Topical Bible: The Wicked are Compared to Tares

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In the Bible, the wicked are often symbolically compared to tares, particularly in the teachings of Jesus Christ. This metaphor is most prominently featured in the Parable of the Weeds, also known as the Parable of the Tares, found in the Gospel of Matthew. The comparison serves to illustrate the presence of evil among the righteous and the ultimate judgment that awaits the wicked.

Biblical Context

The Parable of the Weeds is recorded in Matthew 13:24-30, with Jesus providing an explanation in Matthew 13:36-43. In this parable, Jesus describes a farmer who sows good seed in his field. However, while everyone is sleeping, an enemy comes and sows tares among the wheat. As the plants grow, the tares become evident, and the servants of the farmer inquire whether they should pull them up. The farmer instructs them to let both grow together until the harvest, at which time the tares will be gathered and burned, while the wheat will be collected into the barn.

Interpretation

Jesus explains the parable to His disciples, identifying the sower of the good seed as the Son of Man, the field as the world, the good seed as the sons of the kingdom, and the tares as the sons of the evil one. The enemy who sows the tares is the devil, and the harvest represents the end of the age, with the reapers being angels (Matthew 13:37-39).

The comparison of the wicked to tares highlights several key theological themes:

1. Coexistence of Good and Evil: The parable illustrates the reality that the righteous and the wicked coexist in the world. Just as tares grow alongside wheat, the wicked live among the righteous until the time of judgment.

2. Divine Patience and Judgment: The farmer's decision to allow the tares to grow until the harvest reflects God's patience and His desire for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). However, it also underscores the certainty of divine judgment, where the wicked will ultimately be separated and face eternal punishment.

3. Discernment and Final Separation: The parable emphasizes the difficulty of distinguishing between the righteous and the wicked in this life, as tares and wheat can appear similar. The final separation is reserved for the end of the age, when God's perfect judgment will prevail.

4. Role of Angels in Judgment: The reapers, identified as angels, play a crucial role in executing God's judgment. They gather the tares to be burned, symbolizing the fate of the wicked, while the righteous are gathered into God's kingdom.

Theological Implications

The comparison of the wicked to tares serves as a sobering reminder of the reality of evil and the inevitability of divine judgment. It calls believers to remain vigilant and faithful, trusting in God's ultimate justice. The parable also encourages the righteous to focus on their growth and fruitfulness, knowing that God will one day vindicate His people and establish His kingdom in fullness.

Related Scriptures

Other biblical passages echo the themes found in the Parable of the Weeds. For instance, Psalm 1 contrasts the way of the righteous with the way of the wicked, likening the wicked to chaff that the wind drives away (Psalm 1:4). Similarly, in Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus describes the final judgment as a separation of sheep from goats, further illustrating the ultimate distinction between the righteous and the wicked.

In summary, the metaphor of tares provides a powerful image of the presence of evil in the world and the assured judgment that awaits the wicked, reinforcing the call for believers to live righteously and anticipate the coming of God's kingdom.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 13:38
The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Divine Scriptures Compared to a Net.
... The Divine Scriptures Compared to a Net. ... The angels shall come forth and sever the
wicked from among the ... are already taught by the parable of the tares and the ...
/.../12 the divine scriptures compared.htm

The Parable of the Tares, by Bishop Latimer, Preached on the 7Th ...
... while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the ... one end; as in this place,
Christ compared the word ... teeth." For in the end of this wicked world, all ...
/.../knox/the pulpit of the reformation nos 1 2 and 3 /the parable of the tares.htm

Letter Lxxvi. (AD 402. )
... of wicked men; not he who suffers the tares to grow ... you really feared to associate
with the wicked, you would ... of schism to whom you have compared the followers ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter lxxvi a d 402.htm

Olney Hymns
... Isa 60:15-20. JEREMIAH. Hymn 66 Trust of the wicked, and the righteous compared.
Jer 17:5-8. ... Mt 13:3. Hymn 86 The wheat and tares. Mt 13:37-42. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/olney hymns/

Letter Liii. (AD 400. )
... throughout the world mingled with the chaff or tares, ie with ... their own mouth they
had condemned as wicked and impious, and whom they compared to those ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter liii a d 400.htm

The Passages in which the Saviour Declares that There Shall be a ...
... drawn from the sown wheat and the tares sown among ... evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and
Luke, are compared with one ... separation of the good from the wicked by the ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 5 the passages in which.htm

"Peace, be Still"
... final separation of the righteous and the wicked He had ... in the parables of the wheat
and tares and the ... yet it was a desolate region when compared with the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 35 peace be still.htm

Letter vi. Temptation.
... "The tares are the ... called the wicked one; or, by way of eminence, "The Wicked." He
is altogether wicked. ... The heart is very properly compared to a castle or fort ...
/.../a practical directory for young christian females/letter vi temptation.htm

The Best Things Work for Good to the Godly
... easily can He rout all the forces of the wicked! ... its sanctifying nature, is in Scripture
compared sometimes to ... free from all their enemies: "The tares are the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/the best things work for.htm

Articles vii and viii: of the Church.
... together, Matt.3, 12, and Christ has compared it to a ... Neither are the wicked the
kingdom of Christ, for the ... the children of the kingdom, but the tares are the ...
/.../melanchthon/the apology of the augsburg confession/part 11 articles vii and.htm