Preserving the Wheat

(Matthew 13:24-30 - KJV)

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.

If you read the Scripture, The kingdom of heaven is likened to (or a type of) a man which sowed good seed in his field: Good seed represents what is capable of flourishing into the potential of the seed. All that God gives is good and the Kingdom is enriched because He is the giver. A man that sows good seed in his field would be expecting exponential growth, not poisonous tares.

All that God's Word teaches us is of incorruptible good seed and imbedded in that seed lies the potential to radically change us from faith to faith, and glory to glory, which develops in us character that reflects the depth of His character and likeness. When we think, act and speak contrary to what His Word instructs us we should at least be cognizant that something is obstructing our focus. If you search hard enough and are honest with yourself, you will find tare like ideas hidden in your own mind, which the Word and Spirit of God have not sown. We are made in His image and after His likeness and should reflect Him in thought, word, deed, intentions, motives, and desires, and all that is expressed through our words. When we fail to do this and we will at times fail. This is a grand opportunity for the enemy to poison the good crop and sow poisonous weeds (ideas) in our thinking which do don't represent the Kingdom of Heaven.

God has sown into our lives to reflect that His Kingdom is upon us and manifesting through you. Thy Kingdom come and Thy will be done in and through this life of mine! Let me ask you a question, do any of the following attributes live in your thinking? Are these Kingdom of Heaven qualities or principles or are they principalities of darkness (tares)?

Do you see the Kingdom of Heaven through any of these things mentioned below?

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, false...: or, one who foments strife. Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. Sounds like taresville to me, what about you? It sure does not sound like the good that was sown by God for His Kingdom.

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; (Hebrews 12:15)

Bitterness is a tare (very poisonous) which can grow alongside the fruits we are bearing, our lives as a type of wheat that when it springs up is troubling, and in the process defiles and poisons the wheat, and can poison other lives through interactions. The Apostle James warns us that bitterness can be present when blessing God, and from the same mouth we speak against others bitter words, he resolves that this should not be happening. Poison wheat is contaminated by tares. Wheat when processed feeds many. Of course the feeding is not literal as it is relevant in this parable, but figurative.

Do you realize that the words we speak about others and ourselves can be from the source of tares growing alongside the wheat, so to speak. The unkind words we speak should haunt us to the point of repentance, it is through being sorrowful for not speaking kind words that we unwind a tare from polluting our speech and manifesting through our words. I came across this verse of Scripture in Psalm 17:3 - I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. What is the Psalmist saying in essence? I am going to strive with all that is in me to keep my mouth from transgressing. To transgress is to sin, how does one sin with their mouth? By speaking what is not wholesome out of their mouth. Backbiting, gossiping and just speaking ill of things and people. A great way to combat tares which contaminate our thinking, is to guard our hearts with all diligence knowing that out of it flows the issues of life which are being revealed through our minds; which can and will affect our words. To actively be purposed and be determined not to transgress with our mouths, is to come into fruition for the Lord to create the fruit of our lips. When the Word and Spirit create our words we have nothing but good things to utter. Tares loose their potency when we are mindful of what we speak and do.

Backdrop on tares:

The bearded darnel, mentioned in Matthew 13:25-30, It is the Lolium temulentum, a species of rye-grass, the seeds of which are a strong soporific poison.

Lolium
Rye grass. The English ‘rye’ translates into Latin as both ‘lolium’ and ‘Phoenecia’, the coastal region of Syria, which may be the geographical origin of the plant.

temulentum
From the Latin, ‘temulent’, ‘drunken’ from the heavy seed heads lolling over under their own weight.

It bears a close resemblance to wheat till the ear appears, and only then the difference is discovered. It grows plentifully in Syria and Palestine. Did you notice the description mentions, a strong soporific poison, meaning they are of a toxic distinction and that it closely resembles wheat which is not toxic. We love wheat, it has inspired foods such as breads, and cereals which help nourish our bodies with nutrients and other enriching substances. The toxins found in tares act as a sleeping substance.

The full definition of soporific is:

1. 1a : causing or tending to cause sleep

   b : tending to dull awareness or alertness

2. 2 : of, relating to, or marked by sleepiness or lethargy

Wheat is used for consumption, yet tares can grow alongside wheat to poison the crop. It is said by Jesus to have been planted by an enemy, as men slept and as was mentioned earlier we can make foods for consumption to eat with wheat, but what can we make or bake with a tares? Unless the intent to poison is resident, tares are good for nothing. Can you bake tare bread? We can't feed people tares, but we can feed them wheat.

Full Definition of wheat

1. 1 : a cereal grain that yields a fine white flour used chiefly in breads, baked goods (as cakes and crackers), and pastas (as macaroni or spaghetti), and is important in animal feeds

2. any of various Old World annual grasses (genus Triticum, especially T. aestivum and T. turgidum) of wide climatic adaptability that are cultivated in most temperate areas for the wheat they yield

3. a light yellow

Tares are real, they show up in our souls as poisonous thoughts, intents, motives, and desires. Only the Word and Spirit of God can reveal to us that tares are wrapping themselves around our good thoughts and squeezing the life out, and implanting poisonous thoughts, intents, motives, and desires.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, false...: or, one who foments strife. Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. Sounds like taresville to me, what about you?

All the things found in this passage are distinctive of how tares are sown and how they poison. Jesus said, a good tree brings forth good fruit and an evil tree brings forth evil fruit, because a good tree cannot bear evil fruit. So how do these characteristics in the passage show up? Tares have poisoned the soul to produce evil and bad fruits (thinking, feeling, reasonings and memories). Have you ever thought about someone and remember some hurt you may have incurred because of something they may have said or done? That is what a tare looks like wrapped around a memory, if that person is not forgiven and released from that negativity, the tare will spread to other memories and as a leach suck the goodness out and produce bitterness. Bitterness is not the taste we get from wheat, it is a sweet taste once made into the various things it can produce. Just like our lives, being as a type of grain of wheat we can feed the hungry the pleasant bread of life, tare and poison free.

A tare is a weed, it is a valueless plant growing wild, especially one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop. Any undesirable or troublesome plant (thought), especially one that grows profusely where it is not wanted. Tares are the equivalent to negative thoughts, intents, motives, desires, actions, deeds, they are toxic to and in the soul and are the sum of negativity. All the negative thoughts we have are due to tares infecting our thinking by way of poisoning it from the good we need. The Apostle Paul said that we should cast down all imaginations that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God that we are given by and through Scripture. Imaginations were poisoned way back in Genesis 11. We find God saying that nothing man imagines to do would be restrained. This foretold of a poisoned soul by vain imaginations. To build a tower of brick that reached heaven, sounds empty and vain.

The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. God has exponentially sown nothing but good seed, which was intended to produce a harvest of good in the world (field). But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. As men slept, after good seed was sown which had the potential to grow only strong healthy wheat, an enemy came and sowed poisonous seed alongside the seeds of wheat, which resembled, but were not of the same quality. Jesus said, wherefore would you know them by their fruit. Take a look a the photographs above of wheat versus tares. Do you see any differences? It wouldn't matter if you do or don't, a tare can never grow as wheat. If it is confused and utilized before harvest it will contaminate us. Jesus said, to let the tare grow alongside the wheat and that it would take the angels to separate. This speaks of a higher power than we can ever be. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. Can you discern a tare when it springs up? Giving tares instead of fortified wheat to those who have discernment is the equivalent to giving stale bread, you can see the decay of the bread because it is greenish in color, and you know not to eat it, because it was made in taresville. Dole out good wheat bread, souls are hungry, not just for physical bread but for spiritual bread as well that can produce a prosperous soul.

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)

Here is a way to get rid of tares, growing where they should not grow...... in our hearts, and in our souls.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)