Tares
What Are Tares?
Tares, identified as the bearded darnel (Lolium temulentum), are a grass species that looks remarkably similar to wheat during early growth stages. Only when the plants mature and produce grain does the difference become clearly visible — wheat produces full, golden heads, while darnel produces smaller, darker seeds. This botanical reality provides the perfect backdrop for Jesus' parable, because the resemblance between wheat and tares makes them nearly impossible to distinguish before harvest.
The Parable of the Wheat and Tares
In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus told one of his most memorable parables. A farmer sowed good wheat seed in his field, but an enemy came at night and sowed tares among the wheat. When the plants sprouted and the tares became visible, the servants asked whether they should pull them up. The master replied, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers: First collect the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn' (Matthew 13:29-30).
Jesus' Interpretation
Unlike many of his parables, Jesus provided a detailed explanation of the parable of the tares (Matthew 13:36-43). The sower of good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world. The good seed represents the children of the kingdom, while the tares represent the children of the evil one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. At the final judgment, the angels will gather out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil, casting them into the fiery furnace, while the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
Why Not Pull the Tares Immediately?
The master's instruction to let the tares grow alongside the wheat until harvest carries profound theological meaning. Because darnel roots intertwine with wheat roots, pulling up tares would damage or destroy the wheat. Jesus teaches that premature attempts to purge evil from the world risk harming the righteous. The task of final separation belongs to God alone, exercised through his angels at the appointed time. This calls for patience and trust in God's timing rather than human attempts to create a perfect community through forceful purification.
Practical Realities of Ancient Farming
In the ancient Near East, sowing tares in an enemy's field was a recognized act of agricultural sabotage. Roman law even addressed this crime. The practice of women and children carefully weeding out darnel near harvest time was common in Palestine and continues in some traditional farming communities today. The darnel seeds themselves are not inherently toxic to humans but can cause illness if infected with the fungus ergot, which produces alkaloids that cause dizziness, nausea, and other symptoms.
Enduring Message
The parable of the tares addresses one of the most persistent questions in theology: why does God allow evil to persist in the world? Jesus' answer is that God exercises patient restraint, not because he is indifferent to evil, but because premature judgment would harm the innocent. The final harvest will come, and the separation will be thorough and just. Until then, believers are called to faithful growth alongside the reality of evil in the world.
Biblical Context
Tares appear exclusively in Matthew 13:24-30 (the parable) and Matthew 13:36-43 (Jesus' explanation). The parable is part of a series of kingdom parables in Matthew 13 that includes the sower, the mustard seed, and the leaven. It addresses the nature of God's kingdom during the present age and the certainty of future judgment.
Theological Significance
The parable of the tares teaches that the visible community of faith will always contain a mixture of genuine believers and those who merely resemble them. It warns against premature judgmentalism while affirming the certainty of final divine judgment. The parable also reveals the active opposition of Satan, who works to corrupt God's work by planting counterfeits alongside the genuine.
Historical Background
Bearded darnel (Lolium temulentum) is native to the Mediterranean region and grows abundantly in wheat fields throughout the Middle East. Ancient Roman sources, including the Digest of Justinian, reference the crime of sowing weeds in another person's field. The Arabic name for darnel, zuwan, is still used today. Archaeological evidence of darnel seeds mixed with grain stores has been found at sites across the ancient Near East, confirming the persistent agricultural problem Jesus described.