I Wanna Be Wheat! (Most Popular Post of 2013)

                I found myself reading the parable of the wheat and tares found in Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 this morning. This reminded me of a conversation I had with a young girl who has just given her life to Christ. We were talking about the final judgment, where we will all stand before God and He will open the Book of Life and if your name is in there, then you will enter into the Kingdom He has prepared for you, if your name is not found, then you shall be cast into the lake of fire with the rest of those who rebelled against God.

                You may be asking yourself what all this has to do with you. I believe that harvest time is near. I believe that even in our churches today there are tares among us. I believe that God is going to call for His angels to begin the harvest and there will be many that are elevated in the church who will be found to be tares and not wheat. This is harsh, you say, how can I say this? Because Jesus said it first.

                “Another parable He put forth to them, saying; ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 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?’ 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?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 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 barns.’” Matthew 13:24-30

               

Tares are weeds that look just like wheat except they have a black grain that appears on them. As I looked up what tares looked like, there were various types represented. They all looked similar to wheat and from the naked eye you could tell no difference. But when the time came for the wheat to bear its fruit and be harvested, the tares made themselves known. Many of us today are wondering why there is so much evil in the world. Why has the human race become so violent? We have shootings in our schools, sex and drugs run rampant on our televisions, homosexuality is accepted and even allowed in some churches today. Do we not realize that the day is drawing near when those who are in Christ shall be taken up and those who are tares shall be cast into the fiery furnace? The days are upon us, the question is, are you wheat or a tare?

                Jesus explains the parable to his disciples because they had a hard time understanding His words. He tells them that He is the sower. He sows the seeds of His gospel to a lost and broken world. Those who believe in Him become His wheat. (Matthew 13:37) The field is the world. (vs. 38) The field is not only the church, even though this parable has been applied to just the church, but Jesus explains that we live in a world full of tares as well as wheat. We as believers are in this world, but we are not of this world.

                Next He tells us that the tares are those who choose not to believe in His word, in His sacrifice, in His name. These tares are various in their looks, some of them are in the church; and some of them are in the world. Until Jesus returns we, the Church, are in this world. The field is not only the world, but the church building you attend every week. There are tares among us. But God said that He will not root out the tares until the time of harvest. Why? Because in rooting out the tares, some of the wheat may be destroyed. We are precious to Him, He desires us to come to full fruit and to produce for His glory. By ripping away the tares from among us He would have to destroy us as well, and we are too priceless to Him to do that. So, in the meantime, while we wait for harvest, we are to grow alongside the tares. But there is hope- because harvest is coming.

                There will come a day my friends, when we will stand before God and the books will be opened. Revelation 20:12 tells us that the book of life will be opened and those who are not found in it will be cast into the lake of fire. Jesus tells us in Matthew 13: 42 that there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Many who sit among us on Sunday’s are tares. What makes us a tare? What makes us wheat? The difference between wheat and a tare is that the wheat desires a life that follows Christ, the other desires a life that follows their own appetites.

                There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth because many people today think they are Christians and are not. Being a Christian is not a social status, it is a way of life; it is the only way of life. Being a Christian means that we have given it all to Jesus and seek to follow Him only. We are in this world, this field of wheat and tares, and we must continue to grow together until harvest time. But we must also examine where we are at with Christ. We must ask ourselves if we truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to earth and willingly took our sins upon Himself so that we might be saved. Do we believe that? Do we walk that?

             There are no more chances to believe once you leave this earth. You have been given so many days upon this earth to believe in Jesus Christ. When you are standing before God there will be no more chances, and no more excuses. Today is the day of Salvation, if you die today and find yourself before God and have not accepted Jesus Christ, then it is too late. There are two doors in heaven; one that leads to life everlasting for those who believe and the other to the furnace where those who choose to believe not will be sent to burn forever. We are all created to be eternal beings, the choice to which eternity you want to live in is yours. The day of harvest is fast approaching my friends. Are you wheat or are you a tare?

                      Father God, I pray that Your words will pierce the hearts of all who read these words today. That anyone who does not believe in you, will cry out to You today and believe in the saving grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Father, that Your words will light a fire under those who are among us as tares, that they will give their hearts to you fully and become wheat for Your glory. May all who read these words give glory and honor to You, oh Lord God. In Jesus Name I pray for the salvation of many this day. To You be the glory forever and ever. Amen and Amen.