Author: Evangelist Daniel Sushanth

Living in a society means encountering individuals of both good and bad character, and eliminating the bad completely is impossible.

This is a reality we must acknowledge and coexist with, much like the characters in “The Parable of the Tares” did as described in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 13, verses 24-30 & 36-43.

While modern technology has given us the ability to purify water, we cannot fundamentally change the natural world. Similarly, as followers of Christ.  It is not appropriate to categorize people as “bad” and respond with hostility if they do not share our beliefs.

Instead, as mature Christians, we should exercise patience and offer encouragement toward God’s teachings. We should not close ourselves off to those who may even persecute or vandalize our churches, but instead, forgive them as Jesus taught us to do.

The proverb “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink” reminds us that we can offer guidance and support, but ultimately it is up to the individual to make their own choices. By being ambassadors for Christ, we can encourage others to make positive changes, but we must respect their free will and allow them to decide for themselves.

 As followers of Christ, we have the responsibility to spread his message to our neighborhood, but ultimately, it is their decision to accept or reject it. While we can pray with them, share our personal testimony, and offer them Holy Bibles, we cannot impose our beliefs on them.

Even if they do not immediately accept our message, we can still fulfill our role as ambassadors for Christ by exemplifying his love and teachings. We can lead them to the Gospel, but they have the freedom to choose whether or not to embrace it. In this way, we can still carry out our duty as followers of Christ.

We can lead them to the “water” of the Gospel, but it is up to them to choose whether or not to “drink” from it.

In this parable, The Parable of the Tares” Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a field in which an enemy has sown tares (weeds) among the wheat. It is a powerful illustration of the coexistence of good and evil in the world and how God will ultimately judge the righteous and unrighteous.

Tares, also known as “weeds,” are a type of plant that looks similar to wheat when it is growing. In the Parable of the Tares, Jesus tells a story about a farmer who sowed good wheat seeds in his field, but an enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat.

When the wheat and tares began to grow together, the farmer’s servants asked if they should pull up the tares, but the farmer said to let them grow together until the harvest. At the harvest, the wheat and tares would be separated, with the wheat being gathered into the farmer’s barn and the tares being burned.

One of the key lessons of this parable is that Christians are called to be patient, knowing that God is in control and will ultimately separate the wheat from the tares. However, the parable assures us that a day of judgment will come when the wicked will be separated from the righteous and that we should continue to live our lives in faith and obedience to God, trusting in His plan and purpose.

We should be patient, trust in God’s sovereignty, and focus on living righteous lives even in the midst of a world filled with SIN and wickedness. It also reminds us that the judgment of the wicked is inescapable and that we should strive to be counted among the righteous when that day comes.

The Parable serves as a reminder of the ultimate judgment that Jesus will bring at the end of time. While someone may escape judgment in this world, such as avoiding capital punishment or being acquitted by a court of law, they will not be able to escape the judgment of the Supreme Judge, Jesus.

At that time, individuals will be judged individually, without any support or intervention from any group, and they will be held accountable for their actions.

Rather than complaining to God about your challenging living conditions, remember that you are meant to be a beacon of hope that illuminates the darkness and provides comfort to those around you. There are numerous instances of people who were once deemed “bad” by society but later embraced Christ and underwent a remarkable transformation.

John Newton – was a slave trader and captain of a slave ship before his conversion to Christianity. After his conversion, he became an abolitionist and wrote the famous hymn “Amazing Grace.”

Chuck Colson – was a political operative who was convicted of Watergate-related crimes and served time in prison. After his release, he became a Christian and founded the ministry Prison Fellowship, which helps inmates and their families.

Nicky Cruz – was a gang leader and drug dealer in New York City before his conversion to Christianity. He later became a minister and founded the organization Nicky Cruz Outreach, which helps young people involved in gangs and drug addiction.

Rosario Butterfield – was a tenured professor of English at Syracuse University who identified as a lesbian and was an advocate for LGBT rights. After reading the Bible and developing relationships with Christians, she became a Christian herself and now speaks and writes about her experiences.

Annie Lobert – was a sex worker in Las Vegas before her conversion to Christianity. She founded the organization Hookers for Jesus, which helps women escape from sex trafficking and find healing and hope in Christ.

Father, As we encounter individuals of varying character in our daily lives, help us to exercise patience and offer encouragement towards Your teachings. May we not respond with hostility towards those who do not share our beliefs, but instead, be ambassadors for Christ, exemplifying Your love and teachings.
Please give us the wisdom to recognize that while we can lead others to the Gospel. We ask that You help us to be beacons of hope, illuminating the darkness and providing comfort to those around us. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

Bible Verses – “The Parable of the Tares” – (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)

²⁴ Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵ but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. ²⁶ But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. ²⁷ So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ ²⁸ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ ²⁹ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”

The Parable of the Tares Explained

³⁶ Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”

³⁷ He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. ³⁹ The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. ⁴⁰ Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, ⁴² and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

##Living by Faith##