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Matthew 13:24–30 — “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.”

Jesus warned that even in a good field, weeds can spring up. The parable of the wheat and the tares reminds us that the enemy is always at work, seeking to corrupt the harvest. While the farmer planted good seed, Satan sowed tares—false plants that looked like wheat but bore no fruit.

This picture illustrates the reality of the Christian life and the church. Not every profession of faith is genuine, and not every plant in the field belongs to the Lord. Some are true wheat, others are tares, and often they look very similar. Jesus teaches that ultimate separation will come at the harvest, when He Himself will gather His people and judge the false.

For believers, this parable is both a warning and an encouragement. It warns us to be watchful, for the enemy is active. It also encourages us not to despair when we see falsehood in the world or hypocrisy in the church. God is not deceived, and He will make all things right in His time.

Until then, we are called to faithfulness. Our task is not to uproot every tare but to continue planting and nurturing the wheat. The Lord of the harvest will one day send His angels to separate the false from the true. We can rest in His perfect justice.