Coexistence: Wheat and Tares

The parable of the wheat and tares reveals the coexistence of good and evil within the world and the Church, illustrating that both the righteous and the wicked grow together until the final judgment. Though the field—the world—belongs to Christ, the enemy, Satan, has sown tares, representing the children of the wicked one, among the wheat, symbolizing the children of the kingdom, with both appearing indistinguishable in their early stages. The Lord delays their separation to prevent the destruction of the righteous, emphasizing that only at the end of the age will the angels gather and burn the tares while gathering the wheat into His barn. This final judgment underscores the necessity of genuine faith and fruit-bearing, warning against counterfeit believers who perform religious works yet lack true relationship with Christ, affirming that only those who do the will of the Father will enter His kingdom, where the righteous will shine like the sun in the Father's kingdom.