Matthew 13:38Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In other contexts, Christ states that the harvest has already arrived; for instance, when He speaks to the Samaritans, ‘Lift up your eyes and see the fields, for the harvest is at hand’ (John 4:35). Again, He mentions, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few’ (Luke 10:2). Thus, why does He assert that the harvest is already here in one case, while indicating it is still to come in another? The term harvest can signify different aspects. Additionally, when He states in another passage, ‘In is he that soweth, and in is he that reapeth’ (John 4:37), why does He here affirm that it is He Himself who sows? Because, addressing the Jews and Samaritans, He contrasts the apostles not with Himself but with the prophets, as He also sowed through those prophets. In similar fashion, He sometimes equates reaping and sowing, understanding these terms from varying perspectives. When referring to the obedience and receptiveness of His followers, He denotes it as reaping, having completed His task. Conversely, when anticipating merely the results of listening, He calls it sowing, designating the outcome as reaping. Moreover, it is stated that the righteous shall be the first to be caught up (1 Thess. 4:16). Indeed, they will be first to ascend at Christ’s return. But first, the sinful will face judgement, and afterward, the righteous will enter paradise. The righteous are destined for heaven, while the Lord will descend to earth to judge all people, rendering decisions upon them; then, like a king arising with His companions, He will usher them into the blessed inheritance. Do you perceive the severity of this punishment: they will endure torment and find themselves estranged from glory? But what is the purpose, finally, when the crowd is dispersed, and Christ speaks to the apostles through parables? It's so they might grasp the parables, having been prepared through previous teachings. Hence, when He queried them after relaying the parables, ‘Do you understand all these things?’ they replied, “Yes, Lord” (Matthew 13:51)! Thus, the parable, among its numerous effects, also enabled the apostles to gain discernment.

The adversary is called the enemy of humanity because he has fallen from grace, and in the Ninth Psalm, it is written about him: “Arise, O Lord, lest man be strengthened.” Therefore, it is crucial for the Church’s leaders to be vigilant, lest through neglect the human adversary sow weeds, which are heretical teachings. The phrase “Lest, when you gather the weeds, you somehow pluck up the wheat along with them” illustrates how the sinner is allotted time to repent and urges us not to sever ties with a brother too quickly, as one who is currently misled by harmful doctrine may regain clarity and begin to uphold the truth. However, the subsequent directive to let both grow together until the harvest may appear to contradict the following command to “Remove evil from your midst,” and the other instruction to “In no way associate with those who are called brothers yet are actually fornicators and adulterers.” If eradication is prohibited and tolerance is permitted until the harvest, how can we expel those among ourselves? Between the wheat and the weed often referred to as “cucolus,” while it still bears the form of grass and has not yet produced a head, there is a significant similarity, making it challenging to discern between the two. Thus, the Lord cautions against being hasty in judgment when uncertainty exists, advocating that ultimate judgment be reserved for Him, so that when the day of reckoning arrives, He may separate not just those suspected of wrongdoing, but the clear offenders. His declaration that the weed bundles shall be cast into the fire, while the wheat is gathered into the barn, distinctly indicates that heretics and hypocrites in the faith will face the flames of Gehenna, while the saints, referred to as wheat, shall be welcomed into the barns, meaning the heavenly dwellings.

Similarly, the wicked are ultimately of no benefit, while the righteous serve a meaningful purpose. The weeds, being unworthy, are gathered into bundles and burned during the harvest, while the wheat is collected into the granary. Likewise, the wicked, as unproductive, will be gathered at the end of the age, bound in bundles, and destined for eternal fire. Sinners, fornicators, adulterers, defilers, and those who find themselves inebriated will form their bundle. Thieves, predators, and robbers who take what belongs to others will also belong to that collection. The deceitful, sly, and crafty will comprise their own bundle. Murmurers, backbiters, and those who curse will be counted among them. Hypocrites, who portray holiness outwardly while inwardly remaining corrupt, will contribute to this gathering. These and other lawless individuals, unfruitful in the eyes of the Lord, will be cast into eternal flames to be consumed. In contrast, the righteous, the holy, and the good—those who bear fruit from God’s word with patience, yielding a hundredfold, sixtyfold, and thirtyfold—will be gathered into the heavenly kingdom like wheat into the barn. “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the evil one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Therefore, as the tares are gathered and burned, so it will be at the close of this age: the Son of Man will send His angels, and they will remove from His kingdom all those who lead others astray and engage in wickedness, throwing them into the furnace of fire; 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 to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:37-43). Sinners, let us turn back to God! May we not be consumed by eternal fire like the weeds, but instead bear worthy fruits of repentance. With God’s grace, may we be the wheat destined for the heavenly storehouse. “O God of Power! Restore us, and shine Your face upon us, and we shall be saved” (Psalm 79:4).

Within the Church of Christ on earth, the sinful members include not only heretics but also anyone leading a life contrary to Christian teachings. Thus, all individuals within the Church who embody evil may rightly be designated as tares, which is further reinforced by verse 41, describing them as “all seducers and those who do iniquity.”