WHEAT OR TARES?

Rev Dr Jose Lagapa

Text: Matthew 13:24–30; 36–43

The Lord Jesus used the parable of the wheat and the tares to show the kinds of people among professing believers. In Christian churches today, there are basically two kinds of people: the regenerate and the unregenerate. The unregenerate claim to believe in Jesus and are even active in the church. These include those who seem to be growing in the knowledge of the Scriptures and exhibit observable maturity in their behaviour. They have left their vices and are charitable and generous in giving to the needs of others. Some even show a desire to study God’s Word intensively and systematically in a Bible college. There may even be those who are serving full-time in the ministry. Based on what is seen of them, it seems appropriate to classify them as born-again Christians. However, along the way, these same people fall away from the faith. They have gone astray, never to return.

Despite this, we cannot deny that there are many in the churches today who are truly regenerate. They appear just like those people described above, but they endure unto the end. They bear good testimonies to the praise and glory of God, and their faith endures and never fades because it is genuine. God keeps them until the time He takes them to be with Him.

The Lord here reveals to us that there are two coexisting kinds of people in this world, particularly in the church. They look the same and sound the same, but they are not the same! Distinguishing who is genuine and who is not is difficult. Everyone shows to some degree characteristics of a born-again Christian. Of course, the Lord knows who is real and who is not. Time will tell because when the fruit-bearing season comes, their differences will be made known. There are those who like the wheat bears grain that is beneficial for people to consume, while there are tares which bear no grain and give nothing to the farmer.

My dear friends, let us sincerely consider this parable. We may think, based on what we are doing, that we are genuine believers. Are we truly so? We can say and imitate everything a believer does, but in the end, we are found to be impostors. Let us seek the Spirit’s guidance to check ourselves whether we are wheat or tares.

This parable describes a man who sows good seed in his field. During the night when the men are asleep, the enemy comes to sow tares in the field. After doing it, the enemy leaves. The men apparently do not know that there were other seeds sown until the time of grain bearing. Once the time comes for the plants to bear grain, some of them just shoot straight up without any produce. Right away, the farmers noticed that these were unlikely to be wheat. They reported what they had found to the owner, knowing that only good seeds were sown in the field. They wondered why there were other plants growing. Did the owner mistakenly bring in seeds of tares? Why was another kind of plant growing in that field? The owner explained that this was because of the enemy who sneaked in one night to sow seeds of tares.

Tares are weeds which resemble wheat during the early stages of growth. The servants wanted to uproot the tares because they produce nothing. These plants do not produce grain and bring trouble to the field. They take away a significant portion of nutrients and water from the wheat plants. However, the owner did not agree to root them out because that would damage the wheat. The root systems of the wheat and the tares intertwine as they mature, making uprooting the tares without damaging the wheat difficult. Thus, they must be left to grow together until the time of the harvest. When the time to harvest comes, the tares would be so obvious that one could not mistake their appearance because they could easily be differentiated.

Do not be a tare which appears like wheat for a season but in the final day is proven different. It is better to be a struggling and humble wheat which may appear lowly among others in the field, but in the end bears grain and is kept in the barn. Do not be a dominant plant that shows off as wheat but is actually weed and in the end is bound and burned. Let God examine your heart. Be not part of those who will be tormented forever in the Lake of Fire.

Jesus explains that He is the Sower, and the good seed are the children of the Kingdom. On the other hand, the tares are the children of the devil, and they belong to him, and this wicked world. Satan’s method of opposition is by imitation. He makes the false look like the true. So, the children of the wicked one are in the church as well. They are in the membership roll of the church and may even become leaders in the church. They talk, dress, and behave like genuine Christians. Scroggie commented, “The bad are sown among the good, and the difference is not always discernible. Many who are not the Lord’s yet resemble those who are: they go to church, pray, and read the Bible like Christians, but are alas, Christless.”

These Christless Christians are active in the church and show piety before the churched and the unchurched. They are respected and revered by many. They strive much to be identified as religious and righteous. They may even work hard to excel in the knowledge of Scripture and be known as gifted teachers and preachers. No one doubts that they are Christians. But they work only to please men and do all things according to what is right in their own eyes and by their own strength. Their works are fruitless for they come from their own mind and might, and not the power of God.

In the end, the names of such imposters will be recorded in the Hall of Fame and not the Hall of Faith. When the final day comes, they will be found wanting. Their Christianity is only skin deep, not deep at all, and never embedded in their minds and hearts. They shall be gathered with the unbelievers for they are no different from the unbelievers. What a waste of time and effort toiling and labouring just to gain the praise of people! Striving to be holy and pious in the eyes of man! In the end, they are gathered to be burned in the fire. What a tragedy!

Please pause for a moment. Think about this: Your piety does not redeem you; your ministry cannot save you; your Bible college degrees will not deliver you out of condemnation. It is only the humble confession that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness and your trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross of Calvary that can save you. Seek the Lord and call upon Him sincerely. Be truly regenerated in Jesus Christ!

How about the wheat? Jesus explains that they are the children of the Kingdom. They are the righteous ones. They are made righteous by the grace of God through faith in Christ. Their robe of righteousness is provided by Jesus alone. It was purchased for them by His perfect life and sacrificial death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead. The Lord Jesus gives them His perfect righteousness which they need to enter the Kingdom.

The truly regenerate live a holy and pious life as Christians, but they find themselves always needing the strength of God to do their religious duties. They labour in the church, but they never consider themselves to be the ones who have contributed to the growth of the church. They always seek the Lord’s help, for they do not have confidence in their own abilities. They go into full-time ministry, but they know they are not up to God’s perfect standard. No matter how much they strive, they find themselves constantly criticised by people for not meeting up to their expectations. They pray and cry for the Lord’s wisdom, but people, including their fellow workers, ridicule and accuse them of being ill-equipped and failures. They continue to pray for help in every assigned work, knowing that only God has enabled them, and He is the One who gives the increase. They know that without Christ, they are nothing. They are the children of the Kingdom, sinners and weaklings in men’s eyes, yet strong and mighty in the eyes of the Lord. They are seen by people as sinners, yet they are seen by God as His servants saved by His grace.

When the Kingdom of God comes, they shall be gathered together to worship the Lamb and shall reflect His everlasting glory. That glory will never flicker nor be dimmed. It will shine brighter as they praise and glorify the Son of God by casting down their crowns before Him. Oh, what a glorious time that will be when the righteous are finally in the very presence of God! They will remain there forever because they were sown by the Son of Man to become the children of the Kingdom. Are you one of them?

MRS IVY TOW’S LEGACY IN THE FILIPINO BIBLE FELLOWSHIP

Rev Dr Jose Lagapa

“And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.” (John 4:37).

We give our praises and thanksgiving to God for the life of Mrs Ivy Tow, who was the wife of our founding pastor the Rev Dr Timothy Tow, who was burdened by the Lord to start the Filipino ministry in True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church (TLBPC). As we now partake of the fruits of the ministry and continue in the labour for the gospel to the Filipinos, we acknowledge God’s use of Mrs Tow in initiating this ministry. Mrs Tow was God’s servant who saw the need for the Filipina maids to be ministered to, which eventually grew into the worship service we have today.

When I began my studies at Far Eastern Bible College way back in 2009, the Filipina Bible Study was already initiated by Mrs Tow who had instructed Sister Manuela Fernandez-Heng (Aunty Wella), an FEBC alumna and a member of TLBPC. It was conducted once a month until 2010 when the Lord moved Pastor Jeffrey Khoo to have a Filipino Bible Study every Lord’s Day. The Lord continued to lead us to go for a weekly fellowship meeting starting in 2016 and the ministry’s name was then changed to the Filipino Bible Fellowship (FilBF). We thank God for His grace upon us to become the Filipino Worship Service in January 2023.

From Mrs Tow’s encouragement to start the Filipina Bible Study, the Filipino ministry has been blessed by the Lord with missions in the Philippines. By His grace, God increased the reach of the ministry by establishing four missions churches and two Bible Fellowships in Visayas and Mindanao. We thank Him for also opening the way for four missions stations in Luzon last year.

Never did Mrs Tow know how the Lord’s prompting of her to have concern for the Filipinas could spark a missionary movement that has kept on reaching many souls in the Philippines even until now. We thank the Lord for His servant whom He had used so that more Filipinos would come to the saving grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! All glory be to our living and true God!