"He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." Matthew 13:37-43
Jesus had just told several parables and when He finished the disciples said to Him, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." Matthew 13:36. The parable they are referring to is found in Matthew 13:24-30. The explanation Jesus gave doesn't need any further explaining, but there are some things I want to point out.
The Greek word for "weeds" or "tares" means false grain. The tares in this parable are the false Christians. These are people who profess to be Christians and who will put on a good show of Christianity when necessary, but the rest of the time they live a very different life. These people do more damage than those who openly admit to not being Christian. Children and those who are weak in their faith are often led astray or discouraged from their beliefs because of the tares in the Church. Many are hurt by the tares when they placed trust in them, thinking they were true Christians and trustworthy, only to find their trust was misplaced. I would much rather be around someone who is open about their unbelief than to be around someone who puts on a show of being a Christian but doesn't daily submit their will to God and live their life for Him. At least with the unbeliever I know where they're coming from and what to expect from them.
Notice who sowed the tares in this parable. Jesus said the devil sowed the tares. A person who is not living completely for God, becomes a child of the devil. There is no other side to choose. There is only God's side or the devil's. Too many people fool themselves into thinking that if they just go to church, go through a motions, look good, they'll be saved. That is incorrect. God can look at the soul of a person. He knows the truth about everyone. If our thoughts, desires, actions, and speech is not daily given to God, we don't have a chance. God wants all of us. He doesn't just want a good show or good looks. He wants every part of us.
One other thing to notice. For those who wonder why there is so much evil in the world, the answer is in verse 39. The devil sows the wickedness and evil. That is the source of the evil in the world. There is no need to look elsewhere for a reason. The answer is right there.
Jesus doesn't lie. He didn't say things just to scare people. If He says the tares, or false Christians, would be burned at the end of this world, then it really is going to happen. Those who do not choose to fully submit to God and become His true children will burn at the end of this world. But the righteous, or true children of God will shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of God.
Jesus' warning still holds true today. "Who hath ears, let him hear." Listen to the word of God. Listen to His promptings and respond to Him.