His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explained the parable from the Gospel of Matthew chapter 13, where the Lord likened the kingdom of heaven to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but the enemy sowed tares among the wheat. The parable shows the coexistence of good and evil in the world and the Church until the day of harvest — the Last Day — when the righteous will be separated from the wicked.
The Origin of Evil
His Holiness clarified that evil began first in heaven with Satan’s pride, then on earth through Adam and Eve’s sin, when the devil planted the thought of rebellion in their minds. Since then, evil has spread through humanity, beginning with Cain.
Wheat and Tares in the Church
The field represents both the Church and the world. The wheat symbolizes the faithful children of God, while the tares represent hypocrites and false prophets. Both may appear similar outwardly — as Judas among the apostles or Nicolas among the deacons — but their true nature is revealed by their fruits at maturity.
Warning Against Spiritual Sleep
His Holiness said that the enemy sowed the tares “while men slept,” meaning during spiritual negligence, when faith weakens and vigilance fades. In such times, sins and false ideas disguise themselves as virtues. Therefore, believers must remain spiritually watchful, like the shepherds keeping night watches.
God’s View of Evil
God allows evil because of human free will and to reveal the virtues of the righteous through patience and faith. The presence of tares helps the wheat grow stronger and bear more fruit. God endures patiently until the harvest day, when His angels will separate the tares to be burned, while the wheat is gathered into His heavenly storehouses.
Call for Humility and Perseverance
Pope Shenouda compared the wheat to the true believer who bows in humility when filled with fruit and endures trials as crushing that produces nourishment for others — just as Christ became the Bread of Life for us.
Conclusion
The parable calls us to spiritual vigilance, discernment between good and evil, and not to judge hastily, but to wait for the divine day of harvest when truth will be revealed.
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Meditations on the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares