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Tares among the Wheat

John R Contreraz


John R Contreraz John R Contreraz


For the Honor and Glory of God

John R Contreraz

Based on Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

“And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.”

– Colossians 2:4

E live in perilous times. Satan is continually persecuting God’s people waging war with false doctrines, tempting pleasures, and counterfeit

religions. These are designed for our perdition. By planting in us even the slightest of doubts, satan’s cunning schemes may bear fruit. The tempter works tirelessly sowing distrust in God that we might turn away from Jesus Christ. By entertaining his corrupted, yet seemingly reasonable arguments, our minds fall susceptible to deceit and thus wrestled away from beholding the Saviour. Not only does the devil desire our physical death, but that we die without Christ. Paul declared: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Php 1:21). Eternal life awaits every person who lives

WW

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and subsequently dies in Christ. Yet those who die without Jesus will ultimately die the second death—to cease to exist. This fate is shared with satan who deceived them. It is written: “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1Jn 5:12).

The Lord’s amazing wisdom is ever displayed in the Wheat and Tares parable. This is a simple, yet spiritually profound demonstration from nature. Those who purpose to study the Lord’s parables not only gain invaluable knowledge and wisdom; but ultimately gain something even more priceless— a glimpse into the mind of God. Oh that we knew Him better!

At His disciple’s request, the Messiah left no doubt as to the interpretation of the parable. Thus, by Christ’s word the workers of iniquity are left with no place to hide, for they are utterly exposed. Yet, it must be said that the duty of separating the tares from among the wheat belongs solely to the reaping angels, we have not been entrusted with this task.

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Matthew Henry commented: ―Though gross transgressors, and such as openly oppose the gospel, ought to be separated from the society of the faithful, yet no human skill can make an exact separation.‖i It is true that due to our insufficient wisdom, it is impossible to make a precise separation between the two groups. Yet this does not mean that we are to stand by idly when confronted with the opposing labors of the devil’s children. We should not expect a perfect church either, lest we devolve into legalists and lose sight of the Gospel. However, we are to labor for the continual edification of God’s people.

Mrs. Ellen G White wrote the following statement:

“You may create an unreal world in your own mind and

picture an ideal church where the temptations of Satan no

longer prompt to evil, but perfection exists only in your

imagination. The world is a fallen world, and the church is a


place represented by a field in which grow tares and wheat.

They are to grow together until the harvest. It is not our place

to uproot the tares, according to human wisdom, lest under

the suggestions of Satan, the wheat may be rooted up under

the supposition that it is tares. The wisdom that is from above

will come to him who is meek and lowly in heart, and that

wisdom will not lead him to destroy but to build up the people

of God.”ii Paul warned that “grievous wolves” would enter in among the church, “not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” Yet the apostle reminded the leaders to: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock…to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” To Jesus this matter is of utmost importance, for the care of the church which He gave Himself to secure has been entrusted to its leaders. Oh leaders!

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Our calling is to edify and protect God’s precious little flock: “over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers” (Act 20:28-30).

Be aware that whenever anyone dares to counteract false principles, it is the Tares which quickly and conveniently retort with Jesus’ words: ―Judge not.‖ It is true that we are not to judge (condemn); nonetheless, Christ made provisions so that His people could maintain purity, recognizing and even exposing the deceitful Tares: “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” (Mat 7:16).

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”

– Matthew 7:15

Just what are the fruits of these false prophets? The Greek

word for tares is ζιζάνιον – [zizanion]. This weed has some very telling characteristics.


1.) Tares are very durable weeds. According to Garden Organic (HDRA), ―Perennial rye-grass…withstands the effect of salt contaminated soil. It can also tolerate trampling.‖ And their ―Seeds can germinate immediately on shedding…‖iii Salt in soil prevents the growth of almost all plant life, yet tare, or rye-grass, is unaffected by it. Our Lord said: “Ye are the salt of the earth…” so, spiritually speaking, God’s children cannot prevent Tares from growing in their midst (Mat 5:13). Attempting to trample them also proves to be futile. The tare seed does not require burial for it to sprout. Mr. Henry’s comments are extremely helpful here: ―So prone is fallen man to sin, that if the enemy sow the tares, he may go his way, they will spring up, and do hurt; whereas, when good seed is sown, it must be tended, watered, and fenced.‖iv

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2.) Tares are poisonous.

Easton Bible dictionary lends the following statement regarding the zizanion:

“Lolium temulentum, a species of rye-grass, the seeds of which are a strong soporific poison‖

According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, the word soporific is defined:

1 a: causing or tending to cause sleep b: tending to dull awareness or alertness. 2: of, relating to, or marked by sleepiness or lethargy. 3: hypnoticv

This would help explain why the end-time church finds itself in its lethargic state. By the way…in the parable of the ten virgins, can you remember how many were asleep?

The answer is of course all of them.


3.) Tares are noxious weeds.

There exists a more frightening characteristic of this particular tare, one that essentially breeds apostasy among God’s people. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the Lolium temulentum is classified as a noxious weed.vi

Webster’s definition of noxious (emphasis added):

1 a: physically harmful or destructive to living beings b: constituting a harmful influence on mind or behavior; especially: morally corrupting vii

The continually decreasing moral state and subsequent apostasy of our church is the direct consequence of two prevalent factors; 1) the ever present erosive work of the Tares, and 2) the lack of strength to withstand error on behalf of the church’s overseers.

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To make matters worse, the tare is indistinguishable to the untrained eye; it has an almost exact appearance of wheat. It is not until the harvest that their differences are fully manifested. Now, allow me to make this point abundantly clear: Tares are not deceived, they are deceivers – they are entirely aware of their function to corrupt. Although the children of God may suffer the drowsing effects of the Tare’s poison, and thus find themselves in danger of following their unholy influence into damnation—yet they remain (curable) Wheat. Not so with Tares, for they will not change.

Strong’s Concordance says the following:

―Is a kind of darnel…as tall as wheat and barley, and resembling wheat in appearance...The seeds are poisonous to man…producing sleepiness, nausea, convulsions and even death...The Lord describes the tares as ―the sons of the evil one;‖ false teachings are indissociable from their propagandists.‖


Before we analyze some examples of Tares from the Bible, I’d like to share with you another quote from Mrs. White’s pen:

“While the Lord brings into the church those who are truly

converted, Satan at the same time brings persons who are not

converted into its fellowship. While Christ is sowing the good

seed, Satan is sowing the tares. There are two opposing

influences continually exerted on the members of the church.

One influence is working for the purification of the church,

and the other for the corrupting of the people of God. . . .” viii

God’s true people are ever working for the edification of the church by upholding heavenly standards. These honor Christ’s sacrifice with an uncompromising devotion to the truth, and to the principles for which He shed His blood. Conversely, Tares labor for the weakening of the church, propagating false doctrines and human imaginations that are contrary to the

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word of God. Outwardly, both groups profess, and even appear to be Christian, yet the discerning angels will cast the workers of iniquity ―into a furnace of fire‖ then, ―shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.‖

Now let’s examine three examples of Tares from Scripture. By revealing their methods, we will be better enabled to recognize our modern day corruptors. Remember, Jesus said the Tares would be allowed to ―grow together until the harvest.‖ Being that the harvest is ―the end of the world,‖ let us take special care to heed the warning for these the latter days.

ELYMAS, THE FALSE PROPHET

FFirst, let’s look at a false prophet named Bar-jesus, or Elymas, “for so is his name by interpretation.” The encounter with this Tare is chronicled in Acts 13:6-13.


The Holy Spirit commanded Paul and Barnabas to travel and minister. Upon arrival in the isle called Paphos, “they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus.” I thought it interesting that the Western Ryegrass is named Elymas Glaucus after Bar-jesus. Equally interesting is the fact that according to Strong’s concordance the name Bar-jesus means ―son of Jesus.‖ This grievous wolf in sheep’s clothing did not assail the people of God from without, but being a Jew, his corruptive labors were performed from within the flock. The country’s deputy was a man named Sergius Paulus. He is described as being a “prudent man” and he “…called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.” Yet Elymas “withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.” Notice Paul did not stand by idly as most do today. There are few who have the courage to expose themselves to the bitter scorn of satan’s hiss, as David when he met the blasphemous Goliath on the battlefield of Elah. No, Paul “filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, And said, O full of all subtilty and all

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mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?”

Paul turned his attention directly to the corrupter and withstood him. Empowered by God he met and challenged perversion, not keeping silence as we have made a habit of doing today whenever confronted by sin within the flock. Elymas’ deception awoke in Paul a righteous indignation. His devotion to God, jealousy over His people, and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit led the apostle to rebuke the corrupter. The LORD God rebukes satan in the same manner.

The Tares among us constantly withstand all those who dare to speak the plain truth of the word of God. They work with subtlety as their master, seeking to turn us all away from the Faith by perverting the right ways of the Lord.

Many seek the company of erroneously likeminded individuals, as the Pharisees in our next example found in the gospel of John 8:43-47.


THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES

IIn this classic confrontation, the Lord Jesus was challenged by the theologians of the day. The loving Messiah would that they, and we today, turn from our evil ways as said the LORD by the prophet: “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” Eze 33:11. Yet they hardened their hearts against Him, and resisted the influence of the Holy Spirit: “Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.” The word of God had no place in them. The Pharisees scorned reproof, and welcomed the admiration of those that glorified their concept of religion. Thus, by disregarding His holy counsels, they turned aside the very God which they claimed to serve; they invented a counterfeit legalistic form of religion and practiced it perfectly, yet they were perfectly erred.

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“Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”

– Matthew 23:28

Next came the terrible truth of their vain religious practices: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

Tares are unaffected by the Holy Spirit’s influence. Any attempt to reason with them by the Bible is pointless; and though they appear to, they do not regard God’s sacred word as the authority and rule of faith. They would not hear if Jesus Himself descended, much less would they hear you or me. Tares are liars, fulfilling the lusts of satan their father; and like him, there is no truth in them. The truthfulness of Jesus’ plain words aroused rage and utter disdain in them that they


sought and secured His death. He being the Holy King of kings was met with such derision, could any messenger of Christ expect to be met with anything less from modern Tares? Sister White explained a somber yet comforting reality that I read when during a difficult period, many within my church joined against me:

“…Reproof of sin still arouses the spirit of hatred and

resistance. When God’s messages of warning are brought

home to the conscience, Satan leads men to justify themselves

and to seek the sympathy of others in their course of sin.

Instead of correcting their errors, they excite indignation

against the reprover, as if he were the sole cause of difficulty.

From the days of righteous Abel to our own time such is the

spirit which has been displayed toward those who dare to

condemn sin.”ix

This leads us to our final example.

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CAIN, THE MURDERER

WWhy did Cain kill Abel? What drove this Tare to murder his own brother in cold blood? The answer is found in 1st John 3:10-12. As mentioned earlier, we are not called to separate the Tares from the Wheat. Yet I emphasize, oh beloved, neither are we expected to harmonize with them for the sake of unity.

Our Lord said: “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division.” Truth and error can never be reconciled; they can never harmonize for one counteracts the other. As long as sin and error exist, righteousness and truth will continue to be rejected by those who have made this world their home – despite their obvious enmity with God. Those who yearn for the righteousness of Christ will undoubtedly


suffer the contempt of unrighteous men and woman, which may come from loved ones in our own homes, churches and communities. Indeed, “a man’s foes shall be they of his own household” says the Lord (Luk 12:51; Mat 10:36).

“Between the worldly man and the one who is faithfully

serving God there is a great gulf fixed. Upon the most

momentous subjects --God and truth and eternity--their

thoughts and sympathies and feelings are not in harmony.

One class is ripening as wheat for the garner of God, the

other as tares for the fires of destruction. How can there be

unity of purpose or action between them? . . .”x

“In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” Love for one another is the identifiable mark of those who are indeed children of God. This is divine love, the same love which the Father gives Jesus, and Jesus has

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given to us: “A new commandment I give unto you,” says Christ, “That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” The key to this passage is that we love one another as Jesus has loved us. Every person, even the vilest, loves someone in this world. Even the self-serving Tares partake in this type of love. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34-35).

“For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.” Here is our question answered: The children of God are exposed to the flames of persecution simply because their righteous testimony exposes the hypocrisy and iniquity of the Tares. In turn, the Tare’s resentment for the Wheat is manifested with violence, slander, and persecution.


THE HARVEST

II will share with you one final characteristic of the zizanion weed and it is this:

Its poison reaches its greatest potency just before the harvest.

Paul warned: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves…despisers of those that are good, 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.” (2Ti 3:1-5). The venom of the impostors reaches its greatest effectiveness in these last days just before ―the end of world.‖ These are perilous times indeed, when falsehood and the love of sin run rampant in both the secular and religious worlds. Many may seem to be godly, yet the same men deny the very power of Jesus to inspire godliness in His followers.

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The flagship Tare doctrine is simply a modernized form of satan’s ancient accusation in heaven: the supposed impossibility of complete obedience to God. Even after Jesus Christ came in human form as one of us, and proved God’s Law to be “holy, and just, and good” and “perfect, converting the soul,” still, the infiltrated ―children of the wicked one‖ deny our source of strength in Jesus the Lord (Rom 7:12, Psa 19:7).

Mrs. White captured the essence of Jesus’ victory when she penned the following statement:

“Satan had pointed to Adam’s sin as proof that God’s law

was unjust, and could not be obeyed. In our humanity, Christ

was to redeem Adam’s failure. But when Adam was assailed

by the tempter, none of the effects of sin were upon him. He

stood in the strength of perfect manhood, possessing the full


vigor of mind and body. He was surrounded with the glories

of Eden, and was in daily communion with heavenly beings.

It was not thus with Jesus when He entered the wilderness to

cope with Satan. For four thousand years the race had been

decreasing in physical strength, in mental power, and in

moral worth; and Christ took upon Him the infirmities of

degenerate humanity. Only thus could He rescue man from

the lowest depths of his degradation.”xi

Tares attempt to philosophize away the simple truth that the Saviour came to “save his people from their sins” and is also mighty to “keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy” (Mat 1:21, Jud 24). Paul said it plainer still: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Php 4:13). Yet the Tares, acting on behalf of their father the devil, would have us rest on the false

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security that we may remain in Christ even without truly possessing the purity of His character as our own.

While on earth, Jesus never utilized His divine power to alleviate His heavy burden or suffering; the Father had always been the source of His strength. Thus, to deny the victory of the Son is to deny the power of the Father. We have the following warning:

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”

– 1st John 4:1-3


The truth of this matter is this: the Tare’s function is to sell us on the idea that holiness is impossible, and God does not really expect us to live in complete obedience. But the children of God expose these deadly lies, for they know and proclaim that our unrighteousness is not only the result of degradation, but also of being separated from Jesus; and thus, in the state of perdition: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for severed from me ye can do nothing” (Joh 15:5, margin, emphasis added).

“The tares closely resembled the wheat while the blades were

green; but when the field was white for the harvest, the

worthless weeds bore no likeness to the wheat that bowed

under the weight of its full, ripe heads. Sinners who make a

pretension of piety mingle for a time with the true followers of

Christ, and the semblance of Christianity is calculated to

deceive many; but in the harvest of the world there will be no

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likeness between good and evil. Then those who have joined

the church, but who have not joined Christ, will be

manifest.”xii

Then the volatile cohabitation will come to an end: “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels…And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Mat 25:31-46).


CONCLUSION

II would like to end where we began — with Paul’s advice to the believers in Colossi. It is the same advice I hope to have transmitted to you by the message contained in this piece of literature: “And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words” (Col 2:4). The Lord Jesus yearns to have you by His side. Christ gave His life so that we could live. Jesus went to prepare a place for us, not the mansions that He could make by simply whispering: ―Let there be…‖ But He went ahead to secure for us the right to be in the presence of God. All the holy angels greatly rejoice over one sinner that repents, for they witness the joy illuminating from the face of the Creator. The devil cannot prevent his inevitable end. Neither does he possess the might to overturn Jesus’ ransoming sacrifice for our sins. To cast doubt with the intent of leading us to distrust in God is satan’s greatest weapon, one that still remains at his

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disposal; and this scheme he carries out by his children the Tares: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” (2Co 11:13-14). Paul recognized the deceitful workers that arose then, and would arise in the future within the church. Thus, he emphasized our need to not only be followers of Christ, but to actually be transformed like unto Him: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him” (Col 2:6). Then he made this so very interesting statement that seems to be written for all the Wheat throughout the history of the world: “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith” (vs. 7). Unlike the Tares which have no roots in Him, the true children of God — the Wheat that will be gathered into His barn — are deeply rooted in Jesus Christ, hence they are strengthened to stand firm in the faith of their Saviour.


“Beware lest any man spoil you

through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men,

after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

– Colossians 2:8

Tares among the Wheat John R Contreraz

[email protected]

2.4

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i “Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 13” Matthew Henry

ii “Mind, Character, and Personality” Vol.2 Page 636, EG White

iii http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weed.php?id=91

iv “Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 13” Matthew Henry

v http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soporific

vi http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LOTE2

vii http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noxious

viii “The Faith I Live By” page 305, EG White

ix “The Great Controversy” page 500, EG White

x “In Heavenly Places” page 310, EG White

xi “The Desire of Ages” page 117, EG White

xii “Christ’s Object Lessons” page 74, EG White

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