Today’s Blog title refers to the Bible passage (Matthew 13:24-30,
see below) in which Jesus presents one of His parables to His
listeners. In reaching out to the masses that He was trying to teach,
Jesus used easy to understand parables – short stories that illustrate
moral or spiritual principles.
Matthew 13:34-35 says:
34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables, and He
did not speak to them without a parable,
35 so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled,
saying,
"I will open My mouth in parables;
I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world."
~ New American Standard Bible
I think you’ll agree with me that the vast majority of people today,
if asked whether they consider themselves to be “wheat” or “tares” would
say “wheat,” provided, of course, that they were familiar with the Bible
passage and its meaning. So, is it any wonder that the majority also
don’t want to include other animals in the equation? Their complicity,
if not their outright active participation, in the inherent torture of
“food” animals would immediately disqualify them from the ranks of the
“wheat.”
When you stop to think about it, it makes sense that Jesus described
the way to “life” as narrow and found by only a “few” (the “wheat”)
while the way leading to destruction He described as “broad” and entered
by “many” (the “tares”). (Matthew 7:13-14, see below)
How do we recognize the “wheat” and the “tares”? Jesus answers this
question in Matthew 7:20-23:
20 "So then, you will know them by their fruits.
21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of
heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.
22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in
Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform
many miracles?'
23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me,
you who practice lawlessness.'
~ New American Standard Bible
As reflected in His Creation and heavenly intent, the “will of My
Father” is to be kind and to be the companion of animals.
References:
Matthew 13:24-30
24 He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven
may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
25 "But while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also
among the wheat, and went away.
26 "But when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became
evident also.
27 "And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you
not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'
28 "And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' And the slaves said
to him, 'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?'
29 "But he said, 'No; lest while you are gathering up the tares, you may
root up the wheat with them.
30 'Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of
the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and
bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my
barn." ' "
~ New American Standard Bible
Matthew 7:13-14
13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad
that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.
14 "For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and
few are those who find it.
~ New American Standard Bible
