wheat and tares? What specific type of evil do the tares represent?

[nuclearfuels]

Do they represent ideas, people, places, things?  A freind suggested it might be like the Parable of the Ten Virgins with the tares being like the unprepared virgins but evil / apostate  yet active members? Nah

[Maidservant]

Oddly enough I had this parable push into my consciousness not too long ago, but as it came, I saw myself, with all of my wheat and tares.  I think it teaches a principle of how growth of 'wheat' occurs. 

(I don't posit or frame evil in the world (only wounds), so I can't fill that category with anything from the scriptures.)

And I'd be hard pressed to say that it's applicability would be so narrow as to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

[JLHPROF]

Most scholars identify tares as "bearded darnel", a plant easily mistaken for wheat but with serious deleterious effects on our health.

I think it's pretty  clearly a reference to those who "grow with/among" the wheat and look like wheat, but are actually poisonous to spiritual health.

Now, who that applies to is certainly a matter of opinion.  But clearly Christ recognized a subsection of the harvest as being deceptive.  Perhaps hypocrisy is a part.

[Jean-Luc Picard]

20 minutes ago, Maidservant said:

Oddly enough I had this parable push into my consciousness not too long ago, but as it came, I saw myself, with all of my wheat and tares.  I think it teaches a principle of how growth of 'wheat' occurs. 

(I don't posit or frame evil in the world (only wounds), so I can't fill that category with anything from the scriptures.)

And I'd be hard pressed to say that it's applicability would be so narrow as to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I agree. It would be limiting if wheat only represented Church members (that is not very much wheat, the world would starve).

The tares I don't think represent the apostates/enemies either.

 

Lately my "tares" have been things that I spend time on, but are not important (surfing on my phone, hobbies with little to show etc.)

Maybe each person, or group of people have heir own tares and wheat.

[bluebell]

In real life, tares (or weeds) are detrimental to a crop because they use up resources, taking for themselves and leaving the crop undernourished and weak.  In that sense tares can represent those who are a part of the community (thus enjoy the resources and camaraderie due the community) but add nothing of use to it while their presence weakens the spiritual lives of those around them.

 

[clarkgoble]

19 hours ago, nuclearfuels said:

Do they represent ideas, people, places, things?  A freind suggested it might be like the Parable of the Ten Virgins with the tares being like the unprepared virgins but evil / apostate  yet active members? Nah

It's a parable. It doesn't have specific singular meanings.

[JLHPROF]

1 hour ago, clarkgoble said:

It's a parable. It doesn't have specific singular meanings.

But like all parables there are specific themes and principles present.

I don't think they're merely Rorschach tests.

"What is the rule of interpretation? Just no interpretation at all. Understand it precisely as it reads. I have a key by which I understand the scriptures. I enquire, what was the question which drew out the answer, or caused Jesus to utter the parable?"  Joseph Smith

[CV75]

21 hours ago, nuclearfuels said:

Do they represent ideas, people, places, things?  A freind suggested it might be like the Parable of the Ten Virgins with the tares being like the unprepared virgins but evil / apostate  yet active members? Nah

They represent whatever makes you want to tare your hare out.

[clarkgoble]

4 hours ago, JLHPROF said:

But like all parables there are specific themes and principles present.

I don't think they're merely Rorschach tests.

"What is the rule of interpretation? Just no interpretation at all. Understand it precisely as it reads. I have a key by which I understand the scriptures. I enquire, what was the question which drew out the answer, or caused Jesus to utter the parable?"  Joseph Smith

Oh, I agree. Typically the theme is hearing the word. Further the parables often line up with other allegories in the Jewish tradition. But I also think they work on multiple levels - the personal, the community, the cosmological etc. Did a post on it over at T&S last week although much to my surprise some disagreed vehemently. My focus was on the relation of some of the parables to the mysteries - particularly those in Matt 13. But of course I wasn't saying that was their only sense - nor the sense the masses listening to him would have picked up upon.

[pogi]

I always thought it was the same as the goats vs sheep - the tares represent those who do not listen to or follow his voice, or don’t bear fruit.

Edited March 25, 2019 by pogi

[Rivers]

The tares are those who seek to “tare” down the kingdom of God.😉

[USU78]

I'm not certain we need to go beyond appearances. The tares appear to be wheat, but are not. And the labor to extirpate the tares can be destructive to the wheat. Inquisitions are an example of attempts to have nothing but purest wheat in the field.

[Coop]

In Family Home Evening last night we were discussing this parable and one of our more erudite members asked if tares are sown by terrorists?  His comment got a good laugh but it made me think that there was a seed of truth in what he said.

 

For one thing I never did like the interpretation that we (members of the Church) are wheat and the tares are the evil people of the world anymore than I like being called a sheep.  Both wheat and sheep are domesticated by man for use as food, as in bread and meat, as well as for wool.  This personalization of the parable turns me into a commodity.

 

On the other hand if the parable is applied to the world of ideas.  And if the goal of a terrorist is to sow the seeds of fear in our minds then the man sowing wheat, which is the bread of life, is in a spiritual sense sowing faith.  And faith is the opposite of fear.  This makes more sense to me than the thought that I will end up in the barn waiting my turn to be turned into bread.

 

All the best,

Bob

[pogi]

36 minutes ago, Coop said:

In Family Home Evening last night we were discussing this parable and one of our more erudite members asked if tares are sown by terrorists?  His comment got a good laugh but it made me think that there was a seed of truth in what he said.

 

 

For one thing I never did like the interpretation that we (members of the Church) are wheat and the tares are the evil people of the world anymore than I like being called a sheep.  Both wheat and sheep are domesticated by man for use as food, as in bread and meat, as well as for wool.  This personalization of the parable turns me into a commodity.

 

 

On the other hand if the parable is applied to the world of ideas.  And if the goal of a terrorist is to sow the seeds of fear in our minds then the man sowing wheat, which is the bread of life, is in a spiritual sense sowing faith.  And faith is the opposite of fear.  This makes more sense to me than the thought that I will end up in the barn waiting my turn to be turned into bread.

 

All the best,

Bob

Interesting take.  If it works for you, go for it, as I think there can be layers of meaning with parables.  But when the Lord takes the time to actually expound on his parable, I think we need to strongly consider his explanation as the intended meaning. 

The parables of the sheep/goats and wheat/tares are prophecies about the gathering of Israel in the last days and the cleansing of the world by fire in preparation for the second coming.  With both the sheep and the wheat there is a gathering of the Shepherd/Sower. 

Quote

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

John 10

Quote

And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. (Jeremiah 23:3)

Quote

20 Thou art my servant; and I covenant with thee that thou shalt have eternal life; and thou shalt serve me and go forth in my name, and shalt gather together my sheep. (Mosiah 26)

Those who follow the Good Shepherd are clearly His sheep.  I don't think we can limit His sheep to members of the church however. People of all faiths can hearken to his voice/light.

Likewise, the parable of the wheat is not about ideas as much as the wheat is likened unto us.  Parable of wheat and tares explained by the Lord:

Quote

37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.

39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.

41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,

42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Matthew 13

Wheat bares fruit.  The sheep are also said to be fruitful and useful.  I have no problem with being a "commodity" in the Lord's hands, and think it makes the parable that much stronger!  One definition of commodity is "A useful or valuable thing."  Everything else will be burned. 

Edited March 26, 2019 by pogi

[USU78]

1 hour ago, Coop said:

In Family Home Evening last night we were discussing this parable and one of our more erudite members asked if tares are sown by terrorists?  His comment got a good laugh but it made me think that there was a seed of truth in what he said.

"An enemy hath done this."

Could be.

[Coop]

23 minutes ago, pogi said:

Interesting take.  If it works for you, go for it, as I think there can be layers of meaning with parables.  But when the Lord takes the time to actually expound on his parable, I think we need to strongly consider his explanation as the intended meaning.

I agree that your interpretation is popular.  It is the one I hear most often in the Church.  And it is hard to argue against the Lord's explanation.  Where I deviate from this understanding is that I believe that what the Lord is saying isn't descriptive in the sense that He is saying who we are but rather it is proscriptive in the sense of what we are to overcome.  In other words while He calls us wheat and sheep that isn't what we are designed to be.  I believe that He wants us to rise above these temporal apparations .

All the best,

Bob

[Maedros]

I interpret this parable to be (among other things) about liberals and conservatives, heterosexuals and every other sexual orientation; folks like us and millions of others around the world who seek to uphold and protect traditional family lifestyles against gender ideology, or politically correct attitudes and against the adversaries entertainment industry are the wheat - our actions when coupled with faith and good works is a most precious fruit;  the liberals and their mob of sodomites are the tares who appear so similar, espousing freedom of speech and anti-bigotry etc etc nonetheless produce the worst crime stats and social problems and fake news and hoaxes the world has ever seen; deleterious to health as tares are. By their fruits ye shall know them: terrorism; bigotry; hoax attacks, lies in the media, pornography, transgenderism (one of the most vilest deeds, very hateful to the most High and contrary to the eternal plan) - by the disastrous fruit shall we know them. 

 

 

[Calm]

I would CFR you for the crime stats and hoaxes, but I think that would take the thread off topic into politics.

Edited March 27, 2019 by Calm

[stemelbow]

5 hours ago, Maedros said:

I interpret this parable to be (among other things) about liberals and conservatives, heterosexuals and every other sexual orientation; folks like us and millions of others around the world who seek to uphold and protect traditional family lifestyles against gender ideology, or politically correct attitudes and against the adversaries entertainment industry are the wheat - our actions when coupled with faith and good works is a most precious fruit;  the liberals and their mob of sodomites are the tares who appear so similar, espousing freedom of speech and anti-bigotry etc etc nonetheless produce the worst crime stats and social problems and fake news and hoaxes the world has ever seen; deleterious to health as tares are. By their fruits ye shall know them: terrorism; bigotry; hoax attacks, lies in the media, pornography, transgenderism (one of the most vilest deeds, very hateful to the most High and contrary to the eternal plan) - by the disastrous fruit shall we know them. 

 

 

A great example demonstrating why Jesus' wheat and tares parable is a disaster.  Thanks.  I hope this was meant as it read to me--sarcastically.

I find Jesus' parable here to be a problem precisely because it gives followers the desire to be very pharisaic--setting up little tests as tradition to test each other.  The desire to ferret out wolves and tares in the Church is born into some of our NT stories and do nothing but inspire the very type of behavior Jesus condemned in other places.  Luckily we know the stories attributed to Jesus were recorded years after his life, in a language he didn't speak.  So we can safely suggest there is plenty of room to say the stories represent the long held traditions remnant of time honored oral traditions of their day.  

[stemelbow]

21 hours ago, Coop said:

In Family Home Evening last night we were discussing this parable and one of our more erudite members asked if tares are sown by terrorists?  His comment got a good laugh but it made me think that there was a seed of truth in what he said.

 

 

For one thing I never did like the interpretation that we (members of the Church) are wheat and the tares are the evil people of the world anymore than I like being called a sheep.  Both wheat and sheep are domesticated by man for use as food, as in bread and meat, as well as for wool.  This personalization of the parable turns me into a commodity.

 

 

On the other hand if the parable is applied to the world of ideas.  And if the goal of a terrorist is to sow the seeds of fear in our minds then the man sowing wheat, which is the bread of life, is in a spiritual sense sowing faith.  And faith is the opposite of fear.  This makes more sense to me than the thought that I will end up in the barn waiting my turn to be turned into bread.

 

All the best,

Bob

I like your interpretation too.  The problem of course is the most fear, at least in the Church from what I've seen, is spread by the leadership of the Church.  Speaking to members about their fears leads straight back to the teachings found in the Church, I've noticed--particularly when you get down to members' greatest fears.  

[The Nehor]

On 3/27/2019 at 2:46 AM, Maedros said:

I interpret this parable to be (among other things) about liberals and conservatives, heterosexuals and every other sexual orientation; folks like us and millions of others around the world who seek to uphold and protect traditional family lifestyles against gender ideology, or politically correct attitudes and against the adversaries entertainment industry are the wheat - our actions when coupled with faith and good works is a most precious fruit;  the liberals and their mob of sodomites are the tares who appear so similar, espousing freedom of speech and anti-bigotry etc etc nonetheless produce the worst crime stats and social problems and fake news and hoaxes the world has ever seen; deleterious to health as tares are. By their fruits ye shall know them: terrorism; bigotry; hoax attacks, lies in the media, pornography, transgenderism (one of the most vilest deeds, very hateful to the most High and contrary to the eternal plan) - by the disastrous fruit shall we know them. 

When your theology is based around confirming your political and social views be very wary. It may mean you are slipping into idolatry. The beauty of the revealed gospel is that every so often you run into something that runs counter to deeply held convictions and you have to knock them down. It is how I know it is not just me creating God in my own image.

[The Nehor]

On 3/27/2019 at 8:43 AM, stemelbow said:

A great example demonstrating why Jesus' wheat and tares parable is a disaster.  Thanks.  I hope this was meant as it read to me--sarcastically.

I find Jesus' parable here to be a problem precisely because it gives followers the desire to be very pharisaic--setting up little tests as tradition to test each other.  The desire to ferret out wolves and tares in the Church is born into some of our NT stories and do nothing but inspire the very type of behavior Jesus condemned in other places.  Luckily we know the stories attributed to Jesus were recorded years after his life, in a language he didn't speak.  So we can safely suggest there is plenty of room to say the stories represent the long held traditions remnant of time honored oral traditions of their day.  

My favorite story about that is that the Savior tells us to beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing and some people have gone so far as to ignore or even kill all the sheep just to be safe. Those parables are designed to shake us up and scare us. Weaponize them and you have missed the point.

[stemelbow]

21 hours ago, The Nehor said:

My favorite story about that is that the Savior tells us to beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing and some people have gone so far as to ignore or even kill all the sheep just to be safe. Those parables are designed to shake us up and scare us. Weaponize them and you have missed the point.

What sheep have been killed?  Or are we speaking metaphorically and the sheep that have been killed are LGBTQ folks, for instance, or black people in years past?  Mormonism certainly has inspired the majority, in some ways, in the fold to react selfishly, inhumanely (at times), or callously to various people.  

[The Nehor]

1 hour ago, stemelbow said:

What sheep have been killed?  Or are we speaking metaphorically and the sheep that have been killed are LGBTQ folks, for instance, or black people in years past?  Mormonism certainly has inspired the majority, in some ways, in the fold to react selfishly, inhumanely (at times), or callously to various people.  

I was thinking more of end time nuts that are convinced the Antichrist will come under a banner of peace and thus distrust anyone who preaches peace.

[Stargazer]

I think that there is no particular evil being represented.  In fact, some of the tares may not be evil at all.  Attempts to identify the tares with something specific is, in my humble opinion, reaching.

A tare today may be wheat tomorrow.  And vice versa.  

The wait until the harvest is a wait for the individual plants to resolve themselves according to what they are, and the wait continues into the Spirit World, where many tares will become wheat.  And possibly vice versa.

Heavenly Father loves all his plants, both the tares and the wheat. They will all eventually sort themselves out.  But not all of the tares are evil.

DC 123:12 - For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it—