This parable is not about believers and unbelievers in the church as this evangelist and others apply it. Instead, here we find, in spite of constant opposition, Christ assuring us of the patience and triumph of His Kingdom. How is our King's rule explained in the parable of the wheat and the tares?  

 

I. The nature of the King

 

Our parable tells us much about King Jesus and how He carries out His kingly reign.

 

1. Extensive realm

 

The initial picture shows the farmer sowing seed "in his field." Some have interpreted this field as the church, but Jesus explains, "The field is the world." If the church were meant then the teaching of church discipline that follows later in Matthew 18 would be eliminated since it is only at the end when the evil is removed. What Christ explains is that His rule extends beyond the church. He rules the world!

 

Now we gladly acknowledge the rule of Christ in the church. Paul explains that Jesus is the "Head" of the church; Peter calls Him the "Chief Shepherd," and John gives eloquent description of Him as King. Each week we gather to glory in His headship and rejoice in His reign over the church. But we must not put on blinders when it comes to Christ's reign. He is not limited to reigning over humble hearts and bent knees. For sure, it is those of humble hearts and submissive spirits that appreciate and enjoy His reign. Yet even earthly kings reign over ornery subjects whose wills are contrary to their pleasure. Our King's reign is not subject to geographical or political boundaries. His reign covers the world!

 

What encouragement is found in this picture for the small-thinking disciples that thought of Christ's reign only in Israel! And what encouragement is found for us as well who think His reign to be only in the church or in the West or only among those people groups friendly to Christianity.

 

The whole missionary enterprise spanning the globe has the intention of announcing Christ's rule over the world! And with this rule there is the call to faith, obedience, and worship.

 

Though we are regularly troubled by the horrors of sin's expansive influence in the world, let us not despair. The world belongs to our King! Let us faithfully announce His reign throughout the globe, and let us declare the wonder of how our King has suffered on our behalf that we might be glad citizens of His kingdom.

 

2. Faithful work

 

It is the farmer who sows the seed in his field. Christ is the one who sows the good seed in His field - the world. Here are at least two very important matters we need to see concerning His work in sowing the good seed.

 

(1) It is Jesus Christ that sows. "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man." By His own sovereign, gracious, and faithful work, He sows the seeds that will come to a good harvest and be gathered into His barn. We have gospel preachers, evangelists, church planters, missionaries, and Christian witnesses going throughout the world, declaring the good news of the gospel to thousands of people groups. Our Lord is pleased to use the frail vessels of human instruments in the proclamation of the gospel. But one thing that He insists that we grasp in this regard: "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man."

 

Here we are reminded of the Christ-centeredness of our salvation. The only reason good seed is sown is because the seed receives its value by the work of Christ. None of us has power to save. None of us can bring dead men to life or bring the light of life into the dark caverns of the mind. But Jesus Christ does all of this out of His gracious, sovereign pleasure.

 

(2) A second matter we note is that Christ only sows good seeds - "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man." Standing in sharp contrast to the tares sown by the evil one is the good seed sown by Christ. Tares were a type of noxious weed known as "darnel." If eaten it would cause nausea and dizziness. When cows ate darnel they would become drunk! But the good seed that Christ sows sprouts and bears beneficial grain. There's the assurance of fruitfulness when Jesus Christ does a work in our lives.

 

This is such a vital reminder in a day that sees so many profess to be Christians that bear no fruit to the glory of Christ. Jesus only plants good seeds. It certainly does not mean that Christ looks around to find only good people to save - or else none would be saved! But it implies that sinners are made good by the work of Christ in their lives.

 

What is our source of goodness? We've seen that it is not our moral reformation. It is not something natural to hearts that are bent in rebellion against God. It is only because Jesus came to take away sin, to give to us a new nature bearing the stamp of His holy life, and to exchange our unrighteousness for His righteousness that there is any good in us.

 

3. Patient reign

 

All of this is fine, we might think, but how do we explain His reign throughout the world when so much of the world is hostile to the King? He pictures the enemy sowing the tares in the field. At first the wheat and tares breaking through the soil bear resemblance yet time reveals the distinct qualities of both wheat and tares. The landowner's slaves make a proposition. "Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?" Do you want us to take matters into our hands by our power and gather up the tares to separate them from the wheat? Or in the language of a couple of disciples, "Do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?" The disciples had in mind that Christ would uproot His opponents. But that is not the character of His rule. "No, while gathering up the tares you might uproot the wheat. Allow both to grow together until the harvest."

 

This reminds us that Jesus Christ is confident that the work He begins He will bring to completion! He does not plant seed that fails to come to fruition and be gathered into His barn. So if you are sagging and struggling because you realize how poor your performance is at times as a Christian, then take heart, Christ brings the good seeds to fruitfulness.

 

Yet we are also reminded of how patient the King is as His people live in the midst of those that do not love Him or His gospel. Jesus Christ has every right to destroy all that rebel against His reign. But He is patient. His patience is never to be taken as an indication of indecisiveness or impotence or failed intention. His patience gives more among us the opportunity to hear the gospel and believe. Though our parable does not address this - being more limited in its scope - it is the very nature of the gospel to call rebels into relationship with our King.

 

Would you dare to spurn His patience or to treat it lightly by presuming that Christ will show patience throughout eternity to you? The day of harvest will come. Judgment will be certain. Patience will eventually give way to justice.

 

II. Opposition to the King

 

The King has His enemies that are ever at work to cause problems for His kingdom. We have only to read the newspapers and see how this is true in the geo-political reigns around the globe. Kings always have detractors and enemies that try to erode their thrones. But our King faces the archenemy that has for ages attempted to oppose every righteous, gracious thing the King has done. And until that day that he is cast into the lake of fire, the enemy will continue to oppose the King.

 

1. Enemy assault

 

The scene begins with the farmer's men having completed the task of planting, and unknown to them, an enemy sows the field with tares while they slept. We must keep in mind that every detail of a parable does not necessarily have a point that must be unfolded. Christ does not mention anything in His interpretation of the sleeping men or even the landowner's slaves, so we simply note them as part of the initial story that helps to prepare us for the primary lessons. Once the slaves realize that darnel had been sown in the field, they question the farmer's sowing. "Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?" It would have been foolish for the farmer to sow tares in the field! The slaves, knowing the farmer's character, were puzzled how such a thing could happen. In this case, it seems that they reflect the puzzling mind of the disciples that wondered how so many tares could be interfering with the King's reign in Israel.

 

"And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!'" Jesus identifies the enemy that did the sowing of tares as "the devil." Whatever good Christ does the devil tries to oppose. We learn something of his evil nature in that a field sown with good seed that would benefit all around it is now assaulted with noxious weeds. The devil is never up to any good! His aim is to disrupt and usurp the good work of our Lord.

 

How often we have witnessed this very thing in our own lives! We really see it every day, as the devil constantly seeks to pollute the world with more and more sinfulness. He finds great pleasure in sullying and marring the harmony of marriages, churches, and even governments. He sows seeds of disorder, disarray, chaos, and all manner of wickedness. He does this in the most deceitful ways, especially hoping to cause kingdom citizens to stumble.

 

Jesus explains that there are those in particular that serve the enemy as "stumbling blocks." He classes the tares for judgment into two groups, "all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness."  The latter group is quite inclusive of all sinners but the first indicates intentional mischief. There are those that have set the energies of their lives upon making others stumble away from truth, goodness, righteousness, faith, obedience, and worship. They have a special place reserved for them in the fires of judgment!

 

Do you suppose that some of those Christ had in mind was the religious leaders in Israel that were doing every thing they could to oppose Christ and keep people from Christ? Consider your own life at this point. Are you a stumbling block to those that would look to Christ and the gospel? Do you by your life and conversation try to dissuade others from being faithful followers of Christ? Then the one you are trying to assault goes beyond another person. You are assaulting the King, and you can be certain that the King will bring the severity of divine justice to bear upon you!

 

2. Coexistence of good and evil

 

Philosophers and theologians have long sought to understand why God allows evil in the world. Some have arrogantly blamed God for evil that has befallen them, while not admitting the evil in their own hearts.

 

The landowner's slaves felt great consternation in seeing tares among the wheat. So they asked their master, "How then does it have tares?" The farmer does not provide a philosophical rationale for the reasons his enemy would conjure mischief and sow the tares. He just simply says, "An enemy has done this!"  Christ does the same thing in His interpretation. He does not deal with the origin of evil. He just declares that the devil sows the bad seed. Alexander Maclaren rightly states, "The deepest of all mysteries is the origin of evil. Explain sin, and you explain everything" [Expositions of Holy Scripture, VII, 239]. Our Lord does not satisfy our metaphysical curiosities, He just reminds us of the enemy that constantly seeks to pour evil into the world.

 

Yet at this point, Christ points to the evil men of the world coexisting with the sons of the kingdom. When the slaves wanted to uproot the tares the farmer stopped them. "No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them." The roots of the darnel weed would intertwine with the root system of the wheat. Trying to uproot them at the early stage of development would be damaging to the wheat, so waiting until harvest would exemplify patience and prudence.

 

The simple picture is given. "And the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one." In other words, believers and unbelievers will dwell together until the Day of Judgment. To interpret the field as the church, as some do, would mean that the church must be content to live with unregenerate, wicked people in the church. The church would be powerless to do anything to discipline its membership to maintain the purity of Christ's bride. That, of course, would contradict the extensive teaching of the New Testament.

 

Instead, He gives us a picture of society. Christ does not tell us why He does not immediately plunge in to remove the ungodly from the world. But the point He makes is that He is a patient King while His kingdom "advances amidst antagonism," as Maclaren put it [241]. John Broadus wisely reminds us that for Christ to "make now the Messianic discrimination," that is by removing the sons of the evil one, "would be to break up the whole framework of society" [Selected Works, III, 302]. The day will come when this discrimination will take place but meanwhile, He leaves His citizens in the midst of antagonism to be salt and light for the world.

 

So don't despair, though you live in the midst of opposition and antagonism as a Christian. The King has His purpose for it all, and will one day vindicate His good work in your life in spite of the opposition you face. Be faithful as a kingdom citizen, living unto the glory of the King. Keep in mind, that though the devil labors tenaciously to oppose our Lord, as some of the old writers put it, "the devil is God's ape." Christ's kingdom will prevail; His reign cannot be turned back or thwarted. Stay faithful, my friend, even in the midst of the fire. The King is triumphant and is right on schedule with His eternal plans.

 

III. Verities of the King

 

There are some truths concerning Christ as King that we have not yet witnessed. We bear witness to the effects of His Incarnation, obedient life, atoning death, glorious resurrection, and ongoing intercession as our High Priest. But we have not yet witnessed Him exercising His work as Judge. While His disciples probably wondered how their small little band could last in the midst of a world full of opposition, Christ reminds them that He has the final word. It is not Washington, London, or Beijing that will have the final word; that belongs to Christ the King!

 

1. Harvest time will come

 

The slaves impatiently desired to gather up the tares from the wheat. But the farmer reminds them - "in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn." Harvest time is on schedule. The Son of Man continues to sow the good seed that are sons of the kingdom while the evil one sows his sons. But harvest time is coming in due time. Christ declares, ""The harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age." What happens in the harvest at the end?

 

A distinction takes places between the wheat and the tares - the sons of the kingdom and sons of the evil one. "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness." Certainly, some of the evil ones will be in churches, there is no doubt about that. Yet the point Christ makes is that a distinction will one-day take place. Even in this life there is a distinction in the character, attitudes, and affections of the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the evil one. The "wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also." There is a difference that is clear by Christian fruitfulness that makes a distinction. But Christ points to a yet future distinction.

 

Those that have rebelled against God and rejected His Son, thinking that God's delay in judgment means that He will not judge, will face the shocking reality of Judgment. Those, perhaps even among us, that are unbelieving, having spent your life among Christians and yet you are not a Christian, will face this eternal distinction. There are others that are doing their best to get away from Christians and the influence of the gospel because of their love for sin. They can be assured that distinction will come but in a way that they will not find to be pleasing. Those that have been "stumbling blocks," finding their kicks in inciting others to sin and rebellion against God, will face a special distinction of judgment.

 

There will also be a separation that will last forever. "They will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire." There will be no mistakes on that Day. It is the "stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness" that will be gathered in an exacting way. None that bear the stamp of Christ's saving work will be gathered for burning.

 

2. Justice will be served

 

Christ gives two pictures of eternal punishment. It is "the furnace of fire" that pictures the horror of destruction, and also, "in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Hell is not a place of unconsciousness or a type of limbo. The consciousness of those that face this separation will be so intense that it can only be described as a place where the sound of weeping and gnashing teeth never ends. Suffering beyond our imagination will take place, but not suffering that is undeserved or unjust. Justice will be served, as the penalty of men's sin and rebellion against God will come to bear upon them for eternity.

 

But how foolish it is to be part of that separation when Christ has borne the penalty of God on our behalf! The other scene stands completely different. "Gather the wheat into my barn." Spurgeon reminds us by this statement, "Then the purpose of the Son of man will be accomplished. He sowed good seed, and he shall have his barn filled with it at last. Be not dispirited, Christ will not be disappointed" [MTP, vol 60, 73]. Sons of the kingdom from every age, tongue, culture, race, and nationality "will shine forth as the Sun in the kingdom of their Father." It is "the righteous" that will know this luster of divine light and life for all eternity. It is not a righteousness wrought out of personal effort but the righteousness that originates in our King. It was the Father who made Him to be sin for us, "so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (II Cor 5:21). Though we come from different denominations, practice different church polity, utilize different styles of worship, it is because of the righteousness of Christ that He can give the angels command, "Gather the wheat into my barn."

 

Conclusion

 

Has Christ's righteousness become your very own through faith in Him? Just being around Christians, as helpful as it hopefully is in your life in terms of improving your quality of life, will do you no good unless you embrace the King yourself. The sons of the evil one spend their days trying to avoid His rule. But He is The King, and His rule will not be stopped. Confess Christ as your King, avail yourself of His sacrificial death for you, and know the certainty that one day, you will be gathered into His "barn." His kingdom will triumph!

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