Parable of the Tares: Difference between revisions
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The parable is as follows: |
The parable is as follows: |
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{{quotation| |
{{quotation|Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.<br/><br/> |
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"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' 'An enemy did this,' he replied. The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'<br/><br/> |
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| ⚫ | "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'"|Matthew 13:24-30, [[New International Version]]}} |
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"He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' |
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"The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and gather them up?' |
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| ⚫ | " |
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The words translated " |
The words translated "weeds" ("tares" in the [[King James Version]]) is ζιζάνια (zizania), plural of ζιζάνιον (zizanion). This word is thought to mean [[Lolium temulentum|darnel]] (''Lolium temulentum''),<ref>Liddell H G and Scott R, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1843–1996, under "ζιζάνια". The plural form (Zizania) has in modern times been adopted as the botanical name for [[wild rice]].</ref><ref>[http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?strongs=G2215 Thayer's Lexicon: ζιζάνια]</ref> a [[ryegrass]] which looks much like wheat in its early stages of growth.<ref name="CSK">Craig S. Keener, ''[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=8C2Y_HaL5W0C&pg=PA386 The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary]'', Eerdmans, 2009, ISBN 0802864988, pp. 386-387.</ref> Roman law prohibited sowing darnel among the wheat of an enemy,<ref name="CSK"/><ref>Ramesh Khatry, ''[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=Cgt3ULbRpZ8C&pg=PA35 The Authenticity of the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares and Its Interpretation]'', Universal Publishers, 2000, ISBN 158112094X, p. 35.</ref> suggesting that the scenario presented here is realistic.<ref name="RTF">R. T. France, ''[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=ttTgacXnLV8C&pg=PA225 The Gospel According to Matthew: An introduction and commentary]'', Eerdmans, 1985, ISBN 0802800637, pp. 225-227.</ref> |
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==Interpretation== |
==Interpretation== |
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An [[Christian eschatology|eschatological]] interpretation<ref name="RTF"/> is provided by Jesus in verses {{ |
An [[Christian eschatology|eschatological]] interpretation<ref name="RTF"/> is provided by Jesus in verses {{niv|Matthew|13:36-43|36-43}} of the chapter: |
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{{quotation| |
{{quotation|Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."<br/><br/> |
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He answered, "The '''one who sowed the good seed''' is the [[Son of Man]]. The '''field''' is the world, and the '''good seed''' stands for the sons of the kingdom. The '''weeds''' are the sons of the evil one, and the '''enemy''' who sows them is the [[Christian teaching about the Devil|devil]]. The '''harvest''' is the [[Christian eschatology|end of the age]], and the '''harvesters''' are [[angel]]s.<br/><br/> |
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"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear."|Matthew 13:36-43, [[New International Version]]}} |
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[[File:Satansowing.JPG|thumb|right|160px|Félicien Rops, ''Satan Sowing Seeds'', pencil, c. 1872.]] |
[[File:Satansowing.JPG|thumb|right|160px|Félicien Rops, ''Satan Sowing Seeds'', pencil, c. 1872.]] |
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Revision as of 21:03, 25 September 2010
The Parable of the Tares (also known as the Parable of the Weeds, Parable of the Wheat and Tares, Parable of the Wheat and Weeds, or the Parable of the Weeds in the Grain), is a parable told by Jesus in the New Testament, and found in Matthew Matthew 13:24–30, where it follows the Parable of the Sower, and precedes the Parable of the Mustard Seed.
The parable refers to the final judgment, when angels will separate the "sons of the evil one" (the "tares" or weeds) from the "sons of the kingdom" (the wheat).
An abbreviated version of the parable also appears in the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas (Saying 57).[1]
Narrative
The parable is as follows:
Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' 'An enemy did this,' he replied. The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
"'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'"
— Matthew 13:24-30, New International Version
The words translated "weeds" ("tares" in the King James Version) is ζιζάνια (zizania), plural of ζιζάνιον (zizanion). This word is thought to mean darnel (Lolium temulentum),[2][3] a ryegrass which looks much like wheat in its early stages of growth.[4] Roman law prohibited sowing darnel among the wheat of an enemy,[4][5] suggesting that the scenario presented here is realistic.[6]
Interpretation
An eschatological interpretation[6] is provided by Jesus in verses Matthew 13:36–43 of the chapter:
Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."
He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear."
— Matthew 13:36-43, New International Version
Although Jesus has distinguished between people who are part of the Kingdom of Heaven and those who are not, this difference may not always be readily apparent, as the parable of the Leaven indicates.[6] However, the final judgment will be the "ultimate turning-point when the period of the secret growth of God's kingdom alongside the continued activity of the evil one will be brought to an end, and the new age which was inaugurated in principle in Jesus' earthly ministry will be gloriously consummated."[6]
St. Augustine pointed out that the invisible distinction between "wheat" and "tares" also runs through the Church:
O you Christians, whose lives are good, you sigh and groan as being few among many, few among very many. The winter will pass away, the summer will come; lo! The harvest will soon be here. The angels will come who can make the separation, and who cannot make mistakes. ... I tell you of a truth, my Beloved, even in these high seats there is both wheat, and tares, and among the laity there is wheat, and tares. Let the good tolerate the bad; let the bad change themselves, and imitate the good. Let us all, if it may be so, attain to God; let us all through His mercy escape the evil of this world. Let us seek after good days, for we are now in evil days; but in the evil days let us not blaspheme, that so we may be able to arrive at the good days.[7]
Roger Williams, a Baptist theologian and founder of Rhode Island, used this parable to support government toleration of all of the "weeds" (heretics) in the world, because civil persecution often inadvertently hurts the "wheat" (believers) too. Instead, Williams believed it was God's duty to judge in the end, not man's. This parable lent further support to Williams' Biblical philosophy of a wall of separation between church and state as described in his 1644 book, The Bloody Tenent of Persecution.[8]
Depictions
This parable has been depicted by several artists, including Abraham Bloemaert, Albin Egger-Lienz, Félicien Rops, Jan Luyken, Domenico Fetti, William Blake, John Everett Millais, and James Tissot.
References
- ^ Gospel of Thomas: Lamb translation and Patterson/Meyer translation.
- ^ Liddell H G and Scott R, A Greek-English Lexicon, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1843–1996, under "ζιζάνια". The plural form (Zizania) has in modern times been adopted as the botanical name for wild rice.
- ^ Thayer's Lexicon: ζιζάνια
- ^ a b Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, Eerdmans, 2009, ISBN 0802864988, pp. 386-387.
- ^ Ramesh Khatry, The Authenticity of the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares and Its Interpretation, Universal Publishers, 2000, ISBN 158112094X, p. 35.
- ^ a b c d R. T. France, The Gospel According to Matthew: An introduction and commentary, Eerdmans, 1985, ISBN 0802800637, pp. 225-227.
- ^ Augustine, Sermon #23 on the New Testament.
- ^ James P. Byrd, The challenges of Roger Williams: religious liberty, violent persecution, and the Bible (Mercer University Press, 2002)[1] (accessed on Google Book on July 20, 2009)