INTRODUCTION
Jesus’ ministry is a significant discontinuity in Israel ’s history. But it is not entirely discontinuous with that history. In a series of parables, Jesus explains how He is not the cancellation but the climax of Israel ’s story. Like the Psalmist, he utters hidden things (Matthew 13:34 -35; Psalm 78:2), the hidden meaning of God’s work with Israel .

THE TEXT
“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way . . . .” (Matthew 13:24-43).

TIMING
One of the keys to understanding the parable of the wheat and tares is to understand the time frame. Typically, the parable has been understood as a description of church history. Jesus is the owner sowing the field, the devil sows tares into the church (like Judas), and for that reason the church remains a “mixed multitude” until the end of the age. But Jesus has already said that the field is ready for harvest in His own lifetime ( 9:37 -38), and in other parables that Jesus’ ministry is the climax of the story (cf. Matthew 21:33 -46).

WHEAT AND TARES
The best way to read this parable is to understand that the “sowing” is the “sowing” that occurred with Israel ’s return from exile. At the time that Israel was planted back into the land, the devil also sowed weeds among the wheat. The Lord left the wheat and weeds to grow up side-by-side until the harvest comes, that is, until Jesus comes. Now Jesus and His apostles are going to be separating the wheat from the tares, gathering the wheat and leaving the weeds to be burned in fire. Jesus’ quotation from Daniel 12:3 (in Matthew 13:43 ) supports this. Daniel predicts a “time of distress,” which is followed by a “resurrection” and glorification of “those who have insight” and “those who lead the many to righteousness” (Daniel 12:1-3). This is the same sequence of Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24, which is about the destruction of Jerusalem (cf. 24:9, 21, 31, 34-35). Of course, the church is a mixed community, including both faithful sons and traitors. But Jesus’ specific focus is on the events surrounding the end of the Old Covenant order.

MUSTARD SEED
The parable of the mustard seed can be understood in the same framework. Yahweh planted the tiny mustard seed of Israel back in the land, but as it comes to fruition in Jesus, it is a tree that stands above others. Jesus draws on Ezekiel’s description of Israel ’s replanting of a “sprig” from the cedar of Israel (v. 32; cf. Ezekiel 17:23 ) and from Daniel’s description of the imperial tree of Nebuchadnezzar (v. 32; cf. Daniel 4:12 ). The tree of Israel , which ultimately is Jesus Himself, the greater Nebuchadnezzar, will be the greatest tree in the forest

LEAVEN
Jesus’ parable of leaven is strangely specific – a “woman,” “three pecks of meal” – but whatever the specifics, the message is similar to the others. Yahweh “leavened” the dough of the world by scattering Israel to the four winds. When Jesus comes, the lump is leavened, ready to be put into the oven.