He proposed another parable to them. “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. 26 When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. 27 The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ 28 He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
In this parable, Jesus presents another image of the Kingdom of Heaven: “A man sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat” (vv. 24–25). At first glance, it seems like a tale of agricultural sabotage, but as Jesus often does, He uses an earthly image to convey a profound spiritual truth.
The good seed represents the children of the Kingdom—those who receive God's Word and live according to His will. The weeds, or zizania, resemble wheat in their early stages but are barren and toxic. These symbolize those who reject or distort God’s truth, sown by the evil one into the world. The field is the world itself (cf. Mt 13:38), where good and evil are allowed to co-exist until the time of harvest—until the Day of Final Judgment.
The workers’ question is one many of us still ask today: “Do you want us to go and pull them up?” (v. 28). But the Master’s answer is striking: “No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them” (v. 29). Rather than immediately uprooting the evil, God permits it to remain for a time—not because He desires its growth, but because He draws good even from its presence. Evil never escapes His control; it is restrained by His providence and allowed only insofar as it serves His redemptive plan. As St. Paul writes, “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28). Some who look like weeds now may, by grace, become fruitful wheat. God’s mercy is not a sign of indifference; it is a purposeful delay, giving every soul time to repent and grow.
The image of harvest reflects a frequent biblical motif for divine judgment (cf. Joel 4:13; Rev 14:15–16). At the end of the age, the Son of Man will send His angels to gather the harvest. The weeds—those who persist in evil—will be bundled for burning, while the wheat will be gathered into God’s barn (cf. Mt 13:30, 39–43). This echoes John the Baptist’s warning that the Messiah will clear His threshing floor, gathering His wheat and burning the chaff “with unquenchable fire” (Mt 3:12).
There is a clear continuity between the Old Testament and the New Testament understanding of God’s justice and mercy. In the Old Testament, Ecclesiastes 8:11 observes that because punishment for evil is delayed, the human heart is emboldened to do wrong—yet God's delay is ultimately a form of mercy aimed at conversion, not indulgence. In the New Testament, 2 Peter 3:9 reinforces the same truth: “The Lord is not slow about his promise… but is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” This reveals that salvation history unfolds in time, and time is the space in which conversion, growth, and judgment are worked out..
Thus, this parable is not merely a commentary on the presence of evil in the world. It is a summons to hope, humility, and spiritual vigilance. We do not always know who is wheat and who is weed—nor should we presume to act as harvesters before the time. Jesus warns, “Judge not, that you may not be judged” (Mt 7:1), not to discourage discernment, but to remind us that only God sees the heart fully and judges with perfect justice. Our task is to remain rooted in the Word, to persevere in grace, and to trust that the Divine Judge will one day separate with perfect justice what human eyes cannot always discern.
Lord of the harvest, give us patience in this world of mixed fields. Help us to grow in faith, rooted in Your Word, and to trust Your perfect justice and mercy. May we be found among the wheat at Your coming, gathered into the joy of Your Kingdom. Amen!
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Sources and References
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, ed. Orchard et al. (1953).
- The Navarre Bible: Matthew, Faculty of the University of Navarre (2008).
- The Paulist Biblical Commentary, ed. Chiu et al. (2018).
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, §§827, 1038–1041.
- St. Augustine, Sermon 23A: “In the field of the Lord, wheat and weeds grow together.”
- St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Matthew, Homily 46.
- Ecclesiastes 8:11; Romans 8:28; 2 Peter 3:9; Joel 4:13; Revelation 14:15–16; Matthew 3:12, 7:1, 13:24–30, 13:38–43.
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