|
Our Book Excerpt The Parable of the Tares Which An
Enemy Sowed in the Field: MATT. 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. 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. 1. The Saviour himself explained
this parable in the same chapter upon the request of his disciples and says: He
that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; and the field is the world; and the
good seed, these are the children of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the
enemy that sowed them is the devil; and the harvest is the end of the world; and
the reapers are the angels. These seven points of explanation comprehend and
clearly set forth what Christ meant by this parable. But who could have
discovered such an interpretation, seeing that in this parable he calls people
the seed and the world the field; although in the parable preceding this one he
defines the seed to be the Word of God and the field the people or the hearts of
the people. If Christ himself had not here interpreted this parable every one
would have imitated his explanation of the preceding parable and considered the
seed to be the Word of God, and thus the Saviour's object and understanding of
it would have been lost.
|
||
