October 12 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43:

²⁴Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
²⁵But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
²⁶But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
²⁷So 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?
²⁸He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
²⁹But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
³⁰Let 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....
³⁶Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
³⁷He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
³⁸The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
³⁹The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
⁴⁰As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
⁴¹The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
⁴²And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
⁴³Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Devotional

A man sowed good seed in his field. While men slept, his enemy sowed tares (weeds that at first look like wheat) among the wheat. These grew up with the wheat. The servants seeing the tares, asked the householder, "Didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then has it tares?" He said unto them, "An enemy has done this." They ask him whether they should gather up the tares. But he said, No, "lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow until the harvest." Then the householder would tell the reapers to bind the tares in bundles to burn them, and to gather the wheat into his barn.

The disciples asked for an explanation of this parable. Jesus told them, "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels." At the end of the world the Son of man shall send his angels to gather the evildoers and the scandals out of his kingdom and "cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father."

"While men slept"! Let us watch and pray.

Prayer

Our Father in heaven, in the conflict between good and evil in this world, may we remain true to Thy Word. May we have ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts to perceive. Grant that we may not be led astray, but may be able clearly to distinquish between truth and error, between tares and wheat, between a false gospel and the true Gospel. Grant us steadfastness that we may endure unto the end. And when finally the great separation is made at the end of the world may we belong to those that shall shine as the sun in Thy kingdom. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

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