"An Enemy Hath Done This": Part 2

On Befriending Prostitutes and Publicans

My favorite expression of Jesus's theology (or more precisely, His "soteriology") is something He said while teaching in the Temple at the end of His mortal life. 

The Scribes and Pharisees had come to argue with him about authority (nothing new) and Jesus gave them a sobering reality-check.

After years of opaque sayings and parables, Jesus decided to cut to the chase (this was new).  After all, He was about to die on the Cross, so maybe He felt like it was time for the gloves to come off.

What He said to the Pharisees was plain as can be; no chance for misunderstanding; it packed a punch like the first bite of unsweetened Greek vanilla yogurt.

   Verily I say unto you,
   That the publicans 
   and the harlots
   go into the kingdom of God
   before you.

(Matthew 21:31)

Turn that declaration inside out, upside down, shake it like a snowglobe and turn it all about ― its meaning doesn't change.

This shocks me every time I read it.

In just one sentence, Jesus flipped all our religious notions on their heads, didn't he, leaving us speechless!

It must have taken hours for the Jews to lift their jaws from the Temple's Outer-Court-floor.

With this simple statement spoken by the Lord, He dashed thousands of years of religious sensibilities straight to the pit.

And the fact that thieves and sex workers get to cut in line at the Pearly Gates in front of the law-abiding Pharisees, it highlights, too, the difficulty we have telling the Wheat from the Tares.

Traditional Interpretation

Let's begin with the traditional interpretation of the Parable of the Wheat and Tares. 

I should qualify this statement: let's begin with the traditional LDS interpretation I was taught growing up. 

Your interpretation might be different than mine in the minor details; but I think the gist of what we were taught in Sunday School is as follows:

   1.  There are good people who are "Wheat," refering to faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

   2.  There are bad people who are called "Tares," which represent the wicked and those who leave the Church because their testimonies weren't strong enough.

   3.  At present, the Lord is letting the Wheat and Tares co-mingle; think of it as a company cocktail party where the angels are disguised as waiters and waitresses passing through the crowd, taking notes on who is drinking hard liquor and getting handsy versus who is ordering Shirley Temples, so they'll know who bundle and burn when the lights go out and the party's over.

   4.  But for now, Tares can come and go, stay or leave the Church, as they will; essentially the Lord is allowing us to pick sides and see whether we can cut the mustard as Wheat by fulfilling our ministering assignments and paying tithing and whatnot.

   5.  In a day fast approaching, the Lord will separate (sift) the Wheat from the Tares.

   6.  At Harvest time, the Wheat will get gathered to a luxury resort and spa called Zion ("barn") where they drink Piña Coladas and safely sun bathe whilst the Tares are torched as stubble with fire falling from above.

   7.  Ergo, STAY IN THE CHURCH in order to be gathered with the Wheat ― or you'll become a Tare and risk getting nuked during Armageddon.

   How'd I do?

The Words of the Parable​

It is time we read the actual text of the parable in Matthew Chapter 13. 

Let's see if our interpretation is correct.

The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

   (1)  The first point is perhaps the most important: Jesus is talking about the "kingdom of heaven."  He is not referring to an earthly Church or organization, but the "kingdom" which, He said, is within us.

   (2)  The next thing I am noticing is the seed is called "good."  God only sows good seed.

What makes a seed "good?"  

Well, in horticulture, they call it "seed viability."  This describes the number of seeds that are alive to produce plants.  If you buy a sack of beet seeds, for example, and the package says "90% Viable," then you have a rough idea of the percentage of seed that will sprout. 

   (3)  Notice next that the man sows the entire field; it is universal.  The seed is planted in China and the Congo and Timbuktu.  Everywhere.

I think this is significant because God does not plant His seed in just one nation, kindred, people, or Church.  He indiscriminately "sows" it, throwing seed into the air and letting it drop over the entire world like rain, upon the wicked and just.

But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

   (4)  Ah, now we get a bit more detail about the seed.  What was planted?  Wheat.

Wheat of course is the staff of life used to make bread.  Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life, so we see why the seed is "good" ― because it is Christ and His word, which is sown everywhere and redeems mankind.

   (5)  "But while the men slept."  I don't think we should fault these tired, hardworking farmhands for sleeping; after all, we each need a solid 8 hours a night, so I see nothing amiss with the farmhands going to bed per usual.

But "the enemy" comes under the cloak of darkness at night, which we should take to mean, he comes unobserved, without notice.

   (6)  Don't gloss over the fact, either, that this implies God has enemies.  We already know "the natural man is an enemy to God" (Mosiah 3:19).

But the surprising thing is that the Lord seems undisturbed by his enemy's actions.  Why isn't he angry or worked up over what has happened?  Jesus told his disciples: "I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:19).

So the parable is teaching us that nothing "the enemy" (Satan) or his servants do should cause us alarm because all their meddling will not thwart the Master's plans.

​​But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

   (7)  Okay, this is good news, indeed!  The Tares do not impede the growth of the Wheat in any way.  So there's no disease that spreads from the Tares over to the Wheat; no cross-contamination to worry about.

   (8)  But the fascinating thing is that the Tares are only spotted when the Wheat begins to bring "forth fruit."

So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

   (9)  Now this is where the parable really starts to get interesting, seeing the reaction of the farmhands. 

I mean, they freak out.  They're worried and anxious and run around crying, "What are we going to do?!  Where did all these tares come from?!"

He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

   (10)  How are we like these farmhands?  Their first inclination is to go out and roll up their sleeves and start ripping up the weeds like nobody's business.  "Let's get rid of these nasty tares!"  And so they think they'll please their Lord by back-breaking labor and effort and sweating in the hot sun, showing those Tares who's boss!  "Bring me my clippers, I've got some sinners need shaving."

My goodnes, what a bunch of wonderful, misguided activists they were.

But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

   (11)  We see the Lord has an entirely different plan to deal with the enemy: do nothing.

That's right!  Complete non-interference.  Like a lamb to the slaughter, the Lord's plan is one of submission, of turning the other cheek.

   Let.  Them.  Be.  

   Forgive.  Them.  Father.  

   (12)  This is of course the last thing we wanted to hear, who are itching to fast-forward to judgment day so the bad guys can get their comeuppance.

​Like the farmhands, we wring our hands at all these wicked, sinful tares running around, wanting to gather them all up and do away with them (at least that's how the comments-section reads on KSL.com).

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

(Matthew 13:24-30)

   (13)  "See, Tim," someone says.  "Those Tares got what they deserved in the end!"

And that, my friends, is precisley why I'm concerned!  Who do we think are the Tares?

​   Verily I say unto you,
   That the publicans 
   and the harlots
   go into the kingdom of God
   before you.

(Matthew 21:31)