Dear Heavenly Father,
We come to You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father we ask You to please bless this study and open our minds so we can understand what You are teaching us. Help us, oh God, to live our lives in a manner worthy of the high calling we have in Christ Jesus.
Amen
We begin this study by reading the “Parable of the Tares” as it is recorded in,
[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.”’”
After Jesus sent the multitude of people away His disciples asked Him to explain the parable. Jesus’ explanation is recorded in,
[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!
My initial reaction to this parable and Jesus’ explanation was that I was not sure how it applied to me. Being a born again believer in Jesus Christ I believe that I am one of the good seeds who was sown by Jesus Christ. As I pondered these things the Holy Spirit led me to read the following Scripture from Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth.
[12] Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
With the above caution in mind the Holy Spirit moved me to return to Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Tares and carefully reread,
[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,
Notice, everything that offends (or as translated in the New International Version: “causes sin”) and those who practice lawlessness will be taken out of His Kingdom.
To receive a better appreciation or understanding of what our Lord is teaching us we will:
1. Read this particular excerpt of Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Tares from other Bible translations.
2. Address the question of: “How a person professing to be a born again Christian can be a stumbling block to others and cause them to sin.
3. Address the question of: “How a person claiming to be a born again believer in Jesus Christ can be committing lawlessness?”
4. Summarize the message or point of this study.
With this introduction in mind we begin by reading what Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 13:41, from the following three,
The first translation we will read from is “The New Jerusalem Bible.” In this translation Matthew 13:41 reads as follows:
“ The Son of man will send His angels and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of falling and all who do evil,“
The second translation we will read from is “The Amplified Bible.” In this translation Matthew reads as follows:
“ The Son of man will send forth His angels and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of offense – persons by whom others are drawn into error or sin – and all who do iniquity and act wickedly,”
The third translation is the “New American Standard Bible.” This Version of the Bible translates Matthew 13:41 to read as follows:
“The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks and those who commit lawlessness,”
In reflecting upon the above, one discovers that our Lord Jesus Christ is dealing with the following two issues:
1. Those who are stumbling blocks or causes for offense
2. Those who practice lawlessness.
To expand upon these two issues let us first address the question of:
To address this question, we will examine the following three additional questions:
1. Has my liberty in Jesus Christ been offensive to others?
2. Have I been a hypocrite?
3. Have I hindered the children?
To address this question we first must more clearly understand the issue or concern. To do this let us read from,
[1] Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. [2] And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. [3] But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. [4] Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. [5] For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), [6] yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. [7] However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. [8] But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. [9] But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. [10] For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? [11] And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? [12] But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. [13] Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
2 … If anyone thinks he knows something, he may not know it as he ought to know it. In other words, the more we think we know something the more we should come to realize how much we really do not know.
3 … This is key verse or truth: “If we love God then we are known by Him.”
6a … There is only one God the Father from whom are all things. In other words, all things are from God. He created them and we are here for Him.
6b … There is only one Lord Jesus Christ through whom all things came into being. It is through Jesus Christ that we live.
7 … However, not everyone has this knowledge. In the days under which this letter was written some Christians who were weak in their faith believed if they ate food which was offered to an idol, it would defile them. In other words, some Christians believed that food which was offered to a false god (idol) was unclean. Hence, they believed if they ate it then they too would become unclean.
8 … We know that the food we eat can neither commend us nor defile us. We know this because Jesus taught that nothing that physically enters a man from the outside can defile him. It is only those things that come from within a man that defiles him. To refresh our memories of this truth let us read from,
[14] When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: [15] There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. [16] If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” [17] When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. [18] So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, [19] because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?”
Notice, in verse 19 above we read that Jesus declared all foods to be clean. For the sake of completeness let us finish reading what Jesus said on this topic as recorded in,
[20] And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. [21] For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, [22] thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. [23] All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
Let us now return to chapter 8 of 1 Corinthians and notice the following verse,
9 … If all foods are clean and do not defile a person how could a person eating food sacrificed to an idol be a stumbling block to a person weak in faith? The answer to this question is provided in,
[23] But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
In other words, that person’s knowledge and freedom in Christ would encourage a weaker person to eat a food they believe would defile them. Hence, they would not eat the food sacrificed to an idol with faith and thus commit sin. To expand upon this a bit more let us reread,
[10] For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? [11] And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? [12] But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. [13] Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
Is our Lord only concerned about the liberty we exercise, in front of a weaker brother or sister, by what we eat or what we may drink? What about other things we may do? Should we not also be concerned about how we dress, our manner of speech, our behavior, etc.?
We close this portion of our study by reading the following excerpt from Paul’s letter to the Romans. However, to address the above questions in {italics} I have included within the scripture the above issues such as: dress, manner of speech and behavior.
[13] Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. [14] I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. [15] Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food {dress, manner of speech, behavior}, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food {dress, manner of speech, behavior} the one for whom Christ died. [16] Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; [17] for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, {the way we dress, our manner of speech, or behavior} but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. [18] For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. [19] Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. [20] Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food {the way we dress, our manner of speech, or our behavior}. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats {dresses, speaks or behaves} with offense. [21] It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. [22] Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
Let us now address the second question, which is,
Before we read Jesus’ teaching on this issue it is important to note that at the time when Jesus Christ came to this earth the Jewish religion had basically two sets of religious laws. First, there was the Biblical Law God gave to Moses. This law was and is recorded in the first five books of the Old Testament. These five books are commonly identified as the Torah.
To enhance or further amplify on how to comply or adhere to the laws God gave to Moses, throughout the years of Jewish history a second set of laws or traditions were developed. These laws were developed by the priesthood and scribes (students of the law). These set of laws or traditions were and are identified as the oral law and are documented in various books or scrolls such as the Talmud and the Mishna. For example, let us read commandment God gave for His people to keep the Sabbath holy as it is written in,
[8] “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. [9] Six days you shall labor and do all your work, [10] but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. [11] For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
To further explain and amplify what God meant or means by work, the oral law contains a myriad of activities that are prohibited to be performed on the Sabbath. For example, if a person was hungry or without food and went out into a field on a Sabbath to pluck some kernels of grain to eat, this would be considered work and hence prohibited, see Luke 6:1-2.
As seen by the above example this oral law or tradition was primarily concerned about the outward appearance or activity of a person. In other words, they focused upon the letter of the law and not the spirit or intent of God’s law. In addition, over the years the oral law became so voluminous and burdensome that no one was able to fulfill its demands. Unfortunately, in addition to the laws and commands God gave Moses, the scribes and Pharisees also insisted upon full compliance with the burden of all the extraneous oral traditions.
With this brief background in mind, let us now read the issue Jesus had with these scribes and Pharisees as recorded in,
[1] Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, [2] saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. [3] Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. [4] For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. [5] But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. [6] They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, [7] greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ [8] But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. [9] Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. [10] And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. [11] But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. [12] And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. [13] “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. [14] Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. [15] “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
Let us notice the following verses,
4 … As noted above, the Pharisees and scribes placed upon the people a heavy burden to carry. That is, in addition to God’s laws they also demanded the people to adhere to all the strict laws and traditions of the oral law. They demanded this compliance with no exceptions, such as the person who was hungry was not permitted to pluck grain for himself or his family.
5-7 … Everything the scribes and Pharisees did and said was to make themselves to outwardly appear as righteous and holy men.
8 … There is only one Teacher of truth, who is Jesus Christ. Hence, no one should consider themselves as The Teacher of truth. Granted, God has blessed some men with the gift of teaching. However, they are only to present what our Lord Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, has given them to say and speak. In addition, they are to encourage their listeners to test what they are saying or teaching to be consistent with the Word of God, which is the Holy Bible and the final Authority.
9 … Our Lord is not talking about addressing our earthly fathers as father. What He is teaching us is that we are not to elevate any human to be our spiritual father and thereby elevating them to the position of God the Father. We have only one Father and He is God the Father who is in Heaven.
10 … We are not to elevate ourselves or anyone else into thinking we or they are infallible teachers of God’s Kingdom. The Bible teaches us that only God can accurately and reliably reveal Himself to us and the things of His Kingdom. As stated before, God does bless some men to be teachers of His word. However, as verses 11-12 teach us, these servants of God are to serve one another. They are not to exalt themselves over others nor are they to lord it over others. To see this let us reread what Jesus said on this issue from,
[11] But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. [12] And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Unfortunately, during Jesus day, most of the scribes and Pharisees did not do these things. Instead, they exalted themselves over the people. In addition, by their demands to strictly follow the oral law they also prevented others from entering into God’s Kingdom. To see this let us reread
[13] “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. [14] Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. [15] “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
One might now ask as to how all this may apply to us. To address this question let us prayerfully read the following excerpt from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans. As we read the following scriptures, in place of the word Jew, let us instead address the concerns expressed by the Holy Spirit to the Christian.
[17] Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, [18] and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, [19] and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, [20] an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. [21] You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? [22] You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? [23] You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? [24] For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written.
Let us notice the following verses,
17-20 … The questions that follow in verses 21-23 are addressed to those Christians who think they know all about God and His ways. These are those who are very quick to correct others and put on the mask of righteousness. Yet these Christians behave in a manner that is not worthy of their high calling in Christ Jesus.
21 … One might say I do not steal. Do you cheat on your tax returns? Do you charge a fair price for something you might sell? Are you willing to pay a fair price for services and products, etc.?
22 … One might say I did not and do not commit adultery. Remember Jesus said that even if a married man looks lustfully at a woman other than his wife he has already committed adultery.
23 … Are there any other laws or commands of God that I have broken in a manner that another person could consider me as a hypocrite? For example, do I want to take vengeance upon my enemies or do I earnestly pray for them? Do I talk behind people’s back, etc.?
24 … It is not only what we say, believe or preach that truly defines us as Christians. It is also: (1) what we are, which should be a new creation, and (2) what we do, which is love God and each other. In other words, unless we practice what we preach and say we are just like the scribes and Pharisees, that is a hypocrite. One of the reasons the unbelieving world does not embrace Christianity is because of its hypocrites.
To see this let us close this portion of our study by rereading the Holy Spirit’s admonition that is recorded in,
[24] For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written.
The third and last question for this portion on how I could be a stumbling block or cause for offense is
The issue here is clearly highlighted when His disciples wanted to stop the children from coming to Jesus. To read what Jesus said to them let us go to,
[13] Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. [14] But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. [15] Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” [16] And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.
One might ask how this may apply to the Christian who regularly attends church with their children and sends them to Sunday school and possibly a week night Bible study. Perhaps the best way to respond to this question is for each one of us to privately address the following questions:
1. How is our family home prayer life? Is it vibrant and regular?
2. What types of TV programs do we watch? What kind of video games do we play? Are they so called mature or adult entertainment? Are they family orientated and promote good moral values? These questions are not just for the children but also for the parents. In other words, do we have a double standard in our home?
3. Are there any other ways we might be providing an atmosphere that could attract and temp our children to drift away from the Lord?
This now brings us to the third portion of this study which is,
The issue for this portion of our study is described in the following warning our Lord Jesus Christ gave to His disciples and now again to us. To read what He has to say let us go to,
[15]
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly
they are ravenous wolves. [16] You will know them by their fruits. Do men
gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? [17] Even so,
every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. [18] A
good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. [19]
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the
fire. [20] Therefore by their fruits you will know them. [21] “Not
everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the
kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. [22]
Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we
not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many
wonders in Your name?’ [23] And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew
you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
In other words, it is not only the miracles God may perform by our hands, nor is it only the ministries we may participate in, nor is it only what we profess that determines whether or not we are children of God. More importantly what truly determines whether or not we are children of God is: (1) Have we become a new person in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)? and (2) Are the fruits of the Holy Spirit present and growing in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23)? Why? Why are these things the determining factors?
The answer to these questions is provided to us in one single verse of Scripture. Specifically, it is given in,
[21] He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
This brings us to the question of: “What are the commands that God gave us?” This answer to this question is best summed up in a conversation Jesus once had with a teacher of the Jewish Laws. To read what Jesus said let us go to,
[28] Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” [29] Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. [30] And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. ’This is the first commandment. [31] And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
This now brings us to the point or
Basically the message for this study of the Parable of the Tares is given in,
[3] Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. [4] He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. [5] But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. [6] He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.