Why Does God Allow “Wheat and Tares” in the Church? What Jesus Taught in Matthew 13

Al Felder
13 hours ago
5 min read

By Al Felder

Jesus’ parable of the wheat and tares is one of the clearest kingdom teachings about life in a world where good and evil grow side by side—and even more, about why hypocrisy and lawlessness can exist among God’s people for a time (Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43).

This parable doesn’t excuse sin. It warns the church. It also corrects a common mistake: thinking our main job is to “hunt tares.” Jesus shows that God will separate perfectly at the end, and until then, Christians must remain faithful, fruitful, and discerning—without becoming destructive toward the very people we are trying to help.

What Happens in the Parable?

Jesus describes a man who sowed good seed in his field (Matthew 13:24). While men slept, an enemy came and sowed tares (darnel) among the wheat (Matthew 13:25). At first, the problem was not obvious. Only when the plants grew did the tares appear (Matthew 13:26).

The servants ask the landowner, “Didst not thou sow good seed…? From whence then hath it tares?” (Matthew 13:27). The owner answers plainly: “An enemy hath done this” (Matthew 13:28). The servants want to pull the tares up immediately, but the owner refuses: “Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them” (Matthew 13:29). His command is simple: let both grow together until harvest (Matthew 13:30).

That waiting is not compromise. It is wisdom—because premature uprooting can destroy good wheat along with the weeds.

Jesus Explains the Meaning (So We Don’t Guess)

Later, the disciples ask Jesus to explain, and He does (Matthew 13:36). His explanation removes all doubt:

The sower of the good seed is the Son of man (Matthew 13:37).
The field is the world (Matthew 13:38).
The good seed are the children of the kingdom (Matthew 13:38).
The tares are the children of the wicked one (Matthew 13:38).
The enemy is the devil (Matthew 13:39).
The harvest is the end of the world (Matthew 13:39).
The reapers are the angels (Matthew 13:39).

Then Jesus describes the final outcome: the tares are gathered and burned, and the righteous “shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:40–43).

Why Does Jesus Call Himself the “Son of Man”?

Jesus identifies Himself as the “Son of man” (Matthew 13:37), a title rooted in Daniel’s prophecy about the Messiah receiving an everlasting kingdom:

“One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven… and there was given him dominion… and a kingdom… his dominion is an everlasting dominion” (Daniel 7:13–14).

Jesus used this title because it is deeply biblical and points to His authority and kingdom without being burdened by the political expectations many attach to the word “Messiah” (Daniel 7:13–14; John 18:36). He is the King, but His kingdom is not built on worldly power.

Is This Parable About the World or About the Church?

Here is a crucial point: the field is the world (Matthew 13:38), but the parable describes what happens in and around the kingdom’s presence in the world—including the reality that people can appear to belong to God while actually serving the devil.

Jesus’ own warning makes the application unavoidable: at the end, His angels will gather “out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity” (Matthew 13:41). That means the parable is not only about “bad people out there.” It is also about false hearts among those who claim to be part of the kingdom.

This should not surprise Christians. The New Testament repeatedly warns about hypocrisy, false teachers, and corrupt influence that can exist among God’s people if tolerated.

For example, Jesus rebuked the church in Thyatira for allowing an immoral influence to seduce His servants, and He warned of judgment if there was no repentance (Revelation 2:20–24). The Lord sees what men overlook: “I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts” (Revelation 2:23).

Why Doesn’t God Remove All the Tares Immediately?

The servants wanted immediate removal (Matthew 13:28). The owner refused (Matthew 13:29). Why?

1) Because humans can uproot wheat by mistake

Tares resemble wheat early on. Zealous people can destroy faithful Christians, damage tender consciences, or break unity through rash judgment (Matthew 13:29). That is why Scripture warns against judging motives and hearts—things only God fully sees (1 Corinthians 4:5).

2) Because God has a set time for perfect separation

Jesus says separation belongs to harvest—“the end of the world” (Matthew 13:39–40). God’s timing is not weakness. It is purposeful patience (2 Peter 3:9).

3) Because our assignment is different

Jesus does not command His people to obsess over “exposing everyone.” He commands them to sow the seed, bear fruit, and stay faithful (Matthew 28:19–20; John 15:5–8). The final sorting belongs to God.

This does not mean the church ignores clear, unrepentant sin. Scripture commands discipline when sin is open and persistent (1 Corinthians 5:1–7; Titus 3:10–11). But it does mean we must avoid becoming the kind of people who do more damage trying to “fix” the church than the tares themselves do.

What Happens at the End?

Jesus teaches a final separation:

The angels will gather out of His kingdom “all things that offend” and “them which do iniquity” (Matthew 13:41).
They will be cast “into a furnace of fire” with “wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:42).
The righteous will “shine forth as the sun” (Matthew 13:43).

Paul also describes the Lord’s return with angelic participation and divine judgment (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–8).

So the parable is not merely a warning about hypocrisy. It is a warning about judgment—and it is aimed at people who want to be found faithful when Christ appears.

What This Means for Christians Right Now

The kingdom is universal

Wherever the gospel is received, wheat grows (Matthew 13:38; Mark 16:15–16).

Pretenders exist—and that is Satan’s work

Hypocrisy, division, and secret agendas are real dangers (Matthew 13:38–39; Revelation 2:20–24). But their presence does not prove the kingdom has failed. It proves the devil opposes it.

No one escapes the harvest

The righteous are not forgotten. The wicked are not overlooked. God will separate perfectly (Matthew 13:40–43; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

The right response is faithful endurance

This parable calls every disciple to remain wheat: genuine, fruitful, and steady—refusing both despair and complacency (John 15:5–8; Hebrews 10:36).

Reflection Questions

When I see hypocrisy or sin among God’s people, do I become discouraged—or do I remember Jesus warned that wheat and tares would grow together for a time (Matthew 13:24–30)?
Do I ever slip into “tare-hunting” in a way that could harm faithful Christians or damage the church (Matthew 13:29)?
Am I more focused on exposing others—or on bearing fruit myself (John 15:5–8)?
If Christ returned today, would my life look like wheat—genuine and faithful—or like a tare—outward appearance without true obedience (Matthew 13:41–43)?
What is one step I can take this week to strengthen the church—by sowing the word, encouraging the faithful, and pursuing holiness (Matthew 28:19–20; Hebrews 10:24–25)?