Third Sunday before Advent

 Parables in Matthew 13.  Wheat and the Darnel ( Weeds-Tares)

We see the parable of the wheat and the chaff/darnel interposed between some more familiar parables...the parable of the sower for example. The parable we wish to discuss today begins in v. 24.  In v 36 the parable is explained by Jesus after the disciples ask him what it means.  The wheat is worth something but apparently the darnel, or tare is not," zizanion: zizanium (a kind of darnel resembling wheat)

Original Word: ζιζάνιον, ου, τό

Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter

Transliteration: zizanion

Phonetic Spelling: (dziz-an'-ee-on)

Definition: zizanium (a kind of darnel resembling wheat)

Usage: spurious wheat, darnel; a plant that grows in Palestine which resembles wheat in many ways but is worthless.

HELPS Word-studies

2215 zizánion (plural, tares/zizania) – a tare (darnel); (figuratively) a pseudo-believer (false Christian); a fruitless person living without faith from God and therefore is "all show and no go!  ( all from biblehub.com matthew 13:36

1.  The Division is clear.  There are those who receive the Word of the Son of Man with joy and produce fruit, and there are those who do not.  " the good seed , these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the devil" 13:37

The separation will happen on the last day v. 29 Do not pull up the weeds or you may pull up the wheat" Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers , Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn." v. 30

Sometimes we are too judgmental and we end up pulling up the weeds ---but some wheat is in there.  ( this could be a whole point in itself)

Advent the coming of Christ as a baby we celebrate in a few weeks, but the Second Coming of Christ is a part of that as well.  Harvest time is His coming again to judge the world.

2,  The Good Seed is being sown by the Son of Man.  " As a result of this proclamation many will be transformed and prepared to take their places in the coming Kingdom"  Erdman, Gospel of Matthew

I saw this and I wonder how this fits in our lives:"  November Priorities- Me, myself and I. ( Does this belong first?  Certainly I put on own o2 mask on the airplane before putting on others....but would we say as Christians God, Faith, Family or ?)  ; Trust in the timing of life ( I agree with that one...there are seasons of love and laughter and there are seasons of weeping; Uplifting relationships ( and we all need this, but after replenishing or own well we should love others too); Being more mindful ( in other words, think before you act); My future, not my past,( are not both important?) ; Gratitude for little things; Filling my own cup first )

We all need to listen to God through His Word.  His word as Peter says I Peter 1: 11-2:2 , and it may be good to listen to it: "1 Peter 1:21-2:2

New King James Version

21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because

“All flesh is as grass,

And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.

The grass withers,

And its flower falls away,

25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

2 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby"

3.  The Harvest is the end of the world our Lord says. v 37 .We have hope because of who we believe. There are always going to be the naysayers, the arrogant, the flippant, the evil, etc....but we are not to be like them.  

We are to have roots in God and in Him there is life.  The good are the sons of the kingdom.

" The Son of man shall send forth is angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity...."

" The righteous shall stand forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

 v43

He that hath ears to hear let him hear.  v 43 b

You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:8 ESV