Matthew 13:25Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore, the Lord designates the seed sown by the enemy not merely as any other seed, but specifically as tares that somewhat resemble wheat. He further elucidates the method of this malevolence by referencing a slumbering individual, warning those entrusted with the care of the field, including both leaders and their followers, of the significant peril they face. Through these words, He illustrates that error often follows truth, as history confirms. After the prophets, false prophets emerge; after the apostles, false apostles appear; and following Christ, the Antichrist arises. The devil, biding his time until he can devise a counterfeit or find a target, is slow to act. Once he discerns that he has produced a yield of one hundred, sixty, and thirtyfold, he adopts a new tactic. Unable to steal the root, suppress it, or incinerate it, he concocts another form of deception—namely, sowing his own seeds. You might wonder how those who sleep differ from those compared to the path. In the latter case, the devil swiftly snatched away the seed before it could take root; however, with this tactic, he employed more cunning to mislead. By highlighting this, Christ urges us to remain vigilant at all times. He cautions, although you may have escaped prior troubles, a new one is approaching. Just as there are dangers from the path, the rocks, and thorns, here too dangers arise from slumber. Thus, constant vigilance is essential. For this reason, He stated: ‘But he who endures to the end will be saved’ (Matthew 10:22). A similar situation arose during the early days of Christianity. Numerous church leaders, having introduced individuals with malign intentions and concealed heretical doctrines into the churches, unwittingly paved an easy path for the devil’s malice. Once he had sown such tares, he had little left to do. Yet, how can one avoid all sleep? While natural sleep is unavoidable, one can abstain from careless slumber. This is why Paul instructed: ‘Watch, stand fast in the faith’ (1 Corinthians 16:13). The Lord further illustrates that the work of the devil is not only damaging but also superfluous, as he sows weeds after the field has already been prepared, and all labor completed. Similarly, heretics only allow their poison to infiltrate through vanity alone. The Lord continues to delineate the behavior of heretics with precision, not only in these words but also in subsequent statements.

This spiritual slumber and denial weighed heavily upon the foolish virgins mentioned in the Gospel, who, failing to fill their vessels with oil, could not greet the bridegroom. Thus, the devil, the foe of humanity, persistently seeks to plant tares among the wheat. However, the individual who has cast aside the sleep of disbelief and remains alert with a faithful heart for the Lord is impervious to the night sower's grasp. The Lord clarified that the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom, while the tares symbolize those unworthy offspring.

As the angelic beings observe, they desire to faithfully execute God's will, conscious of our negligence and the abundance of His mercy (Matthew 13:28). Yet, they are restrained from action, so that the wheat is not uprooted alongside the tares, ensuring that sinners with a chance for repentance are not lost, and that innocent children, often still in their parents' wombs, are not harmed before God, who perceives all hidden realities. The celestial beings, fulfilling God's commands, like all of creation, cannot perceive what has yet to come to fruition; however, the Lord has knowledge of it and has frequently brought such revelations into existence. He allowed Esau, who sinned before having children, to live, lest he also harm Job, his future descendant. He spared Matthew the tax collector to prevent hindering the spread of the gospel. He refrained from executing judgment on the immoral prostitutes, creating opportunities for repentance to manifest in the world. He did not condemn Peter for his denial, knowing of the sincere repentance that would follow. He chose not to eliminate Paul’s persecutor by death, to ensure that the far reaches of the world could still experience salvation. Thus, those tares that persist until the harvest without transformation, which do not yield the fruit of repentance, as those afflicted with total unfruitfulness, are set aside for the great fire.

Tares are a type of weed that closely resembles young wheat in appearance, making it impossible to remove them when the wheat is still in its early stages of growth, since weeding could harm the delicate sprouts. However, once the tares grow tall enough to be distinguished from the wheat, their removal risks trampling and damaging the roots of the wheat. The adversary sowed tares amidst the wheat, and this act would not have surprised Jesus' listeners, as such retaliatory actions were known practices among Eastern cultures. In His explanation to the apostles, Jesus identified the sower of good seed as the Son of Man, which refers to Himself; the adversary is the devil; the field embodies the world; the good seed symbolizes the children of the kingdom of God; and the tares represent the children of the wicked one. The teachings of Christ are made available to everyone, dispersed throughout the world; yet the devil also plants wickedness among humanity through his temptations. Human beings are gifted with reason and the capacity for free will, allowing them to choose between righteousness and sin. Some embark on the narrow path leading to the narrow gate of the heavenly kingdom, while others roam the broad road heading in the opposite direction. Thus, within the expansive field of the world, alongside the righteous children of the heavenly Father (the wheat), exist the children of the wicked one (the tares).